Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Mothers Day and more

Alison Leary and I ran an impromptu and unadvertised Mothers Day walk on Sunday. I failed to get decent photographs of the consensus bird of the day - Wood Thrush. I think there are at least three breeding pairs in the park now. 



We also enjoyed the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks around the nature center --



 

I'd been there on Friday, and found this Least Flycatcher (that responded to a recording) 


as well as a small sample of warblers and a Blue-headed Vireo. 

This morning I went through the Park again. Immediately a Veery appeared, in the copse between the entrance road and the lower garden -


At the soccer circle there was this female Orchard Oriole, high in a tree --


and just as high in a tree at the upper garden, this Nashville Warbler. 



Sunday, May 2, 2021

Warblers!

Yellow Warbler
Got to the park around 7:30. It was 52 degrees and the clouds were making way for some beautiful sunshine.

The house wrens are back in a big way! It seemed like they were everywhere! There were so many singing, I wasn't even sure which way to turn! Our tree swallows are guarding their boxes. Robins and jays were there of course, as well as song sparrows and mourning doves. A Canada goose flew over ahead. My first oriole male was spotted - his bright orange and black looking so beautiful against the background of the white crabapple flowers.

Chipping Sparrow
The upper gardens had several chipping sparrows and cowbirds milling about under a hanging feeder. A
red-bellied woodpecker called from the woods. The catbirds are back and singing furiously. Mrs. Robin was not in her nest, but I have seen her there on other days. And a yellow warbler couple is back! Yay!

At the circle near the soccer field, there was suddenly a lot of activity and brightly colored yellow rump males and females appeared as well as a black & white warbler and a lone palm warbler. When the flurry died down, I heard a wood thrush singing hear the soccer field. I walked through the brush in search and finally found it, though every time I approached it moved and then flew off. Its song is so pretty.

Cowbird
When I check out the pond, I was surprised to see a creature swimming. Was it a beaver or a muskrat? It would swim and then dive and I was trying to determine if the tail was flat or not. I am fairly confident that it was a beaver and not a muskrat. That was a first!
Saw some chickadees and red-winged blackbirds.

Looked for any signs of the lady slipper foliage, but nothing so far. Last year the foliage was showing around May 10th, so hopefully things pop up soon!