Ready for spring!

Today I started at the Pond, where the great egret was hanging out.

Maybe he will take up residence here for the summer!  I hope so, that would be great.  Hahahahaha, get it?  Great?  :-)

The red-headed woodpecker did not come to say hello, so I don't know if the reports of his head turning red are accurate or optimism.  Hopefully I'll see him again soon!

 Once I passed the boathouse (no owls that I could see on the way there) this downy tried to cheer me up, woodpecker-wise.  He was more than cooperative, he was borderline narcissistic!  It was great to have such an up-close view.

It's true there are many many white-throated sparrows still here, but check out how vivid and gorgeous this guy is!  Most of them are looking quite motley at this point.

This goldfinch shares in the molting misery, being half bright and half ...... sort of drab.  No, it's not a shadow, it's not a trick of the light or the camera - that's just what this little lovely looks like right now!

At the feeders I was too slow to capture a really special moment.  On a small tree trunk there was a downy on one side and a hairy on the other side, at the same level, facing each other!  It only lasted a brief second or two, and as I raised the camera, the hairy flew off.  But then it agreed to solo pictures, so I can't complain too much.

Why that feeder is on the ground - explained.

This house finch followed me from the streamlet by the oven over to the feeders.

Here's a mystery sparrow - fox?  Or maybe swamp?

Yeah, probably fox.

There was a pretty song sparrow at azalea pond, but none of the pictures were nearly as pretty as the bird.  :-)

This phoebe was hanging out at the upper lobe.

Gotta go!

Someone told me there was a yellow-rumped warbler on a little bridge towards where the museum bird walks enter the park, and looking for it in vain I managed to spot this brown creeper.

Overall a very nice walk, and I'm quite ready for spring!