As of yesterday, I've officially been posting regularly to this blog for a full two years now! I never thought when I started this that I'd keep it up this long. Even I thought I might get bored with visiting the same park time after time. However, quite the opposite is true. Everything I've learned over the past two years has increased my appreciation and wonderment of nature and continues to fuel my passion for learning more. I have a real sense of accomplishment from everything I've learned so far. Every day I visit the park is a new learning opportunity -sometimes in the smallest way. Today was no exception.
The weather today was remarkable -just perfect in my opinion, around 68 degrees, sunny and calm. I wish it could be like this all year long. Other than the perfect weather, the first thing I noticed was a Flicker high above me on the north west side. I've sure seen a lot of them this Spring compared to just one, all of last year. This I think is a female due to the lack of the black "mustache." Later I stopped in my usual place on the bridge over Shingle Creek to snap a few pics of the creek and I noticed a bunch of Barn Swallows flying over the water. I wished I could get a photo of these colorful birds but they were moving much too fast for my camera. Later I was making my way around the south east side when I noticed a whole bunch of them perched on the chain link fence surrounding the ball fields. It was the first opportunity I've ever had watch and photograph them sitting still.
I was able to move in much closer than I expected and really see their full coloring. Only a few of them took off when I approached this closely. I was amazed at how colorful they are. On the very end there was one that looked so obviously different that I first thought it was a different species all together. As I got closer I could see it was also a Swallow but it had some added patches of white on the neck and on it's forehead.
I thought for sure this was either a female or maybe an older Barn Swallow but according my new Peterson Field Guide, I think it's actually a "Cliff Swallow!"
The weather today was remarkable -just perfect in my opinion, around 68 degrees, sunny and calm. I wish it could be like this all year long. Other than the perfect weather, the first thing I noticed was a Flicker high above me on the north west side. I've sure seen a lot of them this Spring compared to just one, all of last year. This I think is a female due to the lack of the black "mustache." Later I stopped in my usual place on the bridge over Shingle Creek to snap a few pics of the creek and I noticed a bunch of Barn Swallows flying over the water. I wished I could get a photo of these colorful birds but they were moving much too fast for my camera. Later I was making my way around the south east side when I noticed a whole bunch of them perched on the chain link fence surrounding the ball fields. It was the first opportunity I've ever had watch and photograph them sitting still. 
I was able to move in much closer than I expected and really see their full coloring. Only a few of them took off when I approached this closely. I was amazed at how colorful they are. On the very end there was one that looked so obviously different that I first thought it was a different species all together. As I got closer I could see it was also a Swallow but it had some added patches of white on the neck and on it's forehead.
I thought for sure this was either a female or maybe an older Barn Swallow but according my new Peterson Field Guide, I think it's actually a "Cliff Swallow!"
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