One Morning in Spring

The doldrums of the past week have to be shaken off. Once again the price of gasoline soared to ridiculous heights thereby making trips to my favorite birding haunts economically unfeasible.

But I have to go birding. What's more I need the exercise. So off to Whitter Narrows I went Wednesday morning. It was a beautiful day with just a touch of nippiness to make long hikes pleasant.

I started off at the Whitter Narrows Nature Center where I immediately saw an Allen's Hummingbird enjoying the morning sun. 

The Lesser Goldfinches were also busy having breakfast. 

Other than the usual House Finches and Butterbutts, I didn't see much of anything else.


At the Legg Lake area, there were more birds variety-wise but still nothing unusual. What got my attention was the Great Blue Herons building nests high on the treetops. The male would bring in some broken off branches from somewhere, give it to the female who then sticks it in to the nest platform. 

The Cormorants likewise were building their nest - sometimes on the same tree as the Herons.

The duck population were now down to the native Mallards, a few Northern Shovelers and one or two Cinnamon Teals.
Herons and Cormorants nesting and wintering ducks almost gone, it must be spring.