Bona Dea Update

Bona Dea was sunny early and then cloudy late and very light wind and warmer. There were the usual Robins all over the place. On the way to the parking area along Lake Dardanelle, there was a lone Double-crested Cormorant sitting in the water. Photos in recent previous posts. Farther down to the parking spot there was a single Pied-billed Grebe. This photo is the best one yet of them I have taken at this same spot. It is the small brown duck. On Swinging Bridge Trail there were Turkey Vulchers and Gulls flying all over. I jumped a Pilieated Woodpecker who flew off. He kept making his loud sounds all over that part of the park. Also another smaller woodpecker was heard from time to time. A pair of Mourning Doves few down Prarie Creek to the same tree I had seen a few times before. Don't know why they like to fly to the same spots so often. Flocks of ducks also few overhead. And flocks of the black Grackles were migrating west again. You could hear the Canadian Geese cackeling over on Black Water Swamp. On Goose Pond off swinging bridge trail there were 2 basking turtles on a snag. See photo. Probably either a red-eared slider or common map turtle. Several Bustits were hopping around high in the trees. I took a photo of a racoon footprint on the bank of Prarie Creek under the old Swinging Bridge. I saw old bridge because they have dismantled the bridge. It was getting old and dangerous. Don't know if they plan to replace it or not. Also a photo of a racoon here too. The racoons take their food and wash it in the water. I guess they want it to be clean. On the way out I saw several woodland sparrows either White-throated or Fox Sparrows. The fish were moving around at the top of the water some and would have eaten if I had brought the food.