I always arrive early at each site to have a look at what is about. This morning (20 degrees & sunny) I spotted and was able to briefly photograph a sparrow which had some gold-ish colour below the eye. A little investigation showed that it was a Lincoln’s Sparrow. The bird was named after Thomas Lincoln of Maine who was a friend of Audubon.

Lincoln’s Sparrows are very secretive and much more often heard than seen. As luck would have it, about an hour later while walking with the group, we found a dead Lincoln’s Sparrow on the ground. It is a little grisly to photograph the departed but it does give us a chance to see this bird up close.

A Blue-headed Vireo made an appearance:

Species list: Canada Goose, pileated woodpecker, eastern phoebe, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, American robin, blue-headed vireo, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, Lincoln’s sparrow.  (11 species)

Another flying creature:

and a hopping creature:

Park scenes:

Botany:

This morning’s group:

NATURE POETRY

On Going Unnoticed – Robert Frost

As vain to raise a voice as a sigh
In the tumult of free leaves on high.
What are you in the shadow of trees
Engaged up there with the light and breeze?

Less than the coral-root you know
That is content with the daylight low,
And has no leaves at all of its own;
Whose spotted flowers hang meanly down.

You grasp the bark by a rugged pleat,
And look up small from the forest’s feet.
The only leaf it drops goes wide,
Your name not written on either side.

You linger your little hour and are gone,
And still the wood sweep leafily on,
Not even missing the coral-root flower
You took as a trophy of the hour.

Miles Hearn