Bona Dea Update

Bona Dea was partially flooded today. It had rained about 2.14 inches in past 24 hours. The swinging bridge trail was flooded and so was the south area of the park by the big bridge over Prairie Creek. I went over on Beaver Trail off Waldon Way Trail and saw quite a few birds. A lot of basking turtles on the logs in the ponds even though it was a totally cloudy day. On Beaver Trail 2 different and not often seen birds were the Baltimore Oriole and Eastern Phoebe birds. The Oriole is the one in the photo showing an orange breast and the Phoebe the gray and white looking bird. Also several male and female Red Wing Blackbirds. Also some some Carolina Chickadee birds. American Crows were talking to each other in lovers talk. Northern Cardinals were chirping. Also saw more Blue Jay birds than usual. Also at the picnic area by Old Shorty Trail there were 2 Robins really fighting each other. They just kept at it for a long time. On this trail I took photos of the English Ivy vine plant shown here and also Honeysuckle vine plant showing the white flower blooms. Also in this area were several Polk Salad plants. I grew up eating a lot of this stuff. It is poisonous unless you boil it and then get rid of that first boil water. It is very good stuff. This is the green taller plant in the photo. On the trail by the pumping station, I saw another variety of Fleabane wildflower plants. A photo of the small round white blooms and then a photo of them in a larger group. Tree frogs were really hollering out at the park and also at home. The rain makes them sing a lot when it gets darker. Yesterday I saw a small Downy Woodpecker and some sort of flycatcher way off in the distance in the top of a tall tree. No Alligator or snake sightings today. The Poison Ivy and Oak is spreading out all over the park more and more each day. Black Butterflies were out and about yesterday. They would not get close enough or still enough to photo or ID.