
Two weeks after the last formal walk at Columbus Park on May 14, I joined the two Eds from those walks to see what was up after it seemed all the warblers were gone. Suffice it to say that the water birds made up for the lack of passerine diversity. In spite of an event going on at the park, two Great Blue Herons and two Black-crowned Night Herons tolerated all the noise and our attention and gave us some great looks.
There’s invariably a Great Blue Heron here but I’ve never seen one up in a tree like the one in the series below.
These photos are from April 16, May 14 and May 28 so the vegetation keeps changing.

On April 16 we were lucky to see an early Northern Parula.





Although I saw this species on a few other occasions these were the best looks I had all spring.

Also in the old reeds left over from last year was an American Tree Sparrow.



A Northern Rough-winged Swallow posed over the water



There was one little Field Sparrow back on the April visit.

There’s usually at least a pair of Wood Ducks but they don’t always offer such great photo opportunities.
Below from the last visit, a Wood Duck hen with six ducklings.


Once the Red-winged Blackbirds show up, they stay for the summer.





On the last visit there were some more grown up goslings than an on earlier visit.


Back in April, two Double-crested Cormorants swimming together.

The Black-crowned Night Herons are sometimes so well camouflaged.

Back in April I followed this Great Blue Heron in flight.





On May 14, there was a visible Red-eyed Vireo.



And on the last visit two weeks later, a Warbling Vireo made itself known.



Here’s an earlier photo of a Great Blue Heron.

The Black-crowned Night Herons are simply photogenic.



But I’ll let the Wood Duck have the last word.

A rainy forecast for today gave me the time to sit here and put this together. I’ll be back out on the trail tomorrow morning. There will likely be more photographs of dragonflies coming, like the female Eastern Forktail Damselfly below – if that is indeed what this is. I noticed it at Columbus Park on the last visit.
