Deeming yesterday to be the "perfect" atlasing day I ventured into new territory around Ft. Totten park/metro and the Pope John Paul Cultural Center on Harewood St. NE.  The Cultural Center has a strip of scrub and a tiny wooded path that yielded repeated good looks at a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks.  In fact, I watched on hawk kill and eat a juv. Starling (hey they are good for something) from a rather conspicuous perch.  All the while its mate was calling for it from farther back in the wooded strip.  The hungry hawk did not take any notice and continued to pluck the feathers and chow down.
 
Finally the hungry hawk gave a call and the mate flew in to watch the last few bits of bird being consumed.  There was no food sharing going on here.  Perhaps it is a sign of stressful parenthood.  There are several potential nest sights in pines in the woods, but neither hawk ventured near those nests.
 
It appears an Eastern Phoebe is nesting under a culvert behind the center in a little flower garden behind the center.  Lots of other urban garden variety birds about as well.
 
Ft. Totten was a pleasant surprise.  The place was empty but for one older gentleman walking his dog through the forest.  The dirt mounds of the old fort are still in tact -- and the fort grounds are quite large in comparison to some of the other fort grounds in DC.   
 
I found an E. Wood Pewee sitting on nest, Catbirds on nest, fledgling E. Towhees being fed, a Wood Thrush, Blue Jays, Grackles and Starlings.  I thought I heard a Red-Shouldered hawk but didn't spot it until later.  Walking out of the woods I found a pair of Red-Tail Hawks in a disagreement with a Red-Shouldered Hawk (possibly one of the same from the Cultural Center -- as it is a short distance as the hawk flies).  This is one of the higher points in DC, so I wonder how this strip of woods is during warbler migration?
 
Good birding!
 
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC