We had thunder and lightning all morning today, a first
for my weekly walks. It started raining within minutes of our 5:30
start time, and seldom let up over the next 4.5 hours. At times the
rain was coming down very hard, but the truly torrential rain held off
until I was driving home. We started out with nine people, but there
was attrition along the way. Only Ollie and Sharon lasted through the
Rowing Club, earning themselves the honorary appellation of Intrepid. I
must admit, it wasn't a very birdy morning.
Highlights:
Wood Duck
Many mammas with babies
Green Heron
Babies huddled together on nest
Ring-billed Gull
First since March - at least 3 adults
Red-eyed Vireo
Briefly visible among the mosquitoes
Purple Martin
Pair on gourds, beak sticking out of hole
Northern. Rough-winged Swallow One at the lake
Orange-crowned Warbler One
heard south of East Meadow
Common Yellowthroat
Male with baby Brown-headed Cowbird
Song Sparrow
With baby Brown-headed Cowbird
We also had either a Beaver or a Nutria; the latter would be an
unwelcome newcomer.
For the day, 51 species, but seven of those were heard-only.
== Michael
We were not able to take photos on the 3rd because of the weather. These photos are from earlier in the week or last week.
Ollie Oliver's photo of a Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club,
2008-06-28
Composite of Ollie's photos of an American Crow harassing a Cooper's
Hawk,
Tom Mansfield's photo of the baby Green
Herons on the nest, 2008-06-29
Ollie Oliver's photo from 2008-07-28