Forest Park Forever/Audubon Society 1st Saturday Walk, 060413...and other things

April 7, 2013

I didn’t get the email informing me that the meeting point for today’s walk had been changed to

the Kennedy Forest area

from the usual

Visitor Center

Having waited for a long time, I went out for a bit on my own. The Park was getting very crowded, with a Boy Scout event; and having spotted a

TREE SWALLOW

brn swlw 050413 fp photo DSC03556.jpg

a WOOD DUCK

wd duck 050413 fp photo DSC03553.jpg

and an early-sunbathing

RED-EARED SLIDER

grn eard sldr 050413 fp photo DSC03552.jpg

I gave up and was walking back home. I was photographing various flowers blooming on the trees:

060413 fp flwring tree clsup photo DSC03581.jpg

flwring tree 060413 fp photo DSC03579.jpg redbud? 050413 fp photo DSC03571.jpg redbud bud? 050413 fp photo DSC03572.jpg I clicked the CLOVER, too: clover 050413 fp photo DSC03564.jpg I also clicked this beautiful Star of David in a derelict building (that I pass every day on my walk!) de baliviere window 060413 fp photo DSC03583.jpg ....when Ruth Hartsell called, and said she would walk back and meet me at the History Museum and take me to the Kennedy Forest area....which she did, very kindly! We went past this tree of stainless steel: art tree 060413 fp photo DSC03596.jpg This piece of art (the cost of which, I cannot help thinking,would have planted several real trees!) is called The Placebo: tree sign 060413 fp photo DSC03597.jpg Can you imagine, it comes with its own steel mushrooms: art tree mushrm 060413 fp photo DSC03598.jpg Several kites were flying in the sky, and there was another ringbow around the sun: kites closer 060413 fp photo DSC03595.jpg kites ringbow 060413 fp photo DSC03594.jpg Thanks to Ruth, I didn't miss out on the outing, as I would have, otherwise. The group had, apparently, split up into two, and ofkose Murphy's Law mandated that the other group saw the BARRED OWLS that I've been wanting to see for the longest time! However, we did catch up with the group: bding gp 060413 fp photo DSC03600.jpg and saw a lot of interesting birds, including the DOWNY WOODPECKER downy wdpkr 060413 fp photo DSC03612.jpg and the TUFTED TITMOUSE: titmouse 060413 fp photo DSC03625.jpg The pathways in the Kennedy Forest area have some beautiful wooden bridges: bridge 060413 fp photo DSC03622.jpg As we finished our walk, Ruth identified this VIOLET for me. violet 060413 fp photo DSC03635.jpg This flower is supposed to be the epitome of shyness and modesty :) I came home, and remembered to click these flowers at home: lvndr? 060413 fp photo DSC03574.jpg 'I don't know if this is lavender,but it has a very heady scent.

I’d bought some early CHRYSANTHEMUMS from the store last week, when it was particularly gloomy:

small mums home 050413 photo DSC03573.jpg

For more photos of the outing,

click here for my FB album

The bird list is as follows. It doesn’t include the birds that the group saw before I joined them, or the birds that the other group saw.

Blackbird, Red-winged Cardinal, Northern Chickadee Crow, American Duck, Wood Goldfinch, American Goose, Canada Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Jay, Blue Junco, Dark-eyed Kildeer Kinglet, Crowned Mallard Nuthatch Owl, Great Horned Phoebe,Eastern Robin, American Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow,House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Swallow, Barn Titmouse, Tufted Wren, House Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-headed

Ruth was then kind enough to drop me home as well, because I’d been walking continuously for more than four hours! I’m glad I have Ruth in my life, it would be much more boring if I was Ruthless!