Wind (current)

Aug 15th - An Update Of What's Happened So Far

I should first remind everyone visiting the park with binoculars, cameras, and other expensive equipment to keep it all close at hand.  Yesterday it was brought to my attention that one of the photographers recently had his bag of camera equipment stolen while he was up near the rose gardens taking photos.  The thief ran out of the gate in that corner of the park and across the street to the apartement building on Glen Everest.   This is likely not the first time and likely not the last time that this will happen unfortunately!  It also could happen elsewhere throughtout the park so be careful.  And for anyone new to Rosetta McClain Gardens please do not be scared away from visiting as this beautiful garden park is filled with wonderfully kind-hearted people 99.9% of the time!

Well it should go without saying but as everyone knows it's been Hellish hot to start-off our hawk watching season so it should be no surprise to anyone that we've only seen 5 raptors so far.  My visits to the park have been few and far between and for the most part short as well.  Things should start to pick up over the next couple of weeks.

The following is what we've seen so far...

Raptor Species:
Northern Harrier (1), Broad-winged Hawk (1), American Kestrel (2), and Merlin (1)

Local Raptor Species:
Turkey Vulture (8), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Red-tailed Hawk (2-3), and Merlin (1)

Other Bird Species:
Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal

Butterfly Species:
Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Cabbage White, Eastern Tailed Blue, Summer Azure, Monarch, White Admiral, Viceroy, Great Spangled Fritillary, American Lady, Red Admiral, Eastern Comma, Silver-spotted Skipper, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Fiery Skipper, and Peck's Skipper

Monarch Tagging:
5 Monarchs have been captured, weighed, measured, tagged, and released

Mammals:
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and Eastern Cottontail

My thanks to all of those who have reported in with their sightings and experiences.

See you at the park!
Walter

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