Sometimes the most interesting birds appear at the very end of the walk and that is what happened today on this 15 degree, cloudy morning.

We were very fortunate to see a gorgeous male Blackburnian Warbler. Though brilliantly coloured, like a diminutive oriole, this warbler often escapes observation because of its fondness for treetops and because of its weal, high-pitched song.

It was a tough day for photography as most birds were either high up, far away or both. Here are some others:

Species list: double-crested cormorant, turkey vulture, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher, pileated woodpecker,  eastern phoebe, tree swallow, rough-winged swallow, blue jay, common raven, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, house wren, gray catbird, American robin, European starling, blue-headed vireo, red-eyed vireo, black and white warbler, Nashville warbler, yellow warbler, blackburnian warbler, pine warbler, palm warbler, American redstart, brown-headed cowbird, orchard oriole, northern cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, American goldfinch, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow.  (32 species)

Thank-you to Norman Hill for these 2 photos from this morning:

Park scenes:

Botany:

This morning’s group:

NATURE POETRY

These pools that, though in forests,
still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them,
chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them
soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or
river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage
on.
The trees that have it in their pent-
up buds
To darken nature and be summer
woods—
Let them think twice before they use
their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep
away
These flowery waters and these
watery flowers
From snow that melted only
yesterday. – Robert Frost

Miles Hearn