May 30, 2010

It seemed like this was the first weekend morning in a while where the wind was calm and it was not too overcast. With the temperature not climbing into the 90's until noon or so it is still pleasant to look for some birds. I come to this park frequently and know pretty much what I'll see on a given day and where. This summer a male Blue Grosbeak has been seen off and on, and I really wanted a better picture than what I've been previously able to get. Unfortunately, not the bird of the day today. If we were going strictly by numbers, the BOTD would have to be the Turkey Vulture. There were plenty of these prehistoric looking birds on the ground, in the air, and in the trees. I took a photo of this one as we checked each other out.


Some of the other birds I saw today were Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Carolina Chickadees, Black-crested Titmice, Mourning and White-winged Doves, Cardinals, and White-eyed Vireos. The BOTD was this Summer Tanager. He was also the first bird I saw of the morning. I snapped this picture almost as soon as I got out of the truck.


As you can see, they are similar in color and size to the Northern Cardinal. Sometimes, we can get desensitized to the beauty of a Cardinal, and this is a reminder to check them out anyway during the summer months. Even if it JUST a cardinal, you'll be treated to an excellent show. Next time, maybe the grosbeak!

One last thing, as I was leaving I noticed a father and son fishing at the edge of the lake. I'm not sure the third member of their party was invited.