In the last few weeks, the Common Grackles have made their way back to D.C. These birds are iridescent with a raucous call, and are really fun to photograph. Their populations are decreasing and they are listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural…
Bird Reports
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The Great Backyard Bird Count in Washington, D.C.
Photo: A beautiful Palm Warbler look at the camera at LBJ Memorial Grove Periodically throughout the year, Cornell Labs (makers of eBird) do global counting events. President’s Day Weekend is “The Great Backyard Bird Count”, or GBBC. The ask is to go birding for at least 15 minutes from 16-19…
Bird Reports
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D.C. Big Duck Day
Photo: A Ring-Necked Duck swims between two Canada Geese at Georgetown Reservoir. Taken by Mr. Chirpy In the Birding Lingo post we talked about the phrase “Big Day” or “Big Year”. This phrase means trying to see as many species as possible in a set time period. Mr. Chirpy and…
Birding Basics
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Embracing Birding in the Winter
Photo: An iconic scene — a Northern Cardinal in the snow. Photo taken by Mr. Chirpy at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. If you live in a place with four seasons like I do, you may think that birding has to wait for a different climate or time of…
Birding Basics
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Birding 101: What time of day should I bird?
Photo: A gorgeous Northern Cardinal rests on a branch at Theodore Roosevelt Island in D.C. The photo was taken at 10:45 a.m. I’ve found Cardinals to be particularly bright in the winter, and active all day long. This is a topic I feel weirdly passionate about. People inadvertently discourage themselves…
Birding Basics
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Birding 201: Learning the Lingo
Photo: A floofy butterbutt sits on a branch at the U.S. Botanic Garden. This adorable birb is seen in D.C. in the winter. When you start birding, there is a TON of new lingo. It can be kind of intimidating but once you pick it up, you feel like a…
Games
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2024 Birder Bingo
Photo: A Canada Goose walks on the frozen Potomac River. Photo was taken by Mr. Chirpy on our “Big Duck Day”, an attempt to see 10 duck species in a day (we got to 9, womp womp). Seeing 10 duck species in a day is a square on our 2024…
Bird Reports
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New Lifer: Long Tailed Duck
(Photo: Mr. Chirpy captured this photo of a Long-Tailed Duck floating in the middle of the Potomac River) We went birding this past weekend and checked out LBJ Memorial Grove for the first time. It’s a beautiful spot with opportunities to look for birds on both the Potomac River and…
Birding Basics
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Birding 201: Maximizing Your Bird Identification with Merlin
Photo: A Merlin is perched in a tree at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. Taken by Mr. Chirpy Merlin (the application, not the bird!) has proven invaluable, especially for the beginning birder like me. When I started birding, I would use the sound ID feature on my Merlin app,…
Birding Basics
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Birding 101: Essential Steps to Start Birding
Photo: A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is perched on a branch. Taken at the U.S. Botanic Garden New to birding? So am I! Here’s how I got started. 1 – Equip yourself with binoculars. I think this is the only piece of equipment you absolutely need to start birding. There are great…