Field Ornithology Journal #3

On Wednesday, May 26th I went to Fort Dupont Park in Anacostia DC from 6:45 AM - 12:05 PM. The weather was 90 degrees, and the morning began as cloudy but by 9:30 AM it was very sunny and there was no wind. The park a large expanse of deciduous forest with intermixed grasslands that were about 50 yards long and ran parallel to the walking path. The grass was was shin height and full of grasshopper, crickets, and cicadas. The forest was mostly over story trees with very little understory species. There was a small stream that ran through the forest but it was mostly dried up. In the forest, I heard multiple species of flycatcher (Acadian, Least, Great Crested), as well as Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, and song birds like the American Goldfinch and Yellow Warbler. These species were all on the tops of trees in the forest and were rarely seen on the ground. In the forest I saw a Black Rat Snake which was very exciting, and I also heard an Eastern Wood-Pewee which I've never heard in person before! In the grassland area, I saw species like the Indigo Bunting which was flying through the grass and landing on shrubs, and the a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Eastern Kingbird which were perched on trees at the edge of the grassland. I wasn't expecting to see the Downy Woodpecker I was just leaving the forest and there it was which was exciting. I didn't recognize the call at first but then I saw it hopping up and down the tree which was interesting to see. There was a mowed area just before you enter the forest where I saw more general species like Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Chimney Swifts and American Robins. The cicadas gave me some trouble because their non stop noises muted some of the bird calls but if I walked far enough away from the grasslands it was more manageable to discern the different calls.

Posted on May 26, 2021 09:06 PM by iadeslaw iadeslaw

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Seen in the fields outside of the forest, and on the edges of the forest habitat

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Heard a lot in the early mornings but then died back by the afternoon. No individuals seen but many heard

Photos / Sounds

What

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Only heard in the early morning in the forest, but non observed or heard later in the day

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Male and female individuals seen and heard throughout the morning in the forest

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Many individuals observed outside of the forest in an open field calling and interacting with each other

Photos / Sounds

What

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Many heard calling in the middle of the forest but non observed

Photos / Sounds

What

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

A few individuals heard throughout the day but dispersed throughout the forest

Photos / Sounds

What

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

A few calls heard in the background of the forest

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Just one individuals seen on the edge of a patch of tall grass

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Seen flying over the forest and in the trees on the edges

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Seen and heard in the open grass before the forest begins

Photos / Sounds

What

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Heard and observed in the forest, but not sure if the recording accurately captures the call it would be in the end of the recording and in the background

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Individuals heard calling in the forest, and a few seen flying between trees

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Seen flying in a small group over the forest in the early morning, and a single individual heard flying and call in the late afternoon

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

A couple individuals heard calling in the mid morning in the forest

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

One individual seen and others heard on the edge between forest and grassland

Photos / Sounds

What

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

1 seen and heard in a field on a branch

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Only a couple heard in the tops of trees on the edge

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Just one heard in the middle of the forest

Photos / Sounds

What

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

No individuals seen but call heard throughout the forest

Photos / Sounds

What

Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

One individual heard and looked like a least flycatcher but I'm not completely sure

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

A few heard calling throughout the morning in the forest

Photos / Sounds

What

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

Just one seen flying across the grass and landed on a low shrub

Photos / Sounds

What

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021

Description

One seen climbing up and down a snag and calling near the edge of the forest

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Observer

iadeslaw

Date

May 26, 2021 04:33 PM EDT

Description

Heard calling throughout the forest and 1 seen on a top branch of a tree

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