Well, I finally got around to making this blog post. Back in May 2018, my whole family decided to go to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City all in one big two week trip. We also decided to fly directly from our small Southern Idaho town to Salt Lake City and then to DC - meaning we got to walk out on the tarmac to get to the plane. We landed after a substantial 5 hour flight and got to our hotel across from Union Station on North Capital St NW. We could see the Capitol Building from just outside the lobby! On the way there, I saw lifers Red-eyed Vireo and Carolina Chickadee. The Red-eyed Vireo: We went to the National Museum of American History: Thomas Jefferson's Desk on which he wrote the constitution. The constitution hanging is one of 100 copies made of the original: A piece of Plymouth Rock: One of Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves and Apolo Ohno's ice skates: Then we had to put all our stuff in lockers at the museum so we could tour the White House! It was really amazing to be in such a historical place. While waiting to get in, I heard yearbird Blackpoll Warbler and afterwards saw lifer Ovenbird. We got our stuff back and on the way to dinner I saw lifer Bay-breasted Warbler: The White House at night: The next day we grabbed a quick breakfast and then rode rentable bikes all the way to Ford Theater. While there my brother grabbed this amazing shot of me holding a young starling: Then we checked out the FBI building (it's not much to see). Then we went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space museum. After going through the usual half hour of security, we spent a good half day there. The original Star Trek Starship Enterprise: The Wright Brother's first successfully flying airplane: Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn's space suits: There was so much there! Then we went to the National Portrait Gallery and hung out there for a while. Then we went to the Tidal Basin and checked out all the monuments there: The next day we went to the Capitol Building for our tour. My camera doesn't do well with indoor light but I did get one photo from inside the dome: When we were done we went to the Supreme Court: We got to sit in the room where all our country's most major decisions are made. We also saw a disgruntled looking Justice Kennedy exiting an elevator. Pretty Song Sparrow just outside: There were quite a few Chimney Swifts around and I managed to get a picture of one: There were also so many Gray Catbirds, much more than out west: We walked by the National Museum of Natural History: Green Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron: The Lincoln Memorial steps: Lincoln Memorial interior: The view from the memorial: The next day we went to Arlington Cemetery and watched the changing of the guard. Blue Jay in the surrounding trees: On the way there we saw the Pentagon. Then we went to the Library of Congress: We even got official membership cards to get in to the main Library! The next day we hopped on bikes and we rode down to the National Archives where we saw the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. We rented a car and drove do Philadelphia. On the way I saw lifer Black Vulture: AWe arrived in Philadelphia and checked in to the Thomas Bond House. Then we headed off on a self-guided walking tour and saw the Pennsylvania Hospital, America's first hospital. There I saw lifer Eastern Wood-Pewee: While walking around Philadelphia I saw lifer Northern Parula and got a picture of a Blackpoll Warbler: Another Gray Catbird: Then we went to a Phillies game. The next day we went and saw the Liberty Bell: And the Old City Hall: We ate at Reading Terminal, which was super fun. I also got photos of a Carolina Chickadee and a flying Black Vulture: The next day, we went to the Philadelphia Art Museum and hung out around Philadelphia the whole day. The next day we went to Bowman's Tower where I saw lifer Indigo Bunting: Yearbird Black-and-White Warbler: A beautiful Red-spotted Purple: Blue Jay: Fish Crow, ID'd by call due to their extreme similarity to American Crows: Eyed Click Beetle that landed on my dad's shirt: Potato Beetle: Ichneumon Wasp: Fireworks from our parking garage: The next day we went to Valley Forge for the whole day. Eastern Kingbird: Lifer Immature Orchard Oriole: Northern Mockingbird and lifer Field Sparrow: Adult Orchard Oriole: Yearbird Red-bellied Woodpecker: Gray Catbird and lifer Eastern Towhee: I saw Lifer Wood Thrush and got a photo of Yearbird Eastern Phoebe: Another Red-bellied Woodpecker: The next day we did some birding in John Heinz at Warbler Woods! Lifer Carolina Wren: Common Yellowthroat: Lifer American Redstart: Lifers Baltimore Oriole and Canada Warbler: House Wren: Downy Woodpecker: Tufted Titmouse: Lifer Great Crested Flycatcher: A photo of previously-seen-without-camera Ovenbird: Lifer Acadian Flycatcher: That afternoon we drove to New York City as our last stop. We checked into our hotel on 54th street, and then we went to an amazing performance by John Rutter in Carnegie that evening. The next day we enjoyed walking around NYC: Lifer Laughing Gull and Great Black-backed Gull: The Brooklyn Bridge: Walking to 911 memorial: The next morning the whole city was clothed in fog as we left for the Statue of Liberty: Ellis Island: And finally, the Statue of Liberty: Common Tern: View from the pedestal: The stairs: Staggering view from the crown: Last look: View on the way out: Ellis Island: The next day we visited the Rockefeller Center: The fog kept rolling in and out so we switched around when we went up in the Empire State Building multiple times, but we finally went up the next day during the fog and it was definitely worth it. The streets: Times Square: New York Public Library: Northern Cardinal in Central Park: Then we went to the Phantom of the Opera performance at the Majestic Theater. The next day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (They kick everyone out 15 minutes early for some reason), where we saw the first piano: That evening we went up in the Rockefeller building: Then we went to the Intrepid museum to see the Concord and the Space Shuttle Enterprise: The Empire State Building in daylight: Finally, we went to an amazing performance by the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Center. It was such a tiring but such a fun trip. A full 2 weeks spending every bit of time exploring this trifecta of huge cities. My feet were already killing me by the first few days. It is such a blessing to be able to go on these amazing trips.
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Youtube:The first Kestrel chick fed!
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