Heat. humidity and bugs are making even early visits to the Portage less inviting, if not quite prohibitive. In spite of shorter visits, I have managed to see a few interesting birds as they navigate their summer residence. What’s even more interesting lately is seeing more juvenile birds.
Walking in Thursday morning rather late, I heard a fracas in the trees which turned out to be two young Cooper’s Hawks that had just landed.
I observed them for a moment or two while they tried to figure out what they were doing there.
It was a cloudy morning, not ideal for photographs, but I managed to see a young-looking Baltimore Oriole.
Then I spotted a juvenile Gray Catbird.
A young Northern Cardinal lurked in the branches.
Most lovely was a female Indigo Bunting who stayed on a nearby branch long enough to check me out.
I also saw a juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee.
Even the rabbits were youngsters.
On the way out, I saw a House Wren hanging off its nest tree.
When I got home, I checked the front yard briefly. We’d had a little rain. That’s a Red Admiral butterfly on the Joe Pye Weed and two of several Wild Petunias in bloom.
Two days later, it was only partly cloudy. I stopped to take a photo of some Tall Bellflower which is blooming all around the Portage. I have some in my backyard as well.
Red-winged Blackbirds are seen sporadically as their young start to leave the nest.
I caught a very brief look at a Cedar Waxwing from far away.
I had a somewhat closer look at a Blue Dasher Dragonfly perched on a stump off the bridge near Harlem.
Just as I was on my way out after not seeing much else, a Black-crowned Night-heron flew in and disappeared into the vegetation. I reminded myself that for all the times I don’t see these birds they could easily just be hiding. I did relocate it briefly when someone flushed it and it took off.
I found an American Goldfinch checking out the profuse duckweed.
Tadziu, the Indigo Bunting, made an appearance in his tree and sang for me.
And I got a rare look at a Blue Jay.
My very last photo was of a young American Robin taking a break as the heat started to build.
There’s more to come. I’m starting to see some more birds in Riverside as well. The prospect for an early morning walk is a toss-up weather-wise, but if I can’t go for a walk I could find more time to address my backlog of photos.
I started writing this in the midst of a constant downpour. Contemplating how I am getting more used to the new workplace. My mood improved about the new gig after managing to get out for a couple short walks along the river last week. Birding along the river wasn’t half bad.
I got over to the Boeing garden a couple times last week. On Thursday I was faced with convincing two security guards that I was not taking pictures of the building, but of birds. Not sure if showing them my American Birding Association cap helped, but they left me alone after kindly admonishment.
