DCbird

Announcing the DCbird blog! This will be space for recaps of my DC birding outings, with posts from other travels sprinkled in. Check out the first few posts here: https://dcbirdtours.com/dcbird-blog/.

H/t to Betsy O. for this incredible find today--an American bittern, perched in a tree near the Capitol! This bird was likely put off course by the remnants of tropical storm Ophelia which are currently making their way through DC. American bitterns are typically very secretive and stay well hidden due to their camouflaged plumage which is perfect for their reed-y habitats. This one was, um, not so hidden...

We were excited this morning to see this tricky-to-find Connecticut warbler in Rock Creek Park. These birds only visit DC during fall migration and are typically very skulky, but this individual was ready for its (brief) close-up!

Great find by Matt W. this morning at the Jefferson Memorial mudflats--an American avocet!

Sometimes, you're just in the right place at the right time. That was us today when we were at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and a juvenile white ibis flew in for a landing. As far as we can tell, this is the first white ibis sighting in DC since 2012!

After a busy summer of travel, we're back and birding in DC! And we haven't had to look far for some familiar and amazing birds--this ruby-throated hummingbird came by soon after we set up our feeder following our return. Small but mighty, this hummer is not to be messed with! Another hummer came by but was confronted and chased off quickly by this bird.

It may not be the flashiest bird, but we were thrilled to see this rare-for-DC clay-colored sparrow last weekend! An amazing local birder (Greg G.) picked out this individual and, fortunately, it stuck around long enough for many to see it. Notice that the dark streak behind the eye does not continue through to the lore and there is a dark border to the cheek patch--these field marks help to distinguish clay-colored from chipping sparrow, which can look similar.

This molting fish or American crow (we can't be sure as it didn't vocalize) really shows off just how thin the bird under the feathers really is! In addition to this individual, we saw 46 bird species at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens yesterday. And a beaver as an added bonus!

Our primary focus at DCbird is on the birds, but that doesn't mean we won't take a moment to admire the other incredible life we may come across! Today, we came upon this mother snapping turtle with a freshly dug nest (with eggs!) right along the trail at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. We moved along quickly to minimize disturbance. Also pictured from our morning at Kenilworth: a young Eastern rat snake (who we helped cross safely across the bike path), common grackle, nestling red-shouldered hawk, orchard oriole, and blue grosbeak. We observed 59 species on this beautiful morning.

This male common yellowthroat was loosely associating with a large group of migrants in Rock Creek Park. One of DC's more common warblers, it's always a pleasure to see this species!

You never know what's going to show up during migration in DC--yesterday, it was a dunlin in full breeding plumage!

This black-throated green warbler was one of 15 species of warblers we spotted today in Rock Creek Park. Scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, veery, and Swainson's thrush were also among the highlights.

Many warblers were active in Rock Creek Park today--we found 12 species, including this Tennessee warbler, which gave some great looks!

It's a great day in Rock Creek Park when we find a black-crowned night-heron! This bird was very active around the falls at Peirce Mill.

Spotted sandpiper at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens! It was a great morning--we spotted shorebirds (yellowlegs, spotted, and solitary sandpiper), warblers (eight species), and saw our first rose-breasted grosbeak of the year. The male grosbeak gave great views!

Hello world! DCbird will be launching soon and will offer private birdwatching tours in the District of Columbia. Join us to discover Washington, DC’s diverse bird life! Inquiries: [email protected].