All Over the Place on Sunday

We're back to a regular schedule on the biweekly Sunday bird walks; Jay Manning, our Fearless Leader, is back now that his ruptured Achilles tendon has healed. We were back out at Sisson's and St. Mary's Ponds this week (where Mark and I went last Sunday on our own) and saw cruising Northern Harrier hawks, American Black and Ruddy Ducks, Green-winged Teal, a Cooper's and a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a couple of Northern Flickers, a ton of Robins, and a lot of small Fall and Winter Sparrows. I didn't get any bird shots, but I got the following shots of the environs: (top to bottom) the shore of Sisson's Pond; some of the the bird walk gang (the rest were behind me); and the fields and woods between Sisson's and St. Mary's Ponds.

Back into Newport, and I made a beeline for Ballard Park and Gooseneck Cove. The park still isn't doing much overt Fall color; the only things really changing color are the Devil's Walking Stick trees and the Virginia Creeper vines. The view from the Joseph Cotton Overlook, over the swamp looking toward Brenton Rd., is showing great promise, though. Here are some shots: (top to bottom) two views from the Joseph Cotton Overlook; Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa) leaves; Virginia Creeper leaves.

Gooseneck Cove, on the other hand, gets more colorful by the day.

On the way home I stumbled across this patch of Swamp Aster.

And that was my Sunday!

© 2010 by A. Roy Hilbinger