Towhees official residents? Will they breed here this spring?

New sculpture at park?

Couldn't wait to get to the park last night after reading Haynes' post about hearing the saw-whet owl. I got there around 6:20 and found myself in the company of three other people who were also hoping to hear it.

We never did hear it but did catch one woodcock flying over the lower gardens.

Tried again, late this afternoon and no luck again. Saw our winter regulars like chickadees, cardinals, lots of robins, Amercian tree sparrows, song sparrows, a mockingbird, blue jays, a nuthatch, seagulls and two red tailed hawks flirting in the sky. There were large flocks of red wing blackbirds and grackles.

Just I was about to leave, I heard some foraging in some leaf litter. I peered in and there were two male towhees scrounging around, kicking up the leaves with their feet and hopping around. They survived all that cold and snow! I was very happy to see them.

EVENING UPDATE: Was just about to have supper when I saw what time it was: 7:08 p.m. Ran out to the car and drove over to the park. It was a lot milder feeling than Friday evening. The woodcocks were in the lower gardens in full force. Heard lots of peenting and saw several fly around the gardens. On two occasions, two flew up together, high into the sky. I hadn't seen that before. Were they competing at the same time for a ladies affections? It certainly looked that way. Ran into Bev who had been there at noon. She saw the fox sparrow,  a Savannah sparrow, the towhees and a sharp-shinned hawk!

And some evening, I still hope to hear the owl....