R: American Robin.
Today I was SO HAPPY TO GET OUTSIDE. I’ve been in tech all week for my show this weekend, so this was my first time outside since Sunday, and it FELT SOOOOO GOOOOD. That park air was FLIPPIN’ DELICIOUS. Walked through the Monarch Bear Grove, Secret Gardens, and the Oak Woodlands.
Helps to have everything so refreshed and happy with the recent rains. Everything looks amazing. And there are more fungi out there than I have time to talk about.
At least, tonight. Hooboy, is it late. So, just some highlights! That Say’s Phoebe is still hanging at the ballfield! Ruby-crowned Kinglets follow me everywhere. New this Fall: Common Bird’s Nest Fungus, Fairy Parachutes (I think!), Velvet Foot, Scurfy Twiglets, Hairy Curtain Crust, perhaps newtome Ruby Dapperling (?), and Shaggy Parasols. It was SO NICE to see all these familiar fungi!!
Ok, quickish note on the Great Horned Owls of the East. I checked in on the owl nursery on my way to the Oak Woodlands Trail, and no owl was there. Continued on, planning to return on my way back to try and hear/find them. And, HOOTING. From BOTH. About an hour and a half EARLY. I couldn’t believe the time. Pa Owl sounded like he has a cold again. And they happened to be in a newtome place in the Secret Gardens! Pa Owl was in a euc, and Ma Owl was on a low Monterey Cypress tree branch nearby.
There were two separate women who had each seen one of the owls before I could spot them, so they kindly pointed them out to me. The two hooted back and forth for some time! And soon, some Steller’s Jays started coming over to give them hell about it. Was it because Pa Owl is sick that they started hooting so early? I’ve never heard a pair duet hooting THAT EARLY. NEVER.
After completing the Oak Woodlands Trail (for The Book) and noting SO MANY DANG FUNGI, MY GAWD, I hurried back to where the Secret Gardens meets the Lily Pond area. And they were still hooting!
Ma Owl had moved to a small tree opposite the trail from where she’d been. And Pa Owl had moved closer to where she was previously. They were SO CLOSE and SO LOW to the trail there. Other random folks stopped to watch and enjoy them.
Then Pa Owl flew off and headed North. Ma Owl took her sweet time on a different tree, then she followed him. Like she does. Owl photos below for the owl fans.
Wish I could stay up to write more details and thoughts I had. But, yeah. Ya do what ya can.
The Afternoon Naturalist 