American Goldfinches appear to love sunny days and we had many sightings on this 21 degree, bright sunny morning. The bright gold of the summer males has now worn off so that males females look alike.

Species list: mallard, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, gray catbird, American robin, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (10 species)

Butterflies also love sunny days and we had many including a tagged Monarch.

Botany:

Park scenes:

This mornings group:

NATURE POETRY

Frost Song

Here where the bee slept and the orchis lifted
Her honeying pipes of pearl, her velvet lip,
Only the swart leaves of the oak lie drifted
In sombre fellowship.
Here where the flame-weed set the lands alight
Lies the black upland, webbed and crowned with white.

Build high the logs, O love, and in thine eyes
Let me believe the summer lingers late.
We shall not miss her passive pageantries,
We are not desolate,
When on the sill, across the window bars,
Kind winter flings her flowers and her stars. – Marjorie Pickthall

Miles Hearn