Jan 22 2011 - a first field trip for Birding DC - Rock Creek Park and Haines Point

By way of preparation for Birding DC Chrystal and I explored one new large site and checked out another that we'd not done fully before
The trip started in Alexandria bur few birds were seen en route, probably due to the frigid conditions. The was a light but biting breeze but the temperature gauge in the car read 11 F early on.

Apart from the flocks of European Starling and Feral Pigeon nothing was seen until out first stop.

Around the Nature Center in Rock Creek Park we studied the various species visiting the feeders and then walked the wooded, hillside trail loop, disturbing - but only mildly - 8 White-tailed Deer in the middle of the loop. After completing the loop we studied the woodland around the Center, picking up a few feeding parties. After visiting the very nice Center briefly we drove Ross Drive stopping at a couple of locations and finally for the park, parked at the southern end of the closed section of Beach Road. Altogether a six Woodpecker morning with multiples found of each (excluding the lone Flicker).

Leaving the Park south on Beach Road we headed towards the Watergate building and the monuments, and headed out to Hains Point for the final bracing stop of the day. Here, however we connected with two quality birds in the form of a Merlin and the best bird of the day, a young Long-tailed Duck

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     1000 seen at Hains Point plus 2-300 on the Potomac bank near the Lincoln Memorial
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     - a few pairs at Hains Point
Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis     - a young bird seen at Hains Point, at one point had to drive to avoid the attention of a pair of Bald Eagles
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus     2 - Hains Point, see above!
Merlin - Falco columbarius     - 1 perched in a tree, Hains Point, made off up river, towards downtown
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     - many around downtown, the Tidal Basin and Hains Point
Herring Gull (American) - Larus argentatus smithsonianus     - several adult and juvenile birds at Hains Point
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus      - several at Hains Point, also on the ice by the Jefferson Memorial

Rock Pigeon - Columba livia     - seen at several locations downtown
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     <10 seen around the Nature Center
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     a few seen around the Nature Center and Ross Road
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius     - the first bird we saw at the Nature Center, followed by another later there
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     a few seen around the Nature Center and Beach Road
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     a few seen around  Ross Road and Beach Road

Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus     One on the Woodland Trail
Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus     two birds see destroying the integrity of rotting trees!

crow sp. - Corvus sp. (crow sp.) - a distant, still and silent bird at Hains Point

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis     - many around the Nature Center and Beach Road

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     - several around the Nature Center, c25 in a flock at Hains Point
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     - many seen and heard around the Nature Center and elsewhere
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     - single bird(s) at the Nature Center feeder
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     many seen at various urban location
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     - several seen along Beach Road
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     - many around the Nature Center and along Beach Road
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis     a few around the Nature Center and a small flock at the first Picnic Area on Ross Road
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     - several seen with small flocks of 6-10 birds, along Beach Road
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus     - a few at the feeder
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     - a couple of birds along Beach Road

Location assessment
Nature Trial loop - rough terrain on hillside
Ross Road - stopping could be a problem when busy - no problem with 11 degree weather though ;)
Beach Road - the middle section is closed to cars 7am Saturday - 7pm Sunday and is easily walkable. Narrow footpath in places for other times of the week
Hains Point - easily birded by car for most of the area but undoubtedly busy at times (bad birding times anyway, fortunately), Short walk to the point.

Panerra's soup and sandwich is IDEAL for a frigid day!