Bona Dea Update

It had rained 1.13 inches in about 4 hours today. They had not started to pump the water out of Prarie Creek. Since the city of Russellville drains into this area it fill up pretty fast. The creek had backed up into the woods on the south side of the spillway and was up into the spillway. Surprised to not see the Great Blue Heron fishing there as usual when the water is that way. However, the ducks really enjoyed the high water. I saw a flash to my left and looked around and saw a pair of wood ducks land in the creek nearby. The male Wood Duck is probably the prettiest duck around here. They nest in trees. They find a hole in the trunk and hatch their young there. Then the young have to be pushed out by the parents when its time to start swimming. There used to be several wood duck nests put out by people but most have fallen down. A flock of Mallard Ducks took off from the creek to parts unknown. Also flocks of Blue-Teal ducks. I described earlier how fast they fly. They also make a high pitch sound one after the other when they start flying. First photo is of a pair of Wood Ducks and the other is of the Blue Teal pair. This link will let you hear the sound of the Blue Teal in flight. The first part of this sound clip in what they sounded like today. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-winged_Teal/sounds All over the park there were the familiar sounds of the Northern Cardinal calling out to their mates since it is about springtime here. Here is what they sound like: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/sounds While at the spillway some White-throated Sparrows, photo in previous posts, started flying about me. Just real close. I could see several Turkey Vulchers at their roosting post. They were not flying around it as usual but just staying in place. Probably because of so much rain and dampness. On the way to the Park by the local university, in the cow pasture on Hwy 7, there were hundreds of Herring Gulls. Quite a site. Photo of them in another school pasture in a previous post. Some Robins were fluttering around on the ground in the open spaces. While walking on down the Swinging Bridge Trail you could see where Whitetailed Deer had been digging in the ground looking for tender roots. That has to have been the night before. At this spot, a large Gray Squirrl was on the ground hopping about. He did not seem to scared of me. Supprised to see no Cormorants at the snag in Lake Dardanelle for a change.