For the last week or so, DC residents have been watching the forecast as a big winter storm developed out west. With the storm now bearing down on the DC area, the latest forecast is calling for 6-10 inches of snow, which will make for the snowiest conditions here in the last several years. Part of the reason this storm will pack such a snowy punch is because it has been very cold for the last few days and all the precipitation is expected to stick. This days-long cold streak is already affecting bird habitat here, as ponds like Constitution Gardens and the Capitol Reflecting Pool have already frozen over, and it will be interesting to see what kinds of species may show up and depart with the changing conditions. I’m hoping for American tree sparrow—we’ll see! But I’m also hoping that conditions hit the sweet spot where water bodies partially freeze and concentrate waterfowl on the remaining open water. There have been some great waterfowl days with these partial river freezes. If the rivers and other water bodies fully freeze, all the area ducks will have to head to open water somewhere else, meaning less birding goodness around here.
In spite of the persistent cold of the last few days, individuals of several species that typically migrate further south have been sticking around the city since the new year began. There are the warblers I mentioned in my last post still hanging around the U.S. Botanical Gardens (Nashville, Tennessee, and Cape May) and there’s also a local DC celebrity: a yellow-throated warbler that has returned to winter in DC at East Potomac Park every year since 2018. (Note: there is no definitive confirmation that this is the same individual bird, but I think this is very likely the case. If this is the same individual, it would be one of—if-not the—oldest yellow-throated warblers recorded. In any case, I am crossing my fingers that all these warblers make it through this storm and cold.)
The most exciting bird since my New Years Day post is the yellow-throated warbler at East Potomac Park. This can be a tough bird to track down as it pops up at spots seemingly all over the park, but as it happened I had the day off on Thursday and a report came in from Molly H. that she saw the bird. I made my way down to the spot she noted just south (and adjacent to) the railroad tracks on the west side of East Potomac Park. I searched fruitlessly for the bird for about 45 minutes, but just as I was about to leave I heard a golden-crowned kinglet call. Molly mentioned that the warbler was with golden-crowned kinglets when she had seen it, and right on cue, the yellow-throated warbler appeared, popping around a pine tree right near the tracks. I watched the bird for a few minutes before a red-shouldered hawk appeared and all the birds present went quiet and still. Such a great bird—probably my favorite individual bird ever—so always great to have a chance to see it.
After seeing the yellow-throated warbler, I wanted to try my luck at finding the Cape May at the Botanic Gardens one more time prior to the big storm. The Cape May was nowhere to be found after I had arrived (it was seen earlier in the day), but I did get many more great looks at the Nashville and Tennessee.
Today (Sunday) was the last opportunity to bird prior to the big storm hitting, so this morning I woke up early and went in the bitter coled to the Tidal Basin before sunrise in an effort to see a reported Iceland gull from yesterday. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one with this idea and there was a nice group of birders scanning the roosting gull flock. The Iceland wasn’t ultimately seen, but there was a (presumed continuing) ruddy duck as well as 6 great black-backed gulls—a good number for that species. Several of us decided to head to Hains Point to scan for ducks (in particular a reported common goldeneye from yesterday), and while checking flocks in the Washington Channel a fellow birder (Menachem G.) picked out a few cackling geese. A FOY Cooper’s hawk, Northern harrier, and American coot were other highlights from the day. There was a large flock of about 350 lesser scaup sitting off of the War College, but no goldeneye for us.
The storm will be starting any minute now—we’ll see what is around when it passes!
