Southboro Stops

This morning, I stopped at 3 places I don't often visit in Southboro.

Rural Cemetery (Route 85):

It was pretty quiet bird-wise in the cemetery because the DPW was doing spring cleanup, and mowing and buzzing are not conducive to seeing birds.

Baltimore Oriole

Middle Road (along Sudbury Reservoir Trail):

I caught a distant glimpse of the Canada goose family that I saw on Parkerville Road the other day.  I couldn't get a count of the babies without binoculars, but hope they are all still doing well.  A mute swan also swam gracefully through the water here.  Another distant view held two Double Crested Cormorants out on a rock in the middle of the water.  A hawk (I think it's a red-tailed) circled overhead, and a Baltimore Oriole and a House Wren sang in the trees.

Fayville Park (Central Street):

I thought I might see something interesting in the trees along the reservoir, but never made it off the playing field because I was distracted by barn swallows.  I tried and tried to take photos of them as they swooped towards me and sometimes flew right over my head.  I need a lot more practice to speed up my reaction time, and of course, I had to stop and get to work!

 Barn Swallow

(The only swallow with a deeply forked tail)

Meanwhile, back at home, my resident female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was sitting a long time on the shepherd's hook that holds its feeder.  Such a cooperative model, especially in contrast to the Barn Swallows!  While I was snapping photos of her, she stuck out her tongue!  I was so mesmerized by the sight of it that I didn't take a single photo while it happened!  I hope she does it again so that I get a 2nd chance!

Also, a small, gray-brown House Wren was singing a beautiful song at the top of the neighbor's brush pile.