Eighteen+ people turned out this morning for a walk at Duck Hollow and Lower Nine Mile Run.

Since the weather was getting hot we walked the sunny part first on the Lower Nine Mile Run Trail. Highlights were many red-winged blackbirds and common grackles, a pair of nesting northern mockingbirds, a female orchard oriole carrying food to her nest, and two male indigo buntings. Near the river we found a family of red-bellied woodpeckers feeding young.

At the river we looked for a belted kingfisher (no luck) and found four killdeer. Molting Canada geese cruised the river because they’re in their flightless period. Mallards were molting, too, in eclipse plumage.

As I was getting into my car an osprey hovered over the mouth of Nine Mile Run. Alas, I was the only participant to see it. This photo is not the same osprey but it gives you an idea why I picked him as my own Best Bird of the day.

See our list of birds on eBird here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S90886968.

(outing photo by Kate St. John, osprey hovering photo from Wikimedia Commons )