Bumble bees were busily collecting pollen from the few remaining wild rose blossoms at the marsh this morning. These seem to be two different varieties of bumble bee. Apparently there are several kinds found in our area, and the males of each species look different than the females, making for a fun time to try to i.d. them!
This morning I had to check to see who - or what - was on the little "islet" where the cormorants congregate. There was quite an assortment of birdlife - two cormorants, seven black ducks, one great blue heron (it's been a while since I have seen one of those), and one yellowlegs (the small bird in the center of the above shot), a kind of sandpiper. I think it was a Greater Yellowlegs (there's also a Lesser Yellowlegs) because I had heard its distinctive, fairly loud, deew. deew. deew call not long before.
I never would have known these birds were there if I hadn't had my binoculars with me, so it pays to carry them when visiting the marsh. You never know what you'll see!
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Just before entering the wooded section of the trail is a clump of willows. I have seen a pair of Yellow Warblers there a number of times, so I suspected they were nesting there. This morning I spied this male with a mouthful of tasty treats for a youngster who was probably nearby.
I could hear frogs plopping into the water all over the place this morning, whenever I approached the water's edge. This Green Frog who was hiding in the grass when I passed by didn't 'plop' far, so I was able to get this shot.
These shots are today's piece de resistance, I think. It was just before entering the wooded section of the trail this morning, when I saw one of those little white butterflies that are flitting about these days. I watched to see if it would light somewhere so I could try to get a shot. It didn't, but as it flew off behind me, I noticed a slight movement in the grass beside the trail. Upon a closer look, I noticed a little head with two bright eyes peering at me. It was a little muskrat, and I had just walked right past him/her, without even seeing him. As I watched, it scuttled into the end of a piece of white drain pipe that runs under the path, which it had obviously used to get where it was, from the marsh side. I stood and waited to see if it would come out of the pipe again, and it kept sticking its nose out to see if the coast was clear. By that time I moved on, as I was getting bitten by deer flies. But I was tickled pink, as I knew I had a memorable tale - and the pictures to go with it - to post to my blog!
There are more grebes in the making. This morning, way out on the water I saw this grebe on a little platform she'd likely created out of plant material. As I watched, she settled down and was soon joined by her mate.
I know, not the best quality picture, but if I were to get a closer shot I would have gotten very wet. I hope you can make out that mother grebe has one chick on her back, and another following very close behind. This is the second new grebe family I've seen lately.
These little Savannah Sparrows are almost always seen hopping along the path or flitting about the grasses and bushes alongside. It's difficult to get a photo of one, as they move so quickly and are quite timid. Luckily this morning this one held still just long enough for me to take its picture.
The Canada geese have been spending quite a bit of time on their own island the last few days (where the first nest was located). They were there again this morning. It won't be long now before flying lessons begin.
The other day I noticed a small patch of Deptford pinks alongside the trail just past the entrance. I'm amazed at the proliferation of plant life that has sprung up along the trail since it was created eight years ago. At that time all the vegetation I recall is a mass of blackberry canes. The tiny blossoms of this attractive plant are no more than 1cm across.
