Chippies and Flickers everywhere

What a gorgeous day!  The birds apparently thought so too, we saw plenty of them.  There were not as many kinglets as last week, and they were all ruby-crowned.  They were just as fast.  I actually saw this one on the way to meet the group, we saw plenty of others later, but this was the best picture.

ruby-crowned kinglet

 A song sparrow was on the path below the overlook of the meeting spot, it was extremely convenient! Although that water doesn't exactly look pristine.  Bathing there might not help.

song sparrow

 This yellow-rumped warbler - which is NOT too drab - was a treat to see, my first of the season, and I think the only warbler we saw all day.  However it was not interested in posing for pictures.

yellow-rumped warbler

 Someone found a black-crowned night heron, and then so did the red-winged blackbird!  The blackbird was really giving it a hard time, which I've never seen before.  The night heron appeared not to notice.

black-crowned night heron, red-winged blackbird

Then someone found the first of a zillion flickers.  Last week we saw them but only for approximately one second per bird, then they were outta there.  This week we had a much better time with them, it was great!

northern flicker

 It was still a good day for sapsuckers.  This one just chased another one off of this tree, and a robin flew with it for good measure.

yellow-bellied sapsucker

 Brown creeper!  We actually saw several of these, including one that got fairly friendly and came right over.  They blend amazingly well and they are so fast, it was a treat to see several.

brown creeper

 Hello Hairy!  I love this guy.  It looks like an oversized downy, and hearing it peck the sound is much more serious.  Although I have to agree with Paul about this one - possibly the slightest touch dingy.

hairy woodpecker

 Some red-tailed hawks soared over, and there may have been a bit of a scuffle.  It's hard to tell with hawks, but it looked to me like two of them were driving off a third.

red-tailed hawk

 Chippies!  We saw a couple of there here and there, but it was a bonanza at the feeders.  It seemed like everywhere I looked there was another dozen!  I've never seen them in such numbers in the park before.  It was great!

chipping sparrow

 Oh, there were also many many hermit thrushes.  I like it when there is only one thrush in town, they are still really hard for me to tell apart.  Maybe this year will be my year to really learn them.

hermit thrush

 Oh, did you want to see a flicker close up?  Okay, here you go.  There must have been something really delicious on the underside of this branch, this guy was really going for it.

northern flicker

 And a junco crossed the path slowly.

dark-eyed junco

 I don't know if that feeder will work for him, but check out the coloring of this red-winged blackbird!

red-winged blackbird

 And there were still some quite vivid white-throated sparrows around.  The feeders were really quite active!

white-throated sparrow

 Back at the upper lobe, there was quite a bit to see.  A cormorant was fishing, and this great egret was showing off its breeding plumage.  Yes, you are gorgeous!

great egret

 The black-crowned night heron was in a different tree, maybe the blackbird won that battle after all.  A great walk!

black-crowned night heron