Friday Bird Walk at Patterson Park

Enjoy photos from our bird walk at Patterson Park on Friday, August 14th.  Best birds were three Kestrels!  I was too busy admiring their aerobatics to take pictures unfortunately.

If you've never joined us before - we meet at the fountain at the northwest corner of the park.
 

Susie Creamer (carrying the binocular bag), is the Director of Urban Education and Conservation
 at Patterson Park Audubon

The city gardens had tomatoes and peppers,  plus Mockingbirds, Carolina Wrens, and Robins.

This young Red Maple thought it was fall.  Not so fast!

A line-up of our friendly group of birders.

Not native, but you have to admit they are awfully cute - Muscovy X ducklings.

At Boat Lake looking at the Green Heron.

Green Heron - he stayed in that pose for a long time.  We never did see him catch anything.

A gorgeous  Black and Yellow Garden Spider - Argiope aurantia.
 

Marsh Hibiscus along the boardwalk.

The wetland garden.

Elderberry in the wetland garden.

The cannons are back!

The Mockingbirds were taking full advantage of their return.

Bird list:

Mallard  65
Green Heron  1
Osprey  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  3
Chimney Swift  18
Belted Kingfisher  2
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  3
Eastern Kingbird  1
Carolina Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  15
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  12
European Starling  25
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Common Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
House Finch  8
House Sparrow  3


Thanks everyone for coming out.   See you in September!

Kayaking at Lake Roland

Bird List
2 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
1 Double-crested Cormorant
3 Great Blue Heron
1 Green Heron
2 Killdeer
2 Spotted Sandpiper
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
8 Mourning Dove
8 Chimney Swift

3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

1 Belted Kingfisher
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker -- Heard
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker -- Heard
1 Pileated Woodpecker -- Heard
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee -- Heard
1 Acadian Flycatcher -- Heard
3 Eastern Kingbird
4 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
15 Barn Swallow
X Carolina Chickadee
X Tufted Titmouse
3 Carolina Wren -- Heard
4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
3 American Robin
4 Gray Catbird
X Northern Cardinal
3 Common Grackle
1 Baltimore Oriole
5 American Goldfinch

Hugh Simmons

Kayaking at Dundee Creek

Master Naturalist Anita Tyler led us through one of her favorite paddling sites at Dundee Creek.  We had a perfect morning on calm waters with like-minded Audubon members.

Beautiful Seashore Mallow

Anita Tyler in her sleek sit-on-top kayak.

It was nice to see a lot of Wild Celery.  This is an important SAV species for its food value for waterfowl.

Pickerelweed blooms from June-October and attracts a wide variety of pollinators like this skipper.  It also provides shelter and food for other types of wildlife.

More Pickerelweed.  Leaves are heart-shaped, and as Anita mentioned, the veins look like they are painted on.

Hi Anita!

An ensemble of Swamp Rose Mallow, Wild Rice, and Pickerelweed.  There was Cardinal Flower and Swamp Milkweed in this grouping also but they didn't make it into the picture.

My only shot of one of the many Ospreys we spotted.

Bird list:

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Forster's Tern
Caspian Tern
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackley
Red-winged Blackbird

Ultimate Watersports is located at Dundee Creek and rents kayaks and paddleboards for those of us who don't own a boat yet.  http://www.ultimatewatersports.com/

Thanks all for a fine day.  Hugh Simmons has a BYO Boat event scheduled for next week - I hope you can join him.

Ruth Bergstrom