On their own...

Goldfinch

Got to the park around 7:00 a.m. Wanted to beat the heat. It was already 75 degrees, but somehow feeling a little more pleasant than the last few mornings. However, the mosquitos were quite annoying.

The wildflower meadow is looking quite nice. There are now black-eyed susans (rudbeckia) and purple cone flower (echinacea) in bloom along with the white fleabane. Saw this goldfinch happily munching on
some seeds.

As I entered the lower gardens, I saw a mourning dove fly into a tree with some nesting material, but couldn't see where it went. However a second dove sat resting nearby. I was distressed to see Mr. House sparrow, perched on a garden fence, looking like he owned the whole park. I'm terribly afraid he has already bred this summer as I saw several house sparrows on the mulberry tree last week. There is a nest in the box in the upper gardens

Mourning dove

Gloriosa Daisies

as Haynes has pointed out, which definitely has a sparrow nest in it. Saw at least 3 rabbits and 2 robins gathered together - looked like they were having a little party! Thought I might have heard some kind of a warbler other than a yellow, but couldn't see it or quite identify the song. Heard the house wren and a yellow warbler and then came across these gloriosa daisies on the side of the path in the lower gardens. They look like escapees from someone's garden - one of those miracles of nature that make Nahanton

Native Day Lily

Park so much fun. I saw a woodchuck, who immediately noticed me. He tipped his nose up in there and started sniffing and as soon as I got my camera pointed, he was completely gone. You have to admire their speed - surprising for such fat, fluffy, logy looking creatures.

Headed to the mulberry tree where the birds were enjoying a feast! Saw lots of young birds today, but now they're on their own, no one to feed them anymore or watch out for them. A young oriole was in the mulberry, along with cardinals, a warbling vireo, song sparrows etc. There's still a tree swallow hanging around the next box near the parking lot, but on the whole, didn't see very many today.

Mushroom

Down at the circle near the soccer field, I saw baby chickadees looking for bugs in the tree bark and a
few juvenile female blackbirds. The pond was full of bull frogs that leapt into the water as I approached. Couldn't see much and far too buggy but I did hear a strange two-part whistle from high up in a tree that was non-stop and interesting. At times, there were clearly two birds whistling. Looked and looked and couldn't see anything, although at one point I thought I saw a bird fly to the next tree top. Was it a red winged blackbird or something else?

Saw these beautiful, tiny little mushrooms. Not sure what they are, but I'd like to call them fairy mushrooms because they were so dainty.