Mourning Walk

The skies were overcast this mourning, the lingering effects of yesterday's storms that rolled though our area. Glad to say no serious damage despite pea sized hail and high winds. As I began my walk though the woods I spied my first bird of the mourning, an Inca Dove. Inca Dove populations have increased dramatically over the past ten years in our area with sightings a somewhat common occurrence. There are even a few nesting records.

I continued on trying to find the hawk nest my landlord Robert told me about. A Red-shouldered Hawk flew from the top of an old pine exposing the location of their nest. I'll have to check back often to track the nesting progress and hopefully get a few nice photos.

I heard a Barred Owl calling and spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in some willows by the pond. A few Northern Cardinals, a singing Carolina Wren, a pair of Tufted Titmouse and a lone Red-bellied Woodpecker were the few birds seen in the woods.

I did see plenty of dragonflies though. Some were blue, some green, some single-winged and some double-winged and none of which, I am sad to say, I can identify. There were a number of butterflies in the woods along with the unidentified dragonflies. There were at least six Giant Swallowtails and several other dark-wing swallowtails that would not stop long enough for an I.D. Pearl Crescents were noticeable as were Cloudless Sulphurs and Falcated Orangetips which were joined by single sightings of Gulf Fritillary, Little Wood-Satyr and Horace's Duskywing.