Breeding Birds and Blooming Cacti

Overcast skies and moderate winds started today's bird survey. Not as many birds were detected but still a good assortment of species. I am including two nest photos taken along the Nature Trail. I setup a spotting scope and took photos through it using my Sony Cybershot. This is known as Digiscoping.

One photo is a female Black-chinned Hummingbird sitting on her tiny lichen nest 50 feet up in a Cedar Elm tree. The other photo is a female Eastern Phoebe building a new nest in the rock wall only 10 feet from last week's nest. In the last couple days it appears the previous nest, with nestlings, was predated upon. My only guess for predator would be a snake but the vertical nature of this wall makes it hard to believe.

This year I have 5 pair of Louisiana Waterthrushes nesting along the river at my survey sites. Nashville Warblers are still common and singing. At Tobacco Creek I had 2 male Black-throated Green Warbers, one singing its characteristic song - 'See See, See Suzie'.

A Crested Caracara flew over Wolf Mountain Trail near the parking lot. Not a species I am used to seeing at the park. Though the bird blind has already seen an Ash-throated Flycatcher over a week ago, today was the first time I saw one. The first Lark Sparrow was also noted along the edge of the main falls road. I almost forgot to mention a Great-crested Flycatcher was fun to see along the river and hear its 'Wheep, wheep, wheep' call.

It was well worth the search for a flowering Lacey Cactus. I had to wait until the afternoon when the sun was shining to find several cacti blooming along one of the paved roads. I had discovered several cacti earlier in the morning that were about to bloom along East Park Boundary but they apparently needed the sun to open to the heavens. This year the Prickly Pear Cactus is also blooming at the same time. I believe two weeks in a row of decent rains have prompted this showy display.