I didn't make it to the park on Saturday so I took my time going around on Sunday morning. I would say that this was the first weekend with actual leaves on the trees as it is now hard to see through the woods.
As soon as I arrived at the parking lot and got out of my vehicle, I heard a bird call that I actually remembered from last year. It didn't take me long and I spotted the first Baltimore Oriole of the season. For whatever reason, it then flew right up to another truck in the parking lot and kind of hovered right up along side it. I don't know if maybe it saw it's own reflection or what but afterward it decided to perch right on the bug shield of the same truck.
There were plenty of birds out today as it was sunny and warm but the next one of interest to me was this greyish brown bird. I've seen them periodically since early spring but have not gotten a photo or tried to identify them until now. This one settled just close enough above a marshy area for a bit. According to my field guide I'd say it's an Eastern Phoebe. Back on the south side I spotted a Cedar Waxwing in the narrow strip of trees between the lake and the trail.
I went in a little closer and noticed a few more of them all in the same tree. I tried to get a shot of a couple of them together but with the leaves coming in, one or the other was always blocked. A short distance further down the trail, I started to hear one of the most beautiful and unusual bird calls I've ever heard. It was incredibly loud and
extremely varied. I don't think I heard the same pattern repeated in five minutes time. I thought, I've GOT to see this bird and veered right off into the woods after it. I was kind of expecting to see some brightly colored bird but instead I found a quite large, mostly brown bird with a white spotted breast.
I was close enough to notice that it had bright yellow eyes and I thought to myself this would definitely help in identifying him later. Indeed it did -it is Brown Thrasher which apparently has the largest documented song repertoire of all North American Birds. This and the Phoebe will add 2 more bird species to my list!
As soon as I arrived at the parking lot and got out of my vehicle, I heard a bird call that I actually remembered from last year. It didn't take me long and I spotted the first Baltimore Oriole of the season. For whatever reason, it then flew right up to another truck in the parking lot and kind of hovered right up along side it. I don't know if maybe it saw it's own reflection or what but afterward it decided to perch right on the bug shield of the same truck. 
There were plenty of birds out today as it was sunny and warm but the next one of interest to me was this greyish brown bird. I've seen them periodically since early spring but have not gotten a photo or tried to identify them until now. This one settled just close enough above a marshy area for a bit. According to my field guide I'd say it's an Eastern Phoebe. Back on the south side I spotted a Cedar Waxwing in the narrow strip of trees between the lake and the trail. 
I went in a little closer and noticed a few more of them all in the same tree. I tried to get a shot of a couple of them together but with the leaves coming in, one or the other was always blocked. A short distance further down the trail, I started to hear one of the most beautiful and unusual bird calls I've ever heard. It was incredibly loud and extremely varied. I don't think I heard the same pattern repeated in five minutes time. I thought, I've GOT to see this bird and veered right off into the woods after it. I was kind of expecting to see some brightly colored bird but instead I found a quite large, mostly brown bird with a white spotted breast. 
I was close enough to notice that it had bright yellow eyes and I thought to myself this would definitely help in identifying him later. Indeed it did -it is Brown Thrasher which apparently has the largest documented song repertoire of all North American Birds. This and the Phoebe will add 2 more bird species to my list!
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