Aug 3rd - Bird One

I was just about to leave the house this morning when I got a text message telling me that an Osprey had just flown along the bluffs and passed the Hawk Watch...dammit!!!  Sharp-eyed Mike Kinrys gets the gold star for spotting this year's first countable bird.  Thankyou Mike!  Others who were gathered at the time to see 'bird one' were Leslie, Theresa, Peter, Betty, and Kris.  Sadly tho, that was it for raptors for the day.  Where there were no raptors there were Great Blue Herons.  An incredible 23 Herons passed by the Watch today including 8 that flew by together almost wingtip to wingtip.  Ron Pittaway, who was with us at the time commented that he couldn't recall ever seeing so many and so close together in all his years of birding.  Some other birds of interest today included a Belted Kingfisher, a Warbling Vireo and a Red-eyed Vireo, as well as a Yellow Warbler singing from down the side of the bluffs.  Butterflies were a little sluggish today, some even sat still on flowers and allowed for great photo opts.  Kris captured this beautiful shot of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Lantana camara.

As we sat and chatted by the gardens watching butterflies, Paul, Patty and Cori joined us.

I'll be at the park much earlier tomorrow hoping for another Osprey to come my way.

Walter