Unhappy fish
The heat and humidity have returned to central Virginia. I headed over to the pond behind The Lodge to see if herons might still be there. The water was even lower than yesterday, and a bulldozer was pushing dirt along one side of the pond. It was difficult to watch frogs and fish flopping about and trying to survive in very shallow water, but I understand there was little that the work crew could do about that. At least some birds are taking advantage of an easy food source. There was one Green Heron when I arrived there, keeping its distance from the bulldozer, but enjoying the feast.
Unhappy fish
Green Heron
Green Heron
I then headed over to Western Park. A juvenile Cooper's Hawk took off, and was soon followed by a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk.
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Common Yellowthroat
Barn Swallow
Next stop was the trail alng the golf course pond, where I saw another Green Heron.
Green Heron
Indigo Bunting
I saw an American Goldfinch and a House Finch at a feeder along Golf Drive. The House Finch was the reddest one I think I have ever seen. Its cheek was reddish rather than gray, the red on its breast extended all the way down into its undertail coverts, there were reddish tones on its back and wing coverts, and there was very little brown streaking on its flanks. If its stubby bill didn't have a curved culmen, I woul have thought it to be a Purple Finch, but they aren't here in the summer. I am not aware of House Finches hybirdizing with Purple Finches, so I assume that it was a House Finch with extreme color variation.
American Goldfinch and House Finch
House Finch
House Finch