I birded Monticello Park in Alexandria briefly this morning and fountd
it to be rather quiet. The only warblers seen or heard were yellow
rumps, and all other birds were residents. However, I was disturbed to
see two troubled creatures. A gray squirrell dragged itself mainly by
its forelegs along the path near the park's upper end; its back legs
were not entirely useless, but moved only feebly, and the squirrell
seemed to have trouble focusing its eyes. Not long thereafter, I saw a
distressed catbird near the drainage pipe at the park's lower end; the
lone adult bird was hopping about slowly in a weaving, almost "drunken"
fashion, made no effort to fly when I approached it (although its wings
seemed intact and uninjured), kept its mouth open constantly, and
frequently closed its eyes. I'm worried that the squirrel and catbird
may have gotten exposed to some sort of toxin and that other creatures
in the park may be affected as well.
Cathy Messina
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