With two walks at Col. Sam Smith today, I knew that there would be plenty of opportunity for photographing birds. That meant toting the long lens for many hours but I feel that it is worth it.

With so many juvenile cormorants around, it is possible to get quite close to some.

House Sparrows are here all year round and some nested in Tree Swallow boxes in the spring.

The morning group had a glimpse at a Pied-billed Grebe.

Other birds:

Species list: red-necked grebe, pied-billed grebe, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, mallard, mute swan, spotted sandpiper, herring gull, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, American robin, European starling, yellow-rumped warbler, northern parula, American redstart, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow. (24 species)

Other life:

10 am group:

1 pm group:

NATURE POETRY

There are flowers enough in the summertime,
More flowers than I can remember:  
But none with the purple, gold, and red
That dyes the flowers of September!                        – Mary Howitt (1799–1888)

Miles Hearn