Bona Dea flood Update

Bona Dea was really flooded today,Thursday. It had rained almost 3 inches last night and this morning. You could not get to the spillway on Swinging Bridge Trail or around to the South side of the park. The pumping station was working full time but was not taking out the water that was going in to the park. This photo shows Waldon Way Trail at the north end. I did take some wildflower pics. The blueish long cluster flower is an Indian Tobacco plant then one of the leaves of the same plant taken on the pumping station trail. The yellow wildflower is a Common Tickseed which was taken by the pumping station. Also on Black Water Swamp at the Bird Blind was a mother Wood Duck and her 2 young ones. Also all along all the trails are Privet bush plants which I have in my yard and in a lot of yards in this part of the country which produces a very thick hedge and grows very fast. They have the white flowers and then dark blue or black berries later on. The Red Wing Blackbirds were in the swamp as well as the Eastern Kingbirds. A watersnake was seen at the head of Swinging Bridge trail in a place where it normally is dry land. Also small fish fry were swimming in area that are usually above water. There were some Gray Squirrels roaming around where they could find a dry spot. A Great Blue Heron wading bird landed in the flooded area where I took the photo then flew off when it saw me.

Bona Dea Alligator, Woodpecker Update

Bona Dea was mostly sunny turning cloudy late. On Swinging Bridge Trail there was a really big Pileated Woodpecker and actually several others in the area playing around each other. This photo shows a male in the top of a dead tree. The Brim fish were fed at the spillway and also for the first time I have ever seen a catfish in there with them. It is usually a bottom feeder and has long whiskers that can really stick you bad. It ate some of the food pellets too. Also the small Musk Turtles have come back in force this year and some came and ate some pellets. I tried to catch them but had no luck. They come close to the bank. Several American Crows were flying around as were the Belted Kingfisher birds. One landed in the water close to me and grabbed a fish for supper. The Eastern Kingbirds were flying around the island in Waldon Pond. A Tufted Titmouse bird flew in a tree close by. Over on Beaver Trail and on Waldon Way Trail was a family of Wood Ducks with 5 babies. The photo shows them a close family. The Alligator was spotted again today. Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays were flying around the park. Also by the pumping station several Scissor Tail Flycatchers were flying and landing on the power lines. They have really long tails.

Bona Dea Alligator Update

Bona Dea was partly cloudy and mild today, Tuesday. At the spillway I fed the Brim fish and Red Eared Slider Turtle. At the downside of the spillway a Yellow/Plain Bellied Watersnake was playing in the waterfall. It saw me and started to get away and I took this photo of it going under the spillway. A pair of Belted Kingfisher birds were flirting with each other on Waldon Pond. Also a big Pileated Woodpecked landed close by and started to really hammer on a tree. There was a variety of yellow Warbler flying through the underbrush. Could not Identify but it was pretty. On Swinging Bridge Trail I once again saw the Yellow billed Cuckoo bird. A photo shows it up high in a tree. A Green Heron and some Wood Ducks flew over Waldon Pond. Once again the famous Alligator was spotted. It had been sleeping and woke up about the time I got there. You can see in one of the photos its wide open mouth showing its very big tongue. There were young Carolina Chickadee birds in a tree with their parents feeding them. Several Northern Cardinals were in this area. Close to the Cuckoo bird I took this photo of a Morbid Owlet Moth. There were several of them flying close to the ground. I then moved over to Beaver Trail by Black Water Swamp and saw Muskrats again over there. A Downy Woodpecker was pecking away and flew over close to me and then quickly flew off. On down the trail there was the pair of really beautiful Baltimore Oriole birds. The male with sold bright orange color. Also many Redwing Blackbirds in the Swamp bushes. A big Great Blue Heron flew over the swamp. Also a Carolina Wren was running up and down the trees in the area. Also a female Common Pond Dragonfly was flying around. On the way out on Waldon Way Trail there was a family of Wood Ducks with babies. They were too far off and behind water bushes and the photos were not good. Also across the trail on the other side was the Brown Thrasher male sitting high in the trees just singing away. They usually don't do this mimicking of other birds like a Mockingbird but this one was seen and heard in another area of the park some weeks ago. This photo is off it in the distance with its head held high as if proud to be singing today.

Bona Dea Muskrat Update

Bona Dea was mostly sunny and warmer today. The water had receded quite a bit today. They were no longer pumping water out of the park. The spillway was still running but you could get around the park on all the trails without getting wet. On Waldon Pond there was a Muskrat swimming around. These look like regular rats put like to take to the water. There were a lot of Northern Cardinal pairs out today. A big Pileated Woodpecker landed in a tree close to where I was feeding the Brim fish. Its call is really loud when you are standing close to it. Eastern Kingbirds were flying around the island on Waldon Pond where the Muskrat was seen. Yesterday I went over to Beaver Trail on the east side of Black Water Swamp and the Redwing blackbirds were all over the bushes in the water.The water was pretty high in the swamp. They have put the culvert in on Waldon Way trail to drain water better between the swamp and Waldon Pond. Also a culvert in where they are building the new access road to the pumping station. At the pumping station today and yesterday was the Eastern Phoebe bird and the Cliff Swallows. They must be finding a lot of insects over Prairie Creek at the station. There was a lot of debris washed down to the retaining screen at the station from all the recent rain.

Flooded waters on Prairie Creek by Big Bridge

Bona Dea Heron, Snake,Insects, Flood Update

Bona Dea had about 2.5 inches of rain last night. The park was flooded to the extent you could not walk all the trails. I have a video posted above showing the flood waters on Prairie Creek by the Big Bridge. Also a photo here of a young man deciding to walk into the flooded waters on the trail. He said it did not look too bad and then ended up waste deep. Hope he didn't drown or get eaten by the Alligator. Also a photo of a plain or yellow bellied watersnake by the Big Bridge. Also some photos of a blue male and green female Common Pondhawk Dragonflies and then a female Common Whitetail Dragonfly. All and landed on the Big Bridge. Also a photo of a Northern Pearly-eye Butterfly on a tree trunk by the Big Bridge. At the bridge there were 2 Muskrats carrying green water weeds to their den. They disappeared under water to the den before I could photo them. There were pretty Purple or Lavender wildflowers in that area by the trail. A photo of one. You also had to wade too deep water to get over Swinging Bridge Trail as you can tell by a photo showing the pool of water in the trail. But right at that spot was a Green Heron in the bushes at the water's edge. You can tell by the photo that it was really giving me a bad look. On Beaver Trail by Black Water Swamp this photo shows the basking turtles coming out after the rain and after the sun started coming out. In that area there was a pretty Baltimore Oriole male in the top of a tall tree just singing away. He few off before I could find him to photo. Also Tufted Titmouse and Cardinals and Blackwing blackbirds were in this area. By the pumping station there was a Eastern Phoebe bird sitting on the fence. This photo shows it with a tail that it keeps moving up and down as one of their characteristics. The Cliff Swallows were still at the pumping station. Also some Scissor Tail Flycatchers, 3 of them were flying in this area. They have real long double tails as seen in this photo of one taken earlier this year.

Bona Dea Kingbird, Redwing Blackbird Update

Bona Dea was partly cloudy and not as humid today. Rain expected tonight. I first went to the spillway to feed the fish and saw a family of Canadian Geese in Prairie Creek. I saw the Indigo Bunting birds on Swinging Bridge Trail and some Eastern Kingbirds in Waldon Pond. I then went over on Beaver Trail and things were more active over there. I saw several Redwing Blackbirds. This is a photo of a pretty male with the red spots on its wings. Also in same spot were some Eastern Kingbirds. These are the 2 photos showing the white breast. Also over on Waldon Pond there was a really big Great Blue Heron wading bird. You can see it was really standing up for me to the take pic. There was a Muskrat in Black Water Swamp off Beaver Trail but it went under the water and disappeared before I could take its photo. There were Bluejay birds and Northern Cardinals all over the park. Also some flocks of Boat-tailed Grackles flying around. They are big blackbirds. Also of note is that the next of Northern Cardinals behind my house must have hatched as I saw the empty egg shells when I mowed the yard the other day. They are a sky blue in color. Also at the same spot that we heard the Brown Thrasher bird about a month ago, I heard either it or a Mockingbird singing away in the top of a very tall tree but never saw the bird. On the way out on the trail I saw a butterfly and these 2 photos shows it to be perhaps a Mexican Bluewing but this ID could change later.