Flicker in the Redbelly Nest!!!!

Well, I went to the park just wanting to look at some nature, hoping to find some ducklings at the pond, check on things, have a nice walk, that sort of thing.

First at the pond I saw the wood duck, who is molting.  He was absolutely mortified at being seen in such a state, and swam like nobody's business when he saw the camera!  I tried to tell him that it was for science, but he saw right through that.  I tried to tell him nobody reads my blog anyway, but he wasn't willing to chance it.  So, I only got a couple of far away (and receding) shots.  I'll try again soon!

I found one of the night herons on the near shore, pretty well hidden in the bushes and apparently snacking on ....... well, something.

Then the goslings - I'm not sure that's even the right word any more!  As you can see, they have definitely entered their horrible awkward in-between phase.  Hopefully they'll be getting more feathers - and dignity - soon.

Just when I was starting to lose hope - ducklings!  At last, ducklings at the pond!  There were a whole mess of them, I couldn't count them in the reeds, just as cute as can be.  I just wanted to scoop them up and cuddle them!  I mean, I didn't do it....... but it was tempting!

Up at the lake, things were not so exciting.  I did catch this female oriole at the oven.  She was not at her best.  "I just washed these feathers, and I can't do a thing with them!"

There was a mama duck there with a couple of almost-grown ducklings, she was listening with interest and possibly alarm to the two ladies practicing what might have been opera singing.

Then at the azalea pond or thereabouts I saw a robin who had a really spotty, splotchy chest.  It looked so weird!  I ran into a very nice birder lady who was happy to hear about it, and she explained that was a young robin.




Then I went to the red-bellied woodpecker nest, seeing if they were home, if maybe I could see the young ones this time.  I waited and after a couple of minutes, out came a woodpecker head.  Then the woodpecker came out and sat on the trunk.  One problem - that's a flicker, not a red-belly!  Could I have been wrong all this time?  No, I looked at my old pictures, and they are clearly red-bellies.

Did this dude just sort of take over and kick out the red-bellies?  It's a strong maybe.  What happened to the chicks?  No idea.

Just to emphasize that not all woodpeckers are the same, a pair of downies came through.  I was distracted from watching the flicker in the red-belly nest by the downies.  It was a whole woodpecker situation!

That was about it for me, I headed out to the upper lobe to catch the train home.  And while I walked around I noticed a few waxwings taking advantage of the bounty there.  And just for a teasing dessert, a gorgeous male oriole came through much too quickly for me to get a picture.  :-)