Water is still falling out of the sky, so I’m dipping into the archives, all the way back to April 11, for a never-before-seen image.
The colors are pretty drab, but there goes a pair of wood ducks, a male hooded merganser, and a pair of blue-winged teals in some kind of multi-species smorgasbord on our little pond. Man, those were good times, eh? Anyway, the teals and mergansers have long since moved on, but the wood ducks are still around.
Meanwhile, I’ve spotted hummingbirds in the park and a little mammal swimming in the pond, but have not yet managed to capture images of them yet, so stay tuned. Oh, and there is another family of canada geese on the west bank of the river with 9 (nine!) goslings. That’s the upper limit, at least according to the wikipedia article.
I know what you’ve all been thinking. “Birds are fine, mammals are nice enough, reptiles will do, and we’ll even allow a fish or two, but where the heck are the amphibians, for Pete’s sake? How about a newt, a salamander, a frog, or even a pollywog for a change? Come on, man, you’re better than this!” Well, wait no more and, as all the kids say these days, “say hello to my little friend!”
The irony is that I’ve been checking on the dog-gone toadshade every day to catch when those blossoms finally open, and this little guy was hiding in a nice big patch of bluebells. Actually, he or she is a good sized American toad and not so little, maybe a couple of inches long, or so.
Meanwhile, since you’re all sick of pretty flowers, too, here are some more mushrooms!
Oh, sure, I could definitely go out, and I will have to at some point, but I don’t want to get the camera wet, you know?
Anyway, I managed to capture a couple of images last evening before the light was gone that I have a hope will get us through the morning.
First up, and most exciting, is a v-formation of double-crested cormorants. Now you could argue that they were not technically in the park, just in its airspace, and I’m sure all the fish in the pond are relieved about that, but I was standing right beside the pond when it finally dawned on me to take this picture, so we’re going to allow it.
At that instant, they are heading back toward Lake Michigan, and when I see their low, purposeful flight over the water and read articles about their fishing prowess and human efforts to constrain them, I imagine that when they arrive, the lead bird might say something like “give us all your fish, and nobody gets hurt.”
Anyway, in a completely other direction, just after witnessing the spectacle above, I was headed home along that little path in the woods where I had finally spotted the grosbeaks earlier this week, when I noticed this pretty new arrival.
Sure, all the usual suspects were out and about, but I didn’t manage to see anybody new today. Maybe they’re all at Gary’s bird feeder along with the grosbeaks he’s been hoarding. Luckily, I did happen upon this little guy down by the river yesterday afternoon. He’s a Black-and-white warbler, if you can believe it.
When I’m not even thinking about grosbeaks, that’s when I spot a grosbeak, right? I was by the pond, had just taken yet another picture of a turtle already up on a log in the sun, and had just turned off on a little trail heading north into the woods, when I spotted a couple of big light-colored objects up in a tree. At first I thought they were plastic bags, but then one flew off. So I try to zoom in on the other one through all the branches, and it still looks like a plastic bag glinting in the sun, but I take a few pictures anyway. Boy, I’m sure glad I did. Tada! A male rose-breasted grosbeak looking resplendent in the morning light, and he never made a sound, perhaps listening to the nearby catbird for ideas.
I also managed to capture a cute little palm warbler who deigned to sit still for a second.
There was plenty of other activity in the park as well, this morning, and some of it was photogenic. Finally, all 11 goslings were up and about this morning, and no play date appeared to be under way. Maybe later. You know the drill: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
A couple more flitty little warblers stayed still nearly long enough for me to capture images.
They are a male common yellowthroat hunting for breakfast in the grass and a male magnolia warbler prefering to hunt in the bushes.
Meanwhile, Ol’ Blue was back at the pond again along with his little green sidekick, who looks like Gru, and the third of three gosling appears to be on another playdate with the octet.
First, I’d like to wish Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and all the moms out there trying to make the best of things in these very difficult times.
Second, a couple of readers have written to ask me about the mushrooms. I am sure that they are not morels, but I don’t know what they might be instead, so please do not eat them!😊 Also, don’t drink bleach. If you must know, they are in the woods at the western base of a tree just east of the northern end of the southern parking lot. Besides, if I found morels, do you really think I’d tell where they are? 😋
Third, and I’m sure some of you are wondering how is this not first, the kids are all still alright, and our little adventurer seems to have returned from his or her play date. At first, I couldn’t tell because everyone was hunkered down trying to get out of the 20% chance of rain we were all enjoying, but then some other geese got too close, one of the dads got all excited, and everyone decided that they might as well eat some more grass now that they’re all awake anyway. Lastly, there were not one, not two, but three new visitors to the pond this morning, and I even got pictures of two of them. Ath, say hello to a green heron, who was busy making the weirdest call I’ve ever heard a bird make. If you don’t already know what I mean, it’s worth a listen.
Bth was most probably an immature green heron, looking all brown and mottled, who did not want to sit still for me. Cth is most likely a great white heron, technically a white variant of the great blue heron, even though they are suppose to be “very rare outside central and southern Florida”. Nevertheless, after reading “How to Identify White Herons“, an excerpt from “Better Birding”, and examining this image closely, I am convinced it is not any of the other possible white wading birds.
I’ll spare you pictures of frost and get right to the interesting change afoot at the pond. When I arrived this morning, nine goslings were napping in one group with one set of parents, and two goslings were in a distinctly separate group with a second set of parents, instead of the usual eight and three. I was immediately worried, as some of you must be too, that maybe someone had had a rough night and didn’t want to, or worse, couldn’t get up in the morning. I am as relieved to report, however, as you all must be to read, that a little later all eleven goslings were up and about and all seemed to be eating just fine. It appears that one just wanted more than two siblings and so jumped ship. I even suspect that I observed one of the nine getting picked on a little by its new siblings, but it was minor and lasted only a few seconds before everyone got back to munching on the grass. I’ll bring you updates as soon as they arrive. Meanwhile, say hello to Mrs. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Note the lack of a prominent, v-shaped, monobrow, compared to a blurry picture I took of the guy she was with.
I think there’s an “Angry Birds” character based on him. Finally, mushrooms are up. I know everyone has been wondering when that day would come, because people keep asking me on the Oakleaf Trail if I’m looking for mushrooms, and at last, that day has finally arrived. Shrooms and other images are stylistically arranged for your viewing pleasure by my dedicated staff at https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
