Strolling Hyde Park

Hyde Park Drainage Pond and Trails

A nice warm day today.  I walked Hyde Park Pond to see what was around.  A Great Blue Heron was busy fishing, a Doubled-crested Cormorant flew in to find some lunch.  An Osprey hit the water from the air three times momentarily disappearing under the water.  

Great Blue Heron

I usually don't see too many Indigo Buntings but today I saw one.  It was a distance away in a dead tree and I can only see the silhouette of the bird.  I didn't have my bins with me.  

Indigo Bunting

Spotted Sandpiper

There were some small frogs in a big puddle.  Dragonflies were flying around mostly Common Whitetails.  I saw a bigger frog jumping up from the water trying to catch a dragonfly.  When I was watching the frog missed a couple of times.

Northern Leopard Frog

I saw my FOY Eastern Amberwing and Halloween Pennant.

Eastern Amberwing

Halloween Pennant

Variable Dancer

There were a few Monarchs around, I found a Viceroy and another Red-Spotted Purple.  There were a few Cabbage Whites and saw two sulphur butterflies for the first time this year.  I was so happy to see them.  They wouldn't settle for a photo.

Viceroy

Red-Spotted Purple

Recent Outings

July 25, 2019 - The Coves

I have a couple of reports from my recent birding walks.  Still looking for butterflies, I saw a Cabbage White, Red Admiral, some Monarchs and a Banded Hairstreak at the Coves.  Not a lot of dragonflies....Common Whitetail and a Meadowhawk sp.  

I didn't have my bins with me but the birds I saw were a family of Wood Ducks, young Robins, 3 Great Blue Herons, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Song Sparrows, a Belted Kingfisher and American Goldfinches to name a few.

Gray Catbird

Juvenile American Robin

Great Blue Heron

Wood Ducks

Wood Ducks

Meadowhawk sp

Banded Hairstreak

July 31, 2019 - Hyde Park Drainage Pond

At Hyde Park, there were a nice variety of birds....lots of Song Sparrows, Barn and Bank Swallows, a Belted Kingfisher, a Cedar Waxwing, a Carolina Wren, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebe, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Killdeers. 

This is the first time I've encountered Carolina Grasshoppers this year.   

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Pied-billed Grebe

Red-tailed Hawk

Osprey

...still not a lot of butterflies.  A Cabbage White, 2 Monarchs, Little Wood Satyr and my FOY Red-Spotted Purple.  Dragonfly - Common Whitetail.

Monarch

Little Wood Satyr

Red-Spotted Purple

Red-Spotted Purple

I can't believe we are into August now!

Wandering Hyde Park

Wednesday, July 24, 2019 - Hyde Park

I went for a walk in Hyde Park this morning.  It was sunny, high of 25c.
Butterflies were scarce.  I saw a couple of Monarchs, one Red Admiral and no Cabbage Whites.  I have not seen any of the yellow/sulphur butterflies as of yet.  Dragonflies are not any better...very few.  Last year, there were lots of dragonflies in this area.  

I saw a nice variety of birds though.  Great-Blue Heron, Pied-bill Grebe, Ring-billed Gull, a family of Northern Flickers, Willow Flycatcher, Spotted Sandpipers (2), Song Sparrows, American Goldfinches to name a few.

Spotted Sandpiper

Willow Flycatcher

Northern Flicker

Song Sparrow

Pied-billed Grebe