Extra Day

Today is Labor Day so I was able to sneak in one extra morning visit to the park. Apparently all the wildlife was also on holiday as I saw barely anything of interest. I have noticed over the course of the summer that the Egrets are in much smaller numbers than last year. I think the most I saw at one time this year was 2 or 3 compared to groups around 15 last year. I wonder if their numbers are being affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. About the only thing I saw a lot of today were Bumblebees. They are everywhere on the bright yellow flowers -which I think are Goldenrods. I actually don't remember seeing so many of these yellow flowers in years before. Maybe that is due to all the rain we've had this year. The timing is certainly right though as referenced on Wikipedia: "In Midwestern states in the mid-twentieth century it was said that when the goldenrod bloomed, it would soon be time to go back to school—the blossoms appeared in mid- to late August, shortly before the traditional start of school on the day after Labor Day."