Eastern Bluebird at BHCL

We had lots to do today, with a high school graduate in the family.  My sister and I did get a quick walk in at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land for an hour or so about 7AM.    We were immediately impressed by the contrast in the amount of birdsong in the morning compared to what we had (not) heard the evening before.

We immediately saw an Eastern Bluebird just outside the birdhouse to the right of the trail just after the parking lot.  It chased off a House Sparrow twice that was getting too close for comfort.

Eastern Bluebird

Indigo Bunting

The above Indigo Bunting was out to torture us.  We heard it singing and spotted it several times, nearly always in bad light, with the sun shining behind it.  Look how close it was here, but no beautiful view of the brilliant coloring.  Just a silhouette....

Cedar Waxwing

Bird species seen:

Baltimore Oriole

Bobolink

Cedar Waxwing

Downy Woodpecker

Gray Catbird

House Sparrow

Indigo Bunting

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Northern Flicker

Northern Mockingbird

Red-Winged Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Butterfly species seen:

Common Ringlet

Little Wood Satyr

Common Ringlet

It was a nice start to a busy day full of sitting and behing indoors.  It'll be nice to get back to a more normal schedule now that graduation has come and gone!  Congratulations, Ashland High School class of 2014!