Fighting finches, wresting warblers, and slippery snakes

Tree Swallow

Birds sighted at Burrage Pond: Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Goldfinch, Killdeer, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Egret, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Brown Thrasher, Grackle, Red-wing Blackbird, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Catbird, Lesser Yellowlegs
Reptiles: Eastern Water Snake
Amphibians: Green Frogs

Brown Thrasher

This morning was mostly overcast and damned buggy. But the flowering trees are just hitting their peaks. The birds at Burrage Pond were on full display. A flotilla of Swans were out on the pond down by the dam. Egrets and Herons haunted the shallows. And a yellow army of Prairie Warblers, Yellow Warbers and Goldfinches were in fine fighting form. I watched two male Prairie Warblers chase each other insesently, back and forth, around and down, even knocking each other out of the air. The male goldfinches were doing the same. As were were the male Red-winged Blackbirds, two of which ended up taking an unexpected bath as they fought and landed in the shallows. Both emerged fine but a bit soggy.

Prairie Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Goldfinch

Orchard Oriole: I've never seen an Orchard Oriole until this morning. Wish I could have gotten closer but apparently Orchard Orioles are really camera shy.

Tree Swallows

Lesser yellowlegs

The yellow rump of a Yellow-rumped Warbler

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Catbird