We returned this week from a fantastic six days in Oslo, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the birds from that trip in a future post. For now, though, it is striking how many new spring migrants have taken over DC in the last week and a half. Earlier today (Sunday), Janet and I went over to Kenilworth early ahead of some scheduled guiding there later in the morning. When we arrived, Kenilworth Park was noisy with birdsong, but largely empty of the hoped-for shorebirds, meadow birds, and sparrows. We did see some cool flyovers, though, including a large group of double-crested cormorants and a spectacular group of 16(!) common loons. The loons are a new Kenilworth bird for us both, and it was interesting to see them in a loosely associated group, but without any kind of flight formation. This is a bird I don’t believe I’ve ever seen in migratory flight, so it was a treat.
Beyond the flyovers, I captured a blurry photo of an American crow mobbing a red-shouldered hawk. The hawk had been perched right near the usually-productive vernal pools at the north end of the park, so that could explain the lack of shorebirds. We did actually see a group of four yellowlegs flush from the far fields and fly toward the lagoon; however, these yellowlegs could not be ID’d to species as they were silent and I only managed poor-angle photos.
Guiding began at KAG right when the park opened, and right upon entering the gardens the newly arrived migrants appeared. First was a singing prairie warbler, then green heron, solitary sandpiper, Eastern kingbird, warbling vireo, common yellowthroat, and yellow warbler. Migration is truly in full swing!
