It was an absolutely gorgeous day this Saturday to be hiking around the park. Despite our days starting off quite cold in the morning, the temperature today made it up into the 50's. I saw a good amount of interesting birds today and some that didn't make this post were: Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Fox Sparrow. The first bird of interest I was able to capture however was a Gadwall swimming among the other Mallards in the "Duck Pond" on the southwest corner.
I believe this is the first and only time I've seen one here in the fall versus the spring. And furthermore, something makes me think that this might actually be the very same duck I saw earlier this spring. Again it was just one male Gadwall with the Mallards and in the exact same place as in March of this year. As I hiked up the wood chip trail on the west side I spotted a Downy Woodpecker busily carving out a hole in a dead limb right at eye-level. I normally wont go out of my way to photograph Downy's or Hairy's but I'll never pass on any bird that is so close. But even at this distance it can be hard to catch a Woodpecker without their head in motion.
This was a female Downy as indicated by a lack of red feathers at the top, back of the head. I tried to only snap pictures during the brief moments she paused her steady pounding into the tree. Later on the north end of the park I ran into two other bird-watching friends of mine and I ended up heading back the way I came in order to walk with them. They told me that they'd spotted the Northern Shrike returned to the park just some days earlier –which would be approximately within the same week that I'd first spotted one last year, October 27th 2012! I thought that was pretty neat. Unfortunately I didn't see a Shrike this day but we did spot a Hermit Thrush within photographic range. I see Hermit Thrushes quite often in the spring, about the time when there are only small patches of snow left on the ground. I'm still trying to learn the difference between a Hermit Thrush and Swainson's Thrush which look very similar. I believe one indication is that a Hermit might bob it's tail while the Swainson's does not. I'm not 100% on that though.
Three more fairly similar looking birds, the Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush and Veery, can also be found in our area but I'm afraid I'm not quite experienced enough yet to quickly tell them apart in the field. An interesting fact; all Bluebirds and your common everyday American Robin are both part of the "Thrush" family!
I believe this is the first and only time I've seen one here in the fall versus the spring. And furthermore, something makes me think that this might actually be the very same duck I saw earlier this spring. Again it was just one male Gadwall with the Mallards and in the exact same place as in March of this year. As I hiked up the wood chip trail on the west side I spotted a Downy Woodpecker busily carving out a hole in a dead limb right at eye-level. I normally wont go out of my way to photograph Downy's or Hairy's but I'll never pass on any bird that is so close. But even at this distance it can be hard to catch a Woodpecker without their head in motion. 
This was a female Downy as indicated by a lack of red feathers at the top, back of the head. I tried to only snap pictures during the brief moments she paused her steady pounding into the tree. Later on the north end of the park I ran into two other bird-watching friends of mine and I ended up heading back the way I came in order to walk with them. They told me that they'd spotted the Northern Shrike returned to the park just some days earlier –which would be approximately within the same week that I'd first spotted one last year, October 27th 2012! I thought that was pretty neat. Unfortunately I didn't see a Shrike this day but we did spot a Hermit Thrush within photographic range. I see Hermit Thrushes quite often in the spring, about the time when there are only small patches of snow left on the ground. I'm still trying to learn the difference between a Hermit Thrush and Swainson's Thrush which look very similar. I believe one indication is that a Hermit might bob it's tail while the Swainson's does not. I'm not 100% on that though. 
Three more fairly similar looking birds, the Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush and Veery, can also be found in our area but I'm afraid I'm not quite experienced enough yet to quickly tell them apart in the field. An interesting fact; all Bluebirds and your common everyday American Robin are both part of the "Thrush" family!
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