This Week's Sunday Walk in the Park

So this weekend is the unofficial start of the Summer season, being Memorial Day weekend, but you wouldn't know it - it's overcast and gloomy, threatening rain, and cooler than the seasonal average. But it's certainly lush enough for Summer, and there are plenty of May flowers in full bloom. This morning's weekly walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park was proof of that.

Stork's Bill blooming along the Dykeman WalkingTrail

Yellow Flag in the marsh by the ball fields

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin' down the Dykeman Trail...

After 10 years I still haven't figured out what this plant is

A female Redwinged Blackbird keeping a wary eye on me by the north duck pond

Blackberry blossoms up on the meadow

 © 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Up One Creek and Down the Other

I decided to follow the local creeks today, out into farm country along Burd Run via Fogelsonger Rd. and back into town along Middle Spring/Branch Creek. And along the way there were definitely things to see.

I started in the Burd Run Riparian Restoration park in hopes of getting another shot at that Green Heron, and sure enough there it was, fishing in the collection pond. It caught one frog and ate it right there, and then caught another and flew up to eat it on a tree branch over the creek, which allowed me to get much closer. I spent about a half hour with that bird and took close to 30 shots, and ended up using the last one.

Of course I also found cows along Fogelsonger Rd. And I got surprised going back down North Earl St., where a very large Pileated Woodpecker flew into a tree right in front of me and proceeded to pry bark off in search of tasty bugs. He completely ignored me, so I got pretty close and shot another 20 or so photos. This ended up being a very productive hike!

The Green Heron strikes a pose

Burd Run at Fogelsonger Rd.

Holsteins on Fogelsonger Rd.

Daisy Fleabane by Middle Spring Creek

The Pileated Woodpecker digging for lunch

A Yellow Poplar, also known as Tulip Poplar

The flowery, and shady, banks of Branch Creek

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Visiting the Burd Run Restoration Park

I decided to go over to the Burd Run Riparian Restoration Project park, just a little downstream from the Brookside wetland. The Spring floods and windstorms haven't been kind to it; there are a couple of places where broken limbs and other flood debris have dammed up the creek somewhat and a good part of the paths at the north end aren't walkable because of mud or water. So I didn't get as many shots there as I usually get. I did, however, finally manage to get a shot of a Green Heron, sitting in a Willow over the wetland pool and observation deck and pretending I couldn't see it for all the leaves. It didn't work, which it finally figured out and flew across the pool to a Maple across the way and out of my range. All in all a pleasant walk on an equally pleasant day.

A Catbird nattering away on a branch over the creek

A small Willow grove by the creek

Green Hawthorn, also known as Southern Hawthorn, growing by the creek

The Green Heron pretending it's hiding

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

A Visit to the Brookside Wetland

I went to visit the Brookside Ave. wetland today because I hadn't gone there since I switched to shooting in RAW. It being May, I was hoping for butterflies, but it was a little chilly and fairly windy, and no butterflies were out in those conditions. But I did get some good landscape shots, and a Tree Swallow portrait. And on the way home I found two kittens playing on a farm. So it was worth the trip!

A view of part of the collection pond

Walking along the berm around the pond

A Tree Swallow atop its nesting box

Another view of the pond

The boardwalk at the entrance to the wetland

Two kittens playing. You can just see a bit of Mama behind the gray one

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Walking in the Woods

I felt a need to walk in the woods today, so I headed over to the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and the Upland Trail, which rises out of the wetland and heads up to the meadow. Of course, I had to go through the wetland to get there, and of course there were birds. And a Painted Turtle. So it wasn't just a walk in the woods.

Dame's Rocket in the woods along the Dykeman Walking Trail

A male Red-winged Blackbird singing in the wetland

A Blue Jay in the wetland woods

A Warbling Vireo in the Kentucky Coffee Tree by the north duck pond. It has such a beautiful voice!

A Painted Turtle and its reflection in the bog pool next to the north duck pond

The woodland stairway on the Upland Trail

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

A Short Walk on the Rail Trail

Today has been very Summer-like, much warmer and more humid. I went for a short walk in the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail just to be out and about to see who might also be around. I was in luck! Lots of birds flying around, and I managed to get shots of a Red-bellied and a Red-headed Woodpecker as well as a Brown Thrasher, and got an almost-missed shot of a Chipmunk enjoying a Black Walnut snack just off the trail. And of course there were cows! A few scenic shots round out the tally for the day. Take a look!

Walking down the Rail Trail

There are a lot of these boulders along the trail

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Holsteins on a farm near the trail

Chipmunk snack time!

Brown Thrasher

Red-headed Woodpecker

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

A Busy Day at the Feeder Station

I had things to do today, and it was pretty windy out, so I stuck close to home. I did aim the camera out the kitchen window at my bird feeder station from time to time, though; it was pretty active and well worth some attention.

A pair of Mallards visits my back yard every Spring; the hen was there today

A Mourning Dove was cleaning up some of the spillage the Sparrows and Starlings leave behind

And here are the House Sparrows making the mess

The resident Chipmunk also likes the mess the Sparrows leave

The Cardinals all prefer the Sunflower seeds in the flat feeder

A rare visitor, a Brown-headed Cowbird stops by to sample the leavings

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

More Nature on a Sunday Morning

Today's walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park was another interesting one, with one long-awaited event. The event was that Mother Goose finally hatched all her babies, and she and Papa were out on the water with them when I got there today. There was also a young skunk wandering around by the north duck pond, but I couldn't manage to get an in-focus shot of it because I was too intent avoiding startling it and getting sprayed. I did manage to get a really good shot of one of the Solitary Sandpipers visiting the wetland on their way up to their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra. All in all, it was a good day in the park!

Dame's Rocket in the woods along the Dykeman Walking Trail

A deer trail in the woods framed by trees like a gateway

Daisy Fleabane in the Dykeman wetland

A Solitary Sandpiper in the creek

Mama and Papa taking the kids out on the north duck pond

A Crow along the nature trail on the way home

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Racing the Rain

We have a lot of rain and much colder temperatures heading our way, starting this afternoon, so I got out this morning to hit the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and then do some fill-in grocery shopping. Unfortunately, the rain beat me. Not badly, though; just some occasional light rain, no downpours. It didn't cramp my style at all. Still lots of birds, all singing up a storm. I saw two Orioles up in the tree over the north end of the north duck pond, but they were out of range. Also, Mother Goose's eggs must have finally hatched; I saw one and maybe two goslings peeking out from under her wings as she sat on her nest; there were five eggs in the nest, so the other three may not have hatched yet. I couldn't get close enough for a good shot; Mama was glaring at me and Papa was hovering menacingly, so I kept my distance. The main attraction this morning was the flying circus provided by the Swallows. The Rough-winged Swallows just darted about with no stopping, but the Barn Swallows took turns flying up to a branch hanging over the north duck pond, and them I got pictures of. It was a fun morning despite the rain!

A Gray Catbird chattering away along the nature trail

More Dame's Rocket along the trail

In the heart of the wetland

Two Barn Swallows hanging out over the pond

Mushrooms up on the meadow; I call them "fairy umbrellas".

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger