And the heat goes on… This morning at 6:10 it was a crisp 74 degrees with a lot of clouds and a little (very warm) wind. The sunshine was intermittent at first but gained a solid foothold by the end of the outing.
Today’s walk was more productive, photographically, than it was yesterday. A number of birds were accommodating enough to pose for a picture or two. On the right is a Flicker who seemed quite interested in the branch he was working on. When I arrived at the fishing pond my favorite Barn Swallow “Barney” was at his usual station on the reminder sign for pet owners to collect the droppings of their pets. I’m not sure if Barney is the enforcer of this policy, though if he is, he is not doing a very good job. At any rate I couldn’t resist taking another photo of him. Further down the trail I spotted a pair of Red-tail Hawks perched on one of the far too many power poles cutting through the park. They were too far away to shoot but I did come across an American Kestrel who was perched unusually close to the earth and I did get a decent shot of him/her.
Today’s featured image (above) is a shot of a wildflower called, if Google is telling me the truth, Asian Pigeonwings. I did a little reading on the plant and found that it is used medicinally as a brain function enhancer. I think I will go back and pick some up.
Whisper and I did pass by the heron nest early on and found only a single occupant nestled in the nest. This must be that one child who refuses to leave home and makes his parent’s lives miserable. We will keep an eye on his progress.
Sightings:
Birds: Osprey, Starlings, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Flicker, Cormorants, Swallows, Kingbirds, Barn Swallow, American Kestrel, Red-Tail Hawks, Mallard Ducks
Critters: Mule Deer, Squirrel
Gear: Nikon D5100, 55-200mm, Lumix GX-85, 100-300mm
American Kestrel at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado 
Barn Swallow at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado