Yesterday's lunchtime walk produced the following highlights:
In Washington Channel:
A Double-crested Cormorant caught an eel, and had a tough time with
its prey. After struggling for a couple of minutes, it finally swallowed the
eel, but then I could see the birds' throat swelling, I presume as the eel
tried to get back out! The cormorant kept on kinking its neck and
swallowing, and also kept washing its bill - perhaps the eel was producing
a lot of mucus? Finally the meal stayed down.
At the Tidal Basin, a family of Rough-winged Swallows and a lot
of Barn Swallows.
At the FDR Memorial: lots of catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds.
At the entrance, a juvenile-plumaged male Orchard Oriole fussed at me.
At the DC Veterans' Memorial, a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers
were moving around in the trees.
Seen everywhere: Fledgling starlings pestering their parents.
Not seen anywhere: Cicadas - I miss them already.
Ring-billed Gulls - the last one seems to have left.
Jim
Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution
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