A warmish morning with little wind, lots of sun and 17 degrees produced 40 bird species for us.

Species list: double-crested cormorant, green heron, mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, American black duck, turkey vulture, spotted sandpiper, ring-billed gull,  downy woodpecker, northern flicker, willow flycatcher, eastern kingbird, eastern pewee, alder flycatcher, tree swallow, cliff swallow, rough-winged swallow, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, house wren, northern mockingbird, gray catbird, American robin, blue-gray gnatcatcher, European starling, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, yellow warbler,  American redstart, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, Baltimore oriole, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, savannah sparrow, song sparrow.  (40 species)

There were many highlights including Canada Goose and Mallard chicks:

The pond had a secretive Green Heron who gave us a brief look:

Lots of activity in the sky including a Crow being harassed by Red-winged Blackbirds:

No doubt that the Crow was getting too close to the Red-wing chicks. Here is the crow having a rest:

More sky activity:

Some family photos:

Other birds:

This morning’s group:

Some botany:

Park scenes:

NATURE POETRY

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. – Robert Frost

Miles Hearn