Battery
Kemble Park
Where is it?
There is more than one
entrance. The starting point suggested here is on the Chain Bridge Road,
.25 miles south of Loughboro Road.
When to go
Visit during migration
in early morning. Fall and winter can also be productive.
Where to go
The parking lot is surrounded
by small hills. Climb to the ridge and check each group of trees and bushes
for migrants. In the fall, check the open areas near the hills if they have
turned to meadow and grass. In fall and winter also check the open stands
of Virginia Pines.
South of the parking
lot there are two paths that lead to MacArthur Boulevard, about half a mile
away. One follows the stream, the other the Western ridge.
What to see
Hills: Warblers
and other migrants.
Meadow: Chipping, Field and other sparrows.
Dead snags: Red-headed
Woodpecker in the fall.
Eastern Bluebirds have nested here in the past, but not recently.
Virginia Pines:
kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins and possibly crossbills
in fall and winter.
Stream Path:
Migrant thrushes and breeding Veeries; Winter Wrens in fall and winter.
1998-2000 Recent
and Notable Sightings: Mourning Warbler (5/22/98, 5/20/99); Canada Golden-winged,
Tennessee, Blackburnian and Chestnut-sided Warblers (5/23/98); Black-billed
Cuckoo (late April/early May 1998).
How to get there
By car: From
M Street in Georgetown go west. At 44th Street take the left fork for MacArthur
Boulevard and proceed to the Chain Bridge Road. Turn right and continue
to the park entrance, .25 miles south of Loughboro Road. Turn right again
into the park and turn left. Follow the dirt road to the parking lot at
the bottom of the hill.
You can also take Wisconsin
Avenue north to Reservoir Road and turn left. Proceed to Foxhall Road and
turn right. Foxhall ends at Nebraska Avenue where you will turn left and
then left again at Chain Bridge Road. The Wisconsin Avenue segment of this
route is a very, very busy one and it is suggested that you avoid it if
possible.
By Metro: From
the Tenleytown Station on the Red Line take the M4 bus west on Nebraska
Avenue to Foxhall Road. The Junction is at the northwest corner of the park.
There is a trail which leads downhill into the park.
Accessibility and Comfort
This is a highly residential
area. Food can be found along MacArthur Boulevard, or you can return to
the Georgetown area.
Keys
American University,
Georgetown.
Glover-Archbold
Park
Where is it?
The park is a tall,
fairly narrow piece of greenery that stretches from Canal Road in Georgetown
north to Van Ness Street, but the wider portions of it lie between Reservoir
Road at the NW tip of Georgetown University and Cathedral Avenue. It is
encircled by Wisconsin Avenue on the East, Foxhall Road on the West, M Street
to the south, and Nebraska Avenue to the north.
When to go
During migration. Evening
chorus is good during June. Also can be interesting in Summer and Winter.
Where to go
Take the 1 mile trail
that goes north from Reservoir Road just east of 44th Street.
What to see
Warblers and thrushes
and other migratory land birds. Veeries breed in the park. Yellow-throated
Vireos and Kentucky Warblers might be present. Sometimes a Screech Owl is
resident, but Pileated Woodpeckers are common residents. In winter, Winter
Wrens may be found along the stream (Foundry Branch), while flocks of White-throated
Sparrows may be seen away from the trail in the brushier west side of the
park.
1998-2000 Recent
and Notable Sightings: Veery (6/15/98, 6/25/98).
How to get there
By Car: Take
Wisconsin Avenue north to Reservoir Road and turn left. Proceed to 44th
Street. Wisconsin Avenue through Georgetown proper is a narrow and very
busy street. Alternatively, you may wish to take M Street until it branches
right to Foxhall Road (around 44th Street). Make a right on Reservoir.
By Metro: Find
your way to the Dupont Circle Station on the Red Line. Take the D4 or D8
bus to the first stop west of the Georgetown University Hospital on Reservoir
Road.
Accessibility and Comfort
To be determined.
Keys
Georgetown.
Fletcher's
Boathouse/Chain Bridge
Where is it?
It is located at Reservoir
and Canal roads in N. W. Washington, D. C. One mile below Chain Bridge towards
town or 2.5 miles above Key Bridge. The facility is actually alongside the
C&O Canal. A note from Joe Fletcher, "Come enjoy the many birds in
our area."
When to go
Visit during migration
or in winter.
Where to go
Check out the River's
edge and picnic areas. Then walk along the towpath or the abandoned railroad
tracks north from the boathouse. This path passes along a wooded area. After
about a mile, the towpath passes under Chain Bridge. Look for a path that
goes left under the bridge to a group of overgrown ponds. You may also wish
to climb to the bridge for a better look at the ponds and the river. Return
to the towpath, where you can walk to the DC/Maryland line. Look for a concrete
platform along the east bank of the river. This generally marks the line.
What to see
Picnic Area:
Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Warbling Vireos.
Along the River: Black and Turkey Vultures sometimes nest. In migration
swallows, Chimney Swifts, gulls and Caspian Terns concentrate here. Diving
Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Greater and Lesser Scaup or often seen.
Towpath Woods:
Breeding Barred Owls and Wood Ducks, Prothonotary Warblers. Yellow-throated
is now a fairly common breeder in the sycamores along the towpath, although
they were rare prior to 1990. Cerulean Warblers bred here in the past, and
although not a recent breeder, could reestablish itself here in the future.
Chain Bridge/Ponds
Area: Osprey, teal, snipe, American Bittern in migration, sparrows in
winter. Green Heron and Canada Geese nest here. Black-crowned Night Herons
are sometimes found roosting; Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are rare visitors
in summer. Also the bridge is a good place to watch for raptors in fall
and winter. One day in November 1999 produced Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned
Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel and a probably Red-shouldered
Hawk.
1998-2000 Recent
and Notable Sightings: Yellow-throated, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers
near the boathouse (4/11/99). Bonaparte's and Ring-billed Gulls, Caspian
Terns, and Osprey (4/11/99) on the River. Little Blue Heron (7/3/98), Blue-winged
Teal (4/17/99) and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (6/19/99 and also present
in summer 1998) by the Ponds/Chain Bridge. Red- Shouldered Hawk (1/16/00).
How to get there
By car: Travel
via M Street west from Georgetown and take the left fork to MacArthur Boulevard.
Turn left on Reservoir Road and continue to the entrance to the boathouse.
By Metro: Take
the D4 or D8 bus from the Red Line's Dupont Circle Station west. It will
take you to the far end of Georgetown Reservoir on MacArthur Boulevard.
Walk across the boulevard and go downhill on Reservoir, bearing left in about
a quarter of a mile.
Accessibility and Comfort:
You can obtain food
in Georgetown.
Keys:
Georgetown, American
University.
Georgetown
Reservoir
Where is it?
On MacArthur Boulevard,
just south of Reservoir Road.
When to go
October to December
and March to April are most productive. Use a scope to view the entire reservoir,
but you can see much of the area without one. Morning light -- before 10
am -- is generally best.
Where to go
Scope or view the reservoir
from the sidewalks, to include the dikes and the banks. Watch for hawks
from the lawn on the south end of the reservoir. You can also walk west
across the lawn until you reach a lane that was once a trolley route. The
route goes NW along the far side of the reservoir. Hawks may also pass over
the route, but you will see them better from the lawn. The route will take
you to Reservoir Road and Fletcher's Boathouse in about 3/4 of a mile.
What to see
Waterfowl and raptors
are the main attractions, but you can find other interesting species at
the reservoir or in the close vicinity. Among the waterfowl species present
are Ring-necked Duck, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Greater and Lesser
Scaup, American Wigeon, American Coot, and Pied-billed Grebe. Other species
can be found, but stay for shorter periods and visit less frequently. These
include: Oldsquaw, Redhead, Gadwall, all three mergansers, Common Goldeneye,
White-winged Scoter, Horned Grebe, and Common Loon.
During spring and fall
raptors can concentrate here, but flights are unpredictable. Warm days with
NW winds in early October have been productive. In the fall, flight direction
is SW; NE in the spring. Sometimes flights are along the Potomac River,
which is behind the Reservoir. Broad-wings and Sharp-shins are most numerous,
but Golden Eagles have been seen twice in October and a Rough-legged Hawk
was once sighted in November. On October 30, 1999, the following were seen:
Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned
Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture! There are now at least
5 records of Golden Eagle from Georgetown reservoir, all from the Oct 30-Nov
10 period.
Gulls rest on the dikes,
and you may sometimes see a Lesser Black-backed Gull or an even rarer Iceland
Gull. A Yellow-legged Gull, the first US sighting, spent five winters here
between 1990 and 1994-95, but was not seen in 1996-97.
Barn and Rough-winged
Swallows nest along the dikes and can be seen in season. Turkey and Black
Vultures visit on occasion and a yellowlegs or Solitary Sandpiper may be
seen on the banks. American bitterns have been seen in the reeds on the
far bank.
Look for swallows along
the trolley route and Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows along its grassy
banks. Yellow-breasted Chats sometimes breed here.
1998-2000 Recent
and Notable Sightings: California Gull (1/23/99), Thayer's Gull (1/24/99),
Black Skimmer (9/7/99), Golden Eagle (10/30/99), Bald Eagle (10/30/99),
Sharp-shinned Hawk (10/30/99), Cooper's Hawk (10/30/99), Red-tailed Hawk
(10/30/99), Red Shouldered Hawk (10/30/99), Peregrine Falcon (11/18/99),
Bonaparte's Gull
(12/13/99), Common Loon (4/7/98), Caspian Tern (4/17/98), Ruddy Turnstone
(4/10/98), Lesser Black-backed Gull (12/13/99, 12/26/98, 1/25/98, 2/16/98,
2/28/98, 3/2/98), Ring-necked Duck (12/26/98, 11/25/99), Red-breasted Merganser
(11/25/99, 2/8/98, 4/7/98), Horned Grebe (11/12/99, 4/30/98, 5/2/98), Peregrine
Falcon (11/18/99, 8/10/98).
How to get there
By car: From
M Street in Georgetown go west. At the fork, take MacArthur Boulevard on
the left. Continue on MacArthur until you reach the Reservoir on your left.
By Metro: Find
your way to Dupont Circle Station on the Red Line and then take either the
D4 or D8 bus to the reservoir.
Accessibility and Comfort
A block past the Reservoir,
along MacArthur Boulevard, is a Safeway with a deli. You will also find
a small cafe and one or two other small restaurants. Further along MacArthur
Boulevard, near Dana Place are other eating establishments and convenience
stores, including a Starbucks. Another small group of eating establishments
can be found still further up the road near Cathedral Avenue. You can also
return to Georgetown or Wisconsin Avenue.
There are no public
rest room facilities at the Reservoir. In case of an emergency, Sibley Hospital
is about ten minutes north at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and
Nebraska Avenue. The sidewalk across from the Reservoir is accessible via
residential driveways, but the side of the street by the Reservoir itself
is mainly dirt and grassy ground.
Keys
American University,
Georgetown.
1998-2000
Recent And Notable Sightings Not Reported Elsewhere
Chimney Swift and Common
Nighthawk Flights -- 25th And Q Streets, N.W. (10/3/99)
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