I arrived at the park this Sunday morning just after 11:30am. It was a beautiful day with puffy white clouds against a bright blue sky and the temp was somewhere around only 70 degrees. It was the kind of day you wish every day was like. The mosquitoes were virtually non-existent as well so I found that I could venture off trail even in shorts. I spotted a lot of good stuff today and was surprised to see when I got home that I'd taken over 120 photos! The first thing I saw was on the south side heading up the wood chip trail. A smaller than average bird flew across the trail and landed in some brush on the other side. It popped out again onto a larger tree and I could tell from the flash of bright yellow on the edges of it's tail that it was a female American Redstart.
I've seen more than my fair share of Redstarts this year but I've only seen a female just once or twice. This was probably the 3rd time I've seen one so I really wanted to get a photo. They're hard to keep up with though as they move positions every 1 to 2 seconds. While the Redstart was hopping around, another bird had landed on the same tree and was sort of distracting me. I assumed it was a Nuthatch at first from it's size but mostly from how it walked almost headfirst down the trunk of the tree. It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of how drastically striped it was that I realized it wasn't a Nuthatch but a Black and White Warbler! This is only the 2nd time I've ever seen one so it was quite exciting. As usual when I see something so unique I end up scrambling for a photo, moving too quickly and getting blurry shots.
I had a lot of options to pick from to post here but this one shows best the black and white striping pattern of this unique Warbler. Be sure to click on the photo for a larger view. Much later on the other side of the park I actually spotted 2 or 3 more of them! Along the way I came across a Hairy Woodpecker -the larger of the 2 most common woodpeckers (Downy and Hairy). He was excavating a Willow tree (?) looking for insects and allowed me to walk almost right up underneath him for a photo.
These are such common woodpeckers that I often don't take the time to capture them but since we was so engrossed in his activities I figured I'd get closer. The interesting thing I noticed from this distance was just how much yellow coloring they have in their tail feathers as well as faint hints of yellow on their head. Hiking across the long straight trail on the north end, I spotted a deer moving with it's head down below the tall weeds. It was a ways off the trail but I thought maybe if I waited it would pop it's head up for a photo. When it finally did I was quite shocked to see that it was an 8-point Buck with velvet still covering most if his antlers!
It was an impressive rack that looked even thicker with all that velvet. I thought it was kind of odd to still have velvet this late into the summer and especially on such a large, mature rack. The times I usually notice velvety antlers are much earlier in the spring. I don't know how he's gone this long without having it rub off. Maybe they're just growing that fast. I don't know but it was certainly a neat sight. Hopefully next Spring I'll be able to find at least one of those antlers after he's shed them!
I've seen more than my fair share of Redstarts this year but I've only seen a female just once or twice. This was probably the 3rd time I've seen one so I really wanted to get a photo. They're hard to keep up with though as they move positions every 1 to 2 seconds. While the Redstart was hopping around, another bird had landed on the same tree and was sort of distracting me. I assumed it was a Nuthatch at first from it's size but mostly from how it walked almost headfirst down the trunk of the tree. It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of how drastically striped it was that I realized it wasn't a Nuthatch but a Black and White Warbler! This is only the 2nd time I've ever seen one so it was quite exciting. As usual when I see something so unique I end up scrambling for a photo, moving too quickly and getting blurry shots. 
I had a lot of options to pick from to post here but this one shows best the black and white striping pattern of this unique Warbler. Be sure to click on the photo for a larger view. Much later on the other side of the park I actually spotted 2 or 3 more of them! Along the way I came across a Hairy Woodpecker -the larger of the 2 most common woodpeckers (Downy and Hairy). He was excavating a Willow tree (?) looking for insects and allowed me to walk almost right up underneath him for a photo. 
These are such common woodpeckers that I often don't take the time to capture them but since we was so engrossed in his activities I figured I'd get closer. The interesting thing I noticed from this distance was just how much yellow coloring they have in their tail feathers as well as faint hints of yellow on their head. Hiking across the long straight trail on the north end, I spotted a deer moving with it's head down below the tall weeds. It was a ways off the trail but I thought maybe if I waited it would pop it's head up for a photo. When it finally did I was quite shocked to see that it was an 8-point Buck with velvet still covering most if his antlers! 
It was an impressive rack that looked even thicker with all that velvet. I thought it was kind of odd to still have velvet this late into the summer and especially on such a large, mature rack. The times I usually notice velvety antlers are much earlier in the spring. I don't know how he's gone this long without having it rub off. Maybe they're just growing that fast. I don't know but it was certainly a neat sight. Hopefully next Spring I'll be able to find at least one of those antlers after he's shed them!
Outstanding!!!!!!!
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