A pleasant change of pace…

What can I say? After a long run of gloom, we’re having a string of amazing days, and it looks like the red-bellied woodpeckers are fixin’ to make some hay. I saw pairs like this more than once throughout the park.

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Even the nuthatch, who gave me such a hard time yesterday, seemed to be in a far-more accommodating mood today.

Lastly, a young Cooper’s hawk, of whom we’ve only managed glimpses before, seemed to have all the patience in the world for me this morning.

No, seriously. I literally have a zillion pictures of this hawk because I stopped to take one after nearly every step as I inched towards it for almost the entire length of the pond, expecting each one to be my last opportunity. At least that’s how it has gone in the past. This morning, however, maybe it was just enjoying the morning sun too much to be bothered, because I could not believe how close it let me get. After my fingers were finally frozen, I said “thanks” and turned around to head home. As far as I know, it is still perched there in the willow tree at the northeast corner of the pond.

I just never know what to expect.

PS: There was nothing new on the water so I didn’t take any pictures, but I did see two gulls, probably herring or maybe ring-billed, chasing a big hawk or maybe even a young eagle north along the river. I don’t believe I spotted a single mammal today.