What a beautiful day!

Another beautiful day - to the park!  I went up to the pond and walked around, visiting the waterfall (still turned off) and then heading up to the bridge.  Along the way I saw a common yellow throat and a black crowned night heron.  And a red-bellied woodpecker by the nest - yay!  I hope they have chicks.  I would love to see fledgling woodpeckers!

red-bellied woodpecker by nest

I also saw a tanager that struck me as a summer, but probably was a scarlet.  I did not get a long look at it, and didn't get any pictures at all.  Crazy fast tanagers!  This gadwall was hanging out with a few mallards, that was weird.

gadwall

The goslings are here!  They are in their cute phase.  

goslings

Sitting on the rocks on the other side of the bridge, talking on the phone to my mother, I saw this grackle.  It definitely has issues.

weird headed grackle

I wonder if it's always like that, I haven't seen this before.  I wonder if it will spread to its body.

weird headed grackle again

Up to the ramble - there were warblers everywhere!  I was too slow to get pictures of the first Canada, the first black and white, and the first Wilson's - all on the path to the boat house.  Those trees were busy!

This day really highlighted for me how much I have learned in the past year.  I'm seeing so much more than I did last year, it's surprising to me the amount of difference!  I have a huge amount left to learn obviously but I'm quite happy with the progress so far.

I did manage to get pictures of the ~next~ Canada.  And friends. :-)

Canada Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

American Redstart

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Canada Warbler

(Another) Magnolia Warbler

(Another) American Redstart

Baltimore Oriole

 At the oven, there was a black crowned night heron hanging out.  Pictures didn't come out, but it was nice to see it.  And then there was a crazy pigeon fight!  I mean, it was ~not~ just a display.  It was serious pigeon-on-pigeon violence!  It went on for about 5 minutes.  Seriously!

crazy pigeon fight

Along the stream between the wooden bridge and the stone benchlet I saw this little lovely and a gorgeous, brilliant, incredibly vivid chestnut-sided that I just couldn't get a good picture of.

Female Black-throated Blue Warbler?

Chestnut-sided Warbler