They're making their way back!

I knew it would be great day when it started like this! It was pretty warm and sunny at about 8:00 a.m.  As I drove into the park, I was greeted by the deer (4-5) crossing the road. They were a little nervous and headed up the hill near the JCC, but they were kind of curious about me.

I finally saw the tree swallows that everyone else has seen dipping and diving over the meadow. The lower gardens had our usual friends, cardinals, crows, juncos, jays and song sparrows.

There was a bluebird in the upper gardens high up in a tree keeping a watch on his nest box - especially since the tree swallows are back. At the moment, they both seem to be opting for the same houses they had last year. The tree swallow is guarding it's house next to it's bluebird neighbors. To the right is a picture of a tree swallow in the gardens. You don't see them sitting still like this very often so I had to get a picture. Then I heard it - Hayne's grackles that he reported on last weekend. It was like the movie "The Birds". They covered several trees and just made a racket. It's all you could hear for a while. Even the other birds seemed interested in the show.

Woodcock meadow had a bluebird also, flying in and out of the nest boxes there. Since I had left one perched in the upper gardens, I am thinking that rumored suspicions of two bluebird couples might absolutely be true.

As I headed down toward the river, our perennial Eastern Phoebe friend showed me that he/she was back by posing for this shot on it's favorite nesting place, the little hut!

The river is cresting and you can't go on the path at all. So back through the soccer field I went. I saw a beautiful flicker and a goldfinch that is back to being bright yellow and these cowbirds which I know Haynes and Ian have seen already. The bees have lived through the winter and are buzzing about. Just a gorgeous day. Can't wait for those warblers to pass through.