I went to Central city park today. There were Common grackle drinking water from the fountain, House sparrows chirping, doves and mockingbirds sitting on the powerlines. At the end of Lower Poplar Street in the huge wetland, I had Blue winged teal and Mallards swimming in the water. Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted sandpiper, Solitary sandpiper, Least sandpiper and Wilson's snipe working the edges of the wetland. Barn, Northern rough winged and Tree swallows flying overhead. A flock of Canada goose resting in the middle of the large field. Palm and Yellow rumped warblers calling from the isolated trees in the field. Three Little blue herons were chasing each other around in the water. On the way out, I flushed a Common ground dove from the railroad tracks. On the interstate on the way home, I saw a Cooper's hawk perching on the powerline.

This weekend I got to bird the yard for a while off and on over the 4 day weekend, which was nice. We had a Pine siskin come to the bird feeders with some American goldfinches and some Purple finches. On Sunday my dad and I went fishing and I was able to see and hear a few birds. We had about four Wood ducks come in and land in the pond. There were already some Canada geese in one of the ponds and a Great blue heron flew in while we were there. Some American coots were in the back foraging in the weeds. We had a small kettle of raptors which included a Cooper's hawk and a few Turkey vultures. Two Yellow bellied sapsuckers flew in and started pecking on the trees while a few Eastern bluebirds grabbed food from the ground. A huge flock of blackbirds flew in and landed in the trees in the horse pasture, while a Sharp shinned hawk zipped by us. When we were loading up the boat there were some birds feeding on the berries, which were a Blue jay and House finches. A Northern mockingbird was displaying on the ground. We heard to laughing of a Pileated woodpecker a few times while out in the middle of the water.

While watching the feeder for a bit yesterday, a few Purple finches came in as well as an Eastern towhee. Then my enemy appeared, a squirrel. I quickly ran outside and first noticed a kettle of about fifty Turkey vultures riding the thermals. Then I missed shooting the squirrel and it ran away. There was one American goldfinch at the thistle feeder. The goldfinches are costing me a fortune because they drain out the thistle feeder in two days! I could see an American robin in the background behind the feeders. Then six Mourning doves flew in and feasted at the ground feeder. After that thing slowed down at the feeding station. At dusk a few Northern cardinals came in, but after that it was bedtime for the birds!

With the alarm clock going off this morning to get up for work, I glanced out the window by the feeders and noticed a few American goldfinches on the thistle feeder. Then it was off to work. When I got home I finally got to watch the feeders for a while. Right when I got to the window, there was a lone Mourning dove and a few Northern cardinals with a Carolina chickadee and a Tufted titmouse coming in to steal a seed for a quick second. Later on, a Common grackle and a immature male Red winged blackbird made and appearance along with a Yellow rumped and Pine warbler. A Brown headed nuthatch creeped along the tree trunk to grab a seed from the ground. Then the Downy woodpecker came in for a snack of the suet cake. A lone Chipping sparrow was at the ground feeder with a White throated sparrow. Some House finches flew in and roosted in the tree, but didn't come to the feeders.