Birds and Blooms at Sacred Heart Park

 American Redstart 5-12-12

I’ve been birding Sacred heart park on a regular basis for a few weeks now and it has been fun to notice all the changes in the park. The threes have leafed out, the grasses have turned green and the wildflowers are in bloom! With all the new growth the birds have returned and it seems every time I go to the park I discover something new!

 Buttercups in bloom.

 

 One of the backwater ponds fed by the river.

I often stand here quietly and look and listen for birds. It was near this pond that I found a Fox Sparrow, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and a Wilson’s Warbler!

 The park along the river bank.

I always walk to the top of a little knoll past the ponds near the edge of the woods. From this little alcove I can turn around to see the woods, the ponds and the parkland along the riverbank.

 Greater Celendine chelidonium majus at the edge of the woods

Now there are wildflowers blooming at the edge of the woods, along with poison ivy! There is so much to see walking along the edge of the riverbank.

 Poison Ivy looks pretty but don’t touch!

 

 Gray squirrel feeding on seeds high in a tree.

 

 A male Northern Cardinal makes a bright spot in the new green leaves!

 

 The calm waters at the bend in the river.

When I am here by myself I find this place so peaceful and calming.

The Ghost Tree doesn’t even look scary on this partly sunny day!

 

Dame’s Rocket hesperis matronalis at Sacred Heart Park 5-12-12

My Life List of birds I have observed at Sacred Heart Park so far:

1. American Crow 9-3-2010
2. Gray Catbird
3. Rock Pigeon 1-5-2011
4. Black-capped Chickadee
5. Tufted Titmouse
6. White-breasted Nuthatch
7. American Robin
8. Northern Mockingbird
9. Song sparrow
10. Dark-eyed Junco
11. House sparrow
12. Red-tailed hawk 2-19-2011
13. Ring-billed Gull
14. Herring Gull
15. Blue Jay
16. Canada Goose 4-9-11
17. Wood duck
18. Mallard
19. Mourning Dove
20. Northern Cardinal
21. Red-winged Blackbird
22. Common grackle
23. Downy woodpecker 4-16-11
24. Red-bellied woodpecker 5-1-11
25. Yellow-rumped warbler
26. Great Blue heron 6-4-11
27. chimney Swift
28. Eastern Bluebird
29. Chipping sparrow
30. American Goldfinch 7-11-11
31. Belted Kingfisher 9-30-11
32. Northern Flicker
33. Carolina Wren
34. White-throated sparrow 1-25-12
35. House Finch 2-1-2
36. Hooded merganser 2-7-12
37. Hairy woodpecker 2-14-12
38. Turkey Vulture 3-11-12
39. Eastern Phoebe 3-22-12
40. European Starling 3-27-12
41. Fox Sparrow 3-30-12
42. Cooper’s hawk 4-7-12
43. Palm Warbler 4-16-12
44. Savannah sparrow
45. Cedar Waxwing 5-2-12
46. Baltimore oriole 5-6-12
47. House Wren 5-9-12
48. American Redstart 5-12-12
49. Wilson’s warbler 5-14-12
50. Rose-breasted Grosbeak