Oh deer...

Doe

It was 63 degrees and overcast as I headed down Winchester Street to the Park. I hadn't gone far, when I saw a beautiful doe on someone's front lawn. I had to stop and take her picture. I've been seeing a lot of deer lately - maybe because the fawns are older now?

As I headed into the lower gardens I was greeted by several chickadees in an oak tree overhanging the path. I could hear some yellow warblers singing and I could hear a pee wee singing from way up in the woods behind the upper gardens! The gardens are in high gear and the flowers are beautiful. Huge, towering sunflowers and fragrant lilies, morning glories in blue and carmine, zinnias blasting bright pink, red and orange - a visual delight. There were robins and house wrens and a hummingbird buzzing around. The weeds made me think of the show "Oklahoma" because

Catbird with Dragonfly Treat

the weeds were definitely as high as an elephants eye! The catbird pictured at left was very excited to find a prize dragonfly to eat and had to pose and show it off. Goldfinches and a female common yellowthroat were very interested in the goodies in the garden closest to the path to the upper gardens.

The only time I see snakes is when they've been run over which is rather sad. There was a beautiful garter snake on the path, but it was flattened. The meadow is blooming and the purple liatris has now joined the white daisies, yellow St. Johns Wort, Queen Anne's lace and yellow coneflowers but there is far too much of the weedy artemesia. I miss the pink cosmos that was planted by the City after that awful snow dumping.

Queen Anne's Lace

House Wren Family

In the upper gardens were cardinals, song sparrows, an oriole and a wren
couple feeding their very noisy babies. They must be very close to leaving the nest box. The parents took turns finding bugs and feeding the hungry brood. Around the other side of the gardens, a blue-gray gnatcatcher was busy flitting here and there.

As I headed toward the path to go through the woods to the soccer field, a light rain started so I decided to head to the car instead and put my camera away. I was looking forward to checking out the herons that Hayne's has been seeing down by the river. The rain lasted longer than I thought, so I drove around to the other entrance hoping the rain would stop by

Sunflower

then. It didn't, but I found if I stayed under the trees, the rain was so light, I could stay dry. I didn't see any herons near the river, so I headed to the pond. Just I walked down the little path, the big blue heron must have been nearby and it flew off across the pond. They are amazingly large birds. And as I looked closer, I was pleased to see one of the green herons sitting on a log and unphased by my presence. And of course there was a sandpiper (spotted) mucking about in the mud!

Check out the website as some of the fall walks have been added and more to come!