Migrants at Kenilworth

On Sunday I visited Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens with the DC Audubon Society. We had a good turnout, as is common with local trips. A smaller group visited Kenilworth Park to look for open country birds later in the morning.

As you can see from the list below, the day was very good for sparrows and hawks. We were treated to great looks at ospreys from several locations in the park, including two occasions to watch an osprey eat fish. Bald eagle sightings included both an adult and an immature. The lone harrier was high in the sky and headed northward. A male kestrel perched for a short time at Kenilworth Park and performed some aerial acrobatics for us.

Field sparrows sang at several locations in and around the aquatic gardens. Several members of the group had an obscured look at one on the river trail. Swamp sparrows were more cooperative, with at least one coming out of the bushes and foraging on the open ground where we all could see it. One swamp sparrow sang a couple sweet trills. Our savannah sparrow turned up in Kenilworth Park. It flew in and out of tufts of grass on the football field. Though mown fairly short, the grass is just high enough to hide a small sparrow.

Other birds included a palm warbler and an early ovenbird. Most of the group had good looks at a flock of rusty blackbirds near the nature center. These charming icterids are no longer rusty but still clearly recognizable for their yellow eyes and short tails.

Migratory birds are clearly moving through in good numbers now, so it is time to get out and look for them.

BIRDS SEEN: 52

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Mallard
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Greater Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
American Crow
Fish Crow
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow