Bona Dea Update

The day was sunny and windy and warmer. Storm front was approaching. The first Spring thunderstorm with lightening of the season. This photo was taken of the approaching storm and showing the Nucleur Power Plant's black steam rising into the sky. There were some Cormorants and Pied-billed Grebe ducks on Lake Dardanelle. Some Turkey Vultures were flying around and just a few Gulls. American Crows flying over the lake and park. On Swinging Bridge Trail there was the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Woodpecker in the trees and a Tufted Titmouse close to it. It must have been to windy for the Flycatcher birds to be doing their thing, flying around catching insects. Speaking of insects. At the spillway there is a Wood Duck nest box on a tree. In the nest box there were Wasps making a nest. This photo is of one outside the box and 2 inside. They are Paper Wasps, Polistes fuscatus metricus for you scientific folks. They do sting pretty good if you disturb them. I did not. The gnats were swarming some. The basking turtles were out taking in the sun as the weather was some warmer. The female nesting goose is still on her nest with the mate in the water close by. Other pairs of Canadian Geese were flying and landing in Black Water Swamp and Waldon Pond. I have not seen the aligator this year but heard reports its was seen a couple of weeks ago somewhere in the park. When I got home there were Northern Cardinals and Robins flying around. They will be nesting in the area soon.