As Rob H. posted, I was successful seeing 2 LEAST TERNS this (7/20)
afternoon! I tried again at lunch today (and was lucky that my lunch
companion didn't mind sitting outside in the thick summer heat), but we
didn't see anything. So after work, at about 4:30, I picked up a
Capitol Bikeshare bike at the Navy Yard Metro and went east on M. St. to
the point where it goes under Pennsylvania Ave. This was about 1.5
miles, but seemed like 15 in the heat. I parked my bike and as I was
getting my bins out of my bag I could see a little white blob on the top
of the first white buoy upstream from the PA Ave. bridge. I figured
that if it was a bird, then it was a Least Tern. And when I finally got
the bins on it, sure enough, it turned out to be one of the terns.
While looking at it I heard another just upstream from that, and watched
the 2nd bird fly around and eventually land on the buoy with the first
bird. Both birds were adults and not showing any sign of molt (from
what I could tell with my compact bins).
So while I still regret not seeing the KenCen birds so many years ago,
the regret meter has lightened up a little. Thanks to Rob O. for
finding the birds originally, and to Jason & Wayne for tracking them
today. Earlier in the day I had received an email from Jason saying
that he was going to look for them this morning, and my reply to him
was, "Good luck - Blind, Stupid Persistence does pay off every once in a
thousand tries." And sure enough, it did today, not only with the
terns, but with his amazing AVOCET sighting. "Blind, Stupid
Persistence" is the DC birders' mantra.
I didn't see the avocets, but there were about 100 LAUGHING GULLS on the
mudflat downstream from the PA Ave. bridge.
And to add to the story, Ottavio Janni, who happens to be in town, went
to look for the birds later in the day, and he found 3 Least Terns!
Apparently all adults. At that time all 3 birds were on the mudflat a
little farther upstream.
I hope to try again tomorrow morning to see if the birds are still
around.
Good birding,
Paul Pisano
Arlington, VA
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