Well today is Saturday and it's been raining almost continuously since Thursday evening. And when it's not raining, it looks like it might start again at any moment. So when I arrived at the park this morning I had my rain jacket on just in case. It was quite overcast and dreary but at the time I didn't realize it would be the nicest part of the day! I was pleasantly surprised to see so many birds today and I had a few close encounters that resulted in some neat photos. Some of the more memorable sights of the day included Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Cardinal, House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Bluebird, and an Ovenbird! I was bummed that I didn't get any photos of the Ovenbird worth posting here, though I sat and waited patiently for quite a while hoping to see him again. It is only maybe the 2nd time I've seen one in the fall as opposed to in the spring. I had no problem getting this first bird here, a House Wren. There were a pair of them together in a shrub with little to no leaves.
When I went in closer to see them they seemed to become interested in me and came right out to the edges in plain sight. I've had similar instances with Wrens and I'm realizing that they must be one of the most curious of all birds I've encountered. There were other small birds in the very same shrub and a flash of yellow caught my eye only seconds after snapping the Wren photo. Here was a Common Yellowthroat also very close and unobstructed and I was lucky enough to catch just this one shot. It is un-mistakenly a male as indicated by the black mask, but both his black mask and white stripe above it are faded considerably.
I've not had an opportunity to see one this closely so late in the season before so that was kind of a treat. My favorite sighting of the day however was still to come and I barely noticed it just 30 seconds before I had decided to get back in my vehicle. On the east side right near the parking lot I spotted a flash of bright blue on the ground and noticed not one but
two brightly colored male Bluebirds! They were drinking from a small puddle that collected in a low spot from all of our recent rain. I decided to sit down on the ground but of course I scared them off quickly. But they didn't go far, only straight up into the trees above me. After sitting here for only just a few moments I became aware of just how many Bluebirds –and other sparrows– that were taking a liking to this area. I bet there were at least 6 male Bluebirds around. I didn't notice any females but I'm guessing they were also around somewhere.
As I watched the little puddle in front of me, another larger puddle off to my left became the new gathering place. Both Tree Sparrows and Bluebirds would wade in and take a bath, shaking vigorously and splashing everywhere. It was quite fun to watch as I've never seen a Bluebird bathing before. I took lots of photos on continuous mode hoping to catch a neat splashing shot.
I did get some but there was more splash than bird in most of the photos. It was one of my favorite Bluebird encounters to date!
When I went in closer to see them they seemed to become interested in me and came right out to the edges in plain sight. I've had similar instances with Wrens and I'm realizing that they must be one of the most curious of all birds I've encountered. There were other small birds in the very same shrub and a flash of yellow caught my eye only seconds after snapping the Wren photo. Here was a Common Yellowthroat also very close and unobstructed and I was lucky enough to catch just this one shot. It is un-mistakenly a male as indicated by the black mask, but both his black mask and white stripe above it are faded considerably. 
I've not had an opportunity to see one this closely so late in the season before so that was kind of a treat. My favorite sighting of the day however was still to come and I barely noticed it just 30 seconds before I had decided to get back in my vehicle. On the east side right near the parking lot I spotted a flash of bright blue on the ground and noticed not one but two brightly colored male Bluebirds! They were drinking from a small puddle that collected in a low spot from all of our recent rain. I decided to sit down on the ground but of course I scared them off quickly. But they didn't go far, only straight up into the trees above me. After sitting here for only just a few moments I became aware of just how many Bluebirds –and other sparrows– that were taking a liking to this area. I bet there were at least 6 male Bluebirds around. I didn't notice any females but I'm guessing they were also around somewhere. 
As I watched the little puddle in front of me, another larger puddle off to my left became the new gathering place. Both Tree Sparrows and Bluebirds would wade in and take a bath, shaking vigorously and splashing everywhere. It was quite fun to watch as I've never seen a Bluebird bathing before. I took lots of photos on continuous mode hoping to catch a neat splashing shot. 
I did get some but there was more splash than bird in most of the photos. It was one of my favorite Bluebird encounters to date!
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