Spurred by Kurt Gaskill's sighting of a Black-crowned Night-Heron, I spent a
few late morning/early pm hours at Roaches Run and across the Parkway at
Gravelly Point. As I located the Night-Heron (near the most distant large
cement pipes), in the distance came a large, black and white raptor, which at
first I thought was an immature eagle. But as it came in over the lagoon at
Roaches Run, it was clear this was a buteo. It perched for a few moments and I
got to see the feathers on the legs, the white base of the tail, and dark tip.
I have not seen a Rough-legged this close to DC before, and I am guessing this
bird is on the move.
Lots of other birds included about 30 Hooded Mergansers, 3 Bufflehead (in the
Potomac) 8 DC Cormorants, 6 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 Red-Shouldered Hawks (who
intercepted and harassed the Rough-leg when it got near), 2 Great Egrets, 3
Great Blue Herons, a Cooper's Hawk, an adult Bald Eagle, at least one and maybe
more American Kestrels hovering and hunting the runway at National Airport,
scads of Ring-billed Gulls, several Herring Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls,
about half a dozen Killdeer on the lagoon south mudflat, 2 noisy Belted
Kingfishers, and the usual assortment of sparrows, Mallards, woodpeckers,
starlings, doves, etc.
Bob in Arlington
