Scarlet Tanager in Mulberry Tree!

Singing House Wren

After a brutally hot day yesterday and thunderstorms and heavy rains, today was beautiful at 69 degrees at 8:30 a.m.  A little hazy at first, but the sun came out and it was gorgeous.

I was greeted in the lower gardens by a very vocal house wren. He seemed happy about the change in the weather but also about his baby that was fluttering its wings and wanting to be fed.

Catbirds were singing as well as yellow warblers. I saw an Eastern phoebe in some tall brush and a hummingbird at the tippy top of the dead Tree of Heaven. Other birds included song sparrows and robins.

The meadow is in bloom with white fleabane, black-eyed Susans,

Common Milkweed

milkweed and yellow St. Johns wort. As I headed to the upper gardens, there was quite a bit of activity in the Mulberry tree. The fruit has started and the birds were very excited. There was a baby robin - still with a spotted breast, goldfinches, song sparrows, catbirds and young orioles (both male and female). Then a flash of red flew in and I assumed at first it was a cardinal. But when I finally caught it in my binoculars, it was a spectacular Scarlet Tanager. Sadly, every time I raised my camera, it disappeared. I wonder if this means it is breeding at the park. That would be so nice.

Honeysuckle

In the upper gardens were a few tree swallows, song sparrows and another hummer. A red-tailed hawk flew overhead.

Down by the soccer field were flickers, red-winged blackbirds and robins - all foraging in the grass. A couple of blue jays flew in.

The river was pretty quiet. Lots of people getting in kayaks and canoes. A perfect day for that. A flotilla of Canada geese swam leisurely down the river with their almost grown goslings.

Woodcock meadow was very quiet, save for a house wren who clearly made its presence known.

Lord Admiral Butterfly

On my way back to the parking lot was this beautiful Lord Admiral butterfly. At first its wings were flat on the ground and then every once in a while it wold raise it's wings. Maybe it just hatched and was drying out its wings. At any rate, they are absolutely stunning!

Please feel free to join us at the Friends of Nahanton Park Annual Meeting next Saturday, July 13th at 11:00 a.m. We will be located at the picnic tables outside the Nature Center and if it is raining, we will be inside. Hope to see you there!