Lafayette park

I’m often struck by how easy it would be to miss many of the birds I see. This morning in Lafayette Park I found a very early Black-throated Green Warbler because I took the shorter of two paths to the entrance near where I park. The bird paused on a branch in front of me for about 20 seconds before flying to a conifer and losing itself in the branches. He was a bright little reminder that these tiny neotropical migrants are on their way.

I saw more flickers than in recent weeks (they were calling incessantly, and 2 females were foraging side by side at the base of a pine), and sapsuckers seemed to be in every tree. Both kinglets were present. An immature Cooper’s Hawk made several passes overhead.

A plant (no doubt considered a weed) in the lawn near the Missouri Street entrance has been blooming for several days and is drawing the sparrows. There was a herd of them browsing amidst its purple flowers this morning, as there was two days ago—mostly juncos, along with a few Song, Fox, and Field Sparrows. There were 4 or 5 towhees in Lafayette this morning, and either there were 2 singing or one was singing a variation on his song. I know so little about birdsong, so don’t know whether the presence of at least 1 female prompted the singing.

My first Hermit Thrush of the Saint Louis area this year was in the hedge near the Missouri Street entrance, and a Brown Thrasher was on the hill near the small pond. Two phoebes were showing interest in each other on the west side of the park

Forest Park

I took the short route to and from the office and so didn’t check on the sparrows over by the Victorian footbridge, but was able to look in on the martins—at least 5 are now at the nest box, and this afternoon they were singing their hearts out.