National Audubon Society Scientists at My Preserve

Yours truly, second from right

Inexplicably, the National Audubon Society's Science Office is located in a nondescript office park a few miles from my preserve.  Despite its proximity, our preserve has no dealings with the folks in the Science Office.  However, several top ornithologists in the Science Office were in town for a meeting and asked the president of the local Audubon chapter for a good place to bird while they were here.  Naturally, the chapter president recommended my preserve.  Since some participants were from parts of the country where meadow-nesting Bobolinks do not occur, the ornithologists and I set off on Tuesday morning to try our luck in our native grasslands, but the birds, here last week, had moved on to locations further north.  Warblers were still abundant, though, and these professional ornithologists left satisfied. 

(Bald) eagle watch (me again)

After the group finished walking, the president of the Audubon chapter and I repositioned ourselves with his telescope to try to see the Bald Eagle nest in the preserve.  We saw at least one eaglet in the nest.  There may have been two eaglets, but the nest was partially obscured by deciduous branches, so we couldn't be sure how many birds were present.  Neither of the parent birds was in evidence; the parents must have determined that the young had grown large enough not to be threatened by predators, so both could leave the nest to seek food.

Perfect Summer Meadows

Took another walk in "our" natural area after dinner and just before sunset last evening. This time, we sauntered through an old farm that has been planted with wildflowers and native grasses to create diverse grasslands that will attract meadow-nesting birds. While the meadows have not yet attracted any of the meadow-nesting birds (except Red-winged Blackbirds), they are spectacularly beautiful this time of year, with a profusion of wildflowers growing amidst luxurious stands of magenta purpletop (Tridens flavus) and russet Indian-grass (Sorghastrum nutans).

At one point, as we rounded a corner in the mowed trail through the tall grasses, we were startled by a group of about 30 migrating Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) that ascended noisily en mass from their hiding place in the grass, flew a few dozen feet, and then disappeared back into the grass.

Summer returns on Sunday with 90+ temperatures and high humidity each day through at least Thursday. It's been wonderful to enjoy this late summer reprieve for the last few days.