Bona Dea Update

Bona Dea was sunny and cool today, Saturday. At the South end of the Swinging Bridge Trail next to Prairie Creek, there were several Downy Woodpeckers being real noisy pecking away for food. Small gleaning birds and some Acadian Flycatchers were with the woodpeckers. Also Robin birds were flocking together all over the park. Great Blue Herons were in several spots. Fox Squirrels are beginning to show up more than usual. The Grey Squirrels far out number the Reddish Fox types. However in urban residential areas the opposite is true. At the Big Bridge over Prairie Creek looking upstream to the South, I saw Mallard Ducks and Wood Ducks mingling together and foraging in the mud areas along the creek. These 3 photos shows the grouping. The 3 wood ducks, 2 females and 1 male, can be seen at the very top of the photos. The female and male Mallards are the ones below them and closest to the camera. I noticed yesterday when I took an exercise walk, something I have never seen before at the park. I had always noticed a mound that looked like a Native American burial mound or some kind of human dirt construction but never walked over and inspected. Well I did yesterday and got quite a surprise. I saw this brick ring just laying over on its side. I could not figure out what it was. There were thorn bushes and small trees and vines all around the area. I walked behind and up on a small dirt mound and again to my surprise I saw a big hole in the ground. Then bingo, I realized that this was a Hand Dug Water Well for some residence long ago. So today I took the camera and took the photo of the brick ring that is actually the protective wall that all such wells have. But it would stand upright on top of the well hole. The other photo is looking down into the well hole. It is probably about 4 feet deep as it has been filled close to the top. It am sure it was pretty deep when in use. The hole is about 2 feet in diameter and the diameter of the outside of the brick protective wall about 4 feet. Also the well hole is lined with brick that you can make out in the hole photo. I have seen these type wells in the Ozark Mountains of this state where my Ancestors used to live. I know of 2 of them on their former properties. They are lined with natural stone and have no remaining protective walls. Also close by were some Blue Mistflower wildflowers. This is a photo of some of the blooms.I walked over the deer trail between the spillway and Serpendipity Trail and saw 2 White Tail deer walking in the Creek and then crossing it to disappear into the thick woods over by the water well site. Could not get a photo shot.