The rain started just as our walk began and became stronger as we continued. We were rewarded, however, about a dozen times with a fly-by of 9 Whimbrels.

Because of the rain, I was unable to photograph them. In fact, all of the photos in today’s post except for the group photo, come from about 7 am before the rain started.

Park scenes:

Species list: double-crested cormorant, red-necked grebe, Canada goose, mute swan, mallard, whimbrel, ring-billed gull, common tern, eastern kingbird, tree swallow, barn swallow, northern mockingbird, American robin, European starling, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, Tennessee warbler, yellow warbler, American redstart, cedar waxwing, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, Baltimore oriole, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (28 species)

This morning’s group:

Botany:

NATURE POETRY

Dark hills at evening in the west,
Where sunset hovers like a sound
Of golden horns that sang to rest
Old bones of warriors under ground,
Far now from all the bannered ways
Where flash the legions of the sun,
You fade-as if the last of days
Were fading, and all wars were done. – Edwin Robinson

Miles Hearn