Bona Dea Update

Today Bona Dea was under seige by rainfall and cold. I went to the Gazebo at the eastern parking area to stay dry. But I did not have to go out as the birds literally came to me. I was not there but less than an hour and I saw all varieties. A Northern Flicker woodpecker flew in to a tree close by. Then in the same general area a Downy Woodpecker flew in and not long after a Red-bellied Woodpecker landed in a tree. Quite a site to see these birds close together at one place. On the ground were Robins, Northern Cardinals and woodland sparrows consisting of: White-throated, Field and Fox Sparrows. All of them forging on the ground. The Fox Sparrows forge a little different in that they scratch continously on the ground looking for food. Also Black-eyed Juncos were flying around and landing all over the place looking for ground food. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher flew in with the Juncos at one point. I left and was going home when I passed by Lake Dardanelle and first saw a flight of 4 Double-crested Cormorants flying in a diamond formation. Very neat to see. Then I saw 3 of them on the old snag. I turned around and decided to go to the Swinging Bridge Trail area. Since it was raining, I thought I would see some ducks. Down by the old bridge I did run off a flock of Bluewinged Teal Ducks. Their wings are pretty when they are flying. I saw the same pair of Canadian Geese at the same spot I saw yesterday. They will be nesting someplace close soon. A bushtit or some similiar small grayish/white bird was flying around and some Acadian Flycatchers with it. They were getting into the heavy cover of a pine tree to get out of the rain. No turtles out sunning themselves today for sure. On the way out, I was looking up and around for more birds and I saw what I thought was an Owl of some kind perched in a tree in the woods. I got closer and saw that it was a Great-Blue Heron. This is a long-legged water bird that I have talked about before. But I don't think I have seen one actually perched high in a tree before. Last and maybe least I wanted to show what was happening in this area in the plants area since some trees and bushes and weeds are starting to flower. At Bona Dea and all over town there are the earliest weeds growing in yards and fields. They are Henbit. They have small purple flowers on spindly stalks and thick folage. These are what makes people start mowing their yards the first time of the year. See photo of some in my yard. Also all over town are beautiful flowering trees. I took pickures of the Bradford Pear Tree at a local Burger King Resturant shown here. There are some white flowering trees at Bona Dea but these are White Dogwoods and are smaller usually but the ones at Bona Dea are old and therefore bigger. Also in yards in town and at my house are Quince Bushes. These have small pretty red flowers and the photo here is one in my front yard. I have one in the back yard that is mixed with a yellow Forsythia Bush. They are growing together and look like the other photo here.