We went to P’s tp check on noisy brakes.  After getting the diagnosis we watched a Northern Cardinal show off at the bird feeder.

“Don’t I look pretty!”

“Do you have a signed Model Release?”

“It looks like there is some food down there.”

“I know that there are some other birdies around here, but I am prettiest.”

We took the Old Still River Rd home and saw this Chestnut Sided Warbler

Some sort of moth on  yet to bloom, Thalictrum, Meadow Rue.

I broke one of my rules in shooting feeder birds, but that Northern Cardinal and Common Grackles were quite special.

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This is a continuation of today’s earlier post recording my adventures on Wednesday.

One the way back from Burwash, I saw some nice displays along the side of the road…

A bunch of unpronounceable Sisyrinchium angustifolium, member of the Iris family.

and a very early example of Yellow Hawkweed in a hot microclimate.

While stopping to observe a beaver eating a maple branch at a roadside pond ( just east of the Grundy Lake park entrance), I noticed a critter in the grass.

American Bittern in classic pose.  I heard its ca-klunk  sound.  You can hear that sound by clicking on this link.

Then I saw something that I’d never seen before … a  male Bittern in mating display…

A hundred feet away was the hen…

Here are the two, top right, mid left.

I looked for a while to get that link of a male Bittern in Display.

I found it at at author Mary Holland’s Naturally Curious blog.  A great resource.  I am pleased that I found it.

Then I just had to get a pic of the Canadian Beaver nibbling on its maple branch.

Moving to the east, the yellow waterlilies were emerging

And this turtle obliged by giving a nice 1/3 focus point in this nice reflective scene.

This time, a fly contemplating yellow:

Further east we say an inbound beaver carrying brush passing an outbound beaver traveling light.

The object of the beavers’ work.  4 were on the job.

The lookout gave the warning!

Then this beaver came back with another load …

and dove to continue the job of plugging  up the culvert.

A hundred feet away this tree is still standing, having been girdled several weeks ago.   If there is a strong North Wind it will block the highway.

On the way home we stopped to observe dragonflies

and see the last of the marsh marigolds

and the first of the Canada Anemone:

And this little racing striped rodent eating juniper seeds.

A full day!