Animal sightings along MVT

[dbb]

Great Blue Heron flying north at the south end of Roosevelt Island this morning about 0715. They make flying look easy. I’ve not seen many vultures along the trail in the past.

While not on the MVT, the past couple of mornings I’ve seen/heard a downy (or hairy, I have never done well with differentiating between them) woodpecker (one of the small varieties of woodpeckers) on Hains Point near the parking lot just inland of the entrance gate. He was working on trying to peck a hole in one of the street light globes. Heard him the next day trying the same thing. Everybody should have a goal!

[baiskeli]

@dbb 18823 wrote:

While not on the MVT, the past couple of mornings I’ve seen/heard a downy (or hairy, I have never done well with differentiating between them) woodpecker (one of the small varieties of woodpeckers) on Hains Point near the parking lot just inland of the entrance gate. He was working on trying to peck a hole in one of the street light globes. Heard him the next day trying the same thing. Everybody should have a goal!

You need a Ph.D. in ornithology to tell the difference.

Was that pecker making lots of noise pecking on that pole? Males mark their territory by pecking something loudly, so sometimes when they are banging on a metal sign or something, they may look stupid to us, but they know what they’re doing. Or maybe he/she was trying to open a nest hole.

[KLizotte]

@txgoonie 18820 wrote:

Turkey vulture along the MVT a bit north of Humpback Bridge. Man, that is a big bird! I got a good sense of it b/c he was right next to the trail and sorta hopped along with me as I ran. I must have looked pretty tired :-s

Hopefully it will take care of the dead rat that’s been lying smack dab in the middle of the trail at the entrance to the George Mason bridge since last night. I came “this close” to running over it. Yuck!

[dbb]

@baiskeli 18825 wrote:

You need a Ph.D. in ornithology to tell the difference.

Was that pecker making lots of noise pecking on that pole? Males mark their territory by pecking something loudly, so sometimes when they are banging on a metal sign or something, they may look stupid to us, but they know what they’re doing. Or maybe he/she was trying to open a nest hole.

They are pretty easy to tell apart if you can see both together. The size difference is then quite diagnostic. A single in the twilight of dawn with me riding along – a bit more challenging.

He was pecking the glass globe on the light. As a noise maker, it was almost as effective as Dirt on his vuvuzela. It was pretty cool to see the woodpecker however.

[AlexBikeCommute]

Here’s a beaver in Four Mile Run. I stopped on the bridge and waited until he/she swam towards me. Got one of him as he dove underwater under the bridge. Only third time in 8 years commuting this route that I’ve seen a beaver this close up.
From afar:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]967[/ATTACH]

Right below me, diving under:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]968[/ATTACH]

[baiskeli]

@dbb 18829 wrote:

They are pretty easy to tell apart if you can see both together. The size difference is then quite diagnostic. A single in the twilight of dawn with me riding along – a bit more challenging.

True, the size is different, but I’ve never seen two next to each other.

[baiskeli]

Saw two male wood ducks at the Mt. V trail boardwalk across from Roosevelt Island.

Didn’t get a pic, but this is what they look like. Nice. Fun fact – they don’t quack, they whistle.

[KLizotte]

@AlexBikeCommute 18851 wrote:

Here’s a beaver in Four Mile Run. I stopped on the bridge and waited until he/she swam towards me. Got one of him as he dove underwater under the bridge. Only third time in 8 years commuting this route that I’ve seen a beaver this close up.

I’ve seen a beaver twice recently along the MVT near the 14th St bridge. I suspect that because of the drought drying up the nearby swamps the beavers have been forced to look for new homes.

[txgoonie]

@KLizotte 18861 wrote:

I’ve seen a beaver twice recently along the MVT near the 14th St bridge. I suspect that because of the drought drying up the nearby swamps the beavers have been forced to look for new homes.

I’ve seen him, too. This photo is from November.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]975[/ATTACH]

[Rootchopper]

This morning I spotted a red winged blackbird, a great blue heron, a bunch of robins and grackles, and an osprey (at the Belle Haven nest).

Yesterday afternoon I saw a cockatoo. It was perched on the shoulder of a cyclist heading north out of Belle Haven Park.

[dasgeh]

This morning I saw a gaggle of firetrucks in the TR Island parking lot around 10:15am. There seemed to be some bubbley stuff coming out of the sewer(?) into the Potomac there. Anyone know what’s up? I worry for our furry friends – I should have stopped and asked…

[KLizotte]

@dasgeh 18894 wrote:

This morning I saw a gaggle of firetrucks in the TR Island parking lot around 10:15am. There seemed to be some bubbley stuff coming out of the sewer(?) into the Potomac there. Anyone know what’s up? I worry for our furry friends – I should have stopped and asked…

Have no idea if this is related, but yesterday around 5:00 pm there were a ton of motorcycle police at TR, some cop cars, and the US Secret Service using dogs to sniff around the cars parked in the lot. I think there was a cop stopping traffic from driving into the lot too. I was gonna ask what was going on but when I saw the Secret Service I figured they wouldn’t appreciate the questions. They completely ignored the cyclists and runners.

[baiskeli]

@Rootchopper 18892 wrote:

Yesterday afternoon I saw a cockatoo. It was perched on the shoulder of a cyclist heading north out of Belle Haven Park.

Now that’s one I’ve never seen.

[dbb]

On the ride home this evening I saw the first turtles of the season on the boom keeping oil from DCA into Roaches Run just south of the inlet to the pond by Long Bridge park. These turtles were more mellow than those on the CCT and they appeared to be just chilling out

[MCL1981]

@dbb 19146 wrote:

These turtles were more mellow than those on the CCT and they appeared to be just chilling out

And I can personally attest to the angry disposition of the CCT turtles

[Author]

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