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birdfeeding2024-08-08 06:42 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote in birdfeeding2024-08-08 06:42 pm
Lake Visit
We went out to the lake today. The weather is partly sunny and mild, with a cool breeze, a beautiful summer day.
From there, we went out to the lake. The wildflower gardens are in bloom. :D There's one big patch of zinnias. They're not native but butterflies love them. The native gardens have purple asters, purple echinacea, yellow coneflowers, Queen Anne's lace, butterfly weed, mountain mint, and not native but very popular with pollinators 'Autumn Joy' sedum.
Not a lot of birds out today. We heard ducks quacking but didn't see them. Could be any of a couple dozen species, or early migrants, but most of what we see here are mallards. Several turkey vultures soared overhead. Approaching the lake, a large bird flew overhead, which I'm pretty sure was an eagle. Theoretically there are are golden eagles in Illinois but what I see locally are bald eagles, so I suspect this was a bald eagle. I could see the shape (too big for hawk, and it had a head so not a vulture) but not much of the color in silhouette. On the path, I found a stretch that was littered with white, clean-picked bones including most of a fish skeleton, several scapulas, leg bones (probably squirrel or rabbit), and what looked like a curved beak. Likely this is where eagles roost and drop their trash. On the way out we saw a white egret, probably a snowy egret, fishing below the dam.
We walked along the shore of the lake where there's some shade. The weather was mild with a cool breeze off the lake, making for a delightful walk. I saw wild grape vines (probably riverbank), goldenrod, jewelweed in bloom (the orange kind), and various other plants.
We saw two large turtles basking on a log. Lots of dragonflies and damselflies hovered over a stretch of water, along with water striders. I heard a frog jump in, but didn't see what kind.
It's been a good day.
From there, we went out to the lake. The wildflower gardens are in bloom. :D There's one big patch of zinnias. They're not native but butterflies love them. The native gardens have purple asters, purple echinacea, yellow coneflowers, Queen Anne's lace, butterfly weed, mountain mint, and not native but very popular with pollinators 'Autumn Joy' sedum.
Not a lot of birds out today. We heard ducks quacking but didn't see them. Could be any of a couple dozen species, or early migrants, but most of what we see here are mallards. Several turkey vultures soared overhead. Approaching the lake, a large bird flew overhead, which I'm pretty sure was an eagle. Theoretically there are are golden eagles in Illinois but what I see locally are bald eagles, so I suspect this was a bald eagle. I could see the shape (too big for hawk, and it had a head so not a vulture) but not much of the color in silhouette. On the path, I found a stretch that was littered with white, clean-picked bones including most of a fish skeleton, several scapulas, leg bones (probably squirrel or rabbit), and what looked like a curved beak. Likely this is where eagles roost and drop their trash. On the way out we saw a white egret, probably a snowy egret, fishing below the dam.
We walked along the shore of the lake where there's some shade. The weather was mild with a cool breeze off the lake, making for a delightful walk. I saw wild grape vines (probably riverbank), goldenrod, jewelweed in bloom (the orange kind), and various other plants.
We saw two large turtles basking on a log. Lots of dragonflies and damselflies hovered over a stretch of water, along with water striders. I heard a frog jump in, but didn't see what kind.
It's been a good day.