A Rainy Hammond Pond

Green Heron

 Last night we had dinner by Hammond Pond and the Eastern Kingbirds and a Spotted Sandpiper that I manage to make out enticed me to stop by the pond again this morning on my way to work. But this time I came prepared with binoculars and a rain jacket.

When I arrived there was a nice light rain that certainly wasn't slowing down the avian life at the pond. I very quickly saw a group of Least Sandpipers and a single Spotted Sandpiper that flew up close to my vantage point. (I was having trouble making out the yellow legs of the Least, but based on plumage I'm pretty sure they were Leasts. I was realizing that I've been started to depend on zooming in on pictures to help identifications. But there easily could have been other peeps around too). After I got tired of staring at the peeps to see if anything other than a Least might be mixed in, a Solitary Sandpiper came to join the party (solitary indeed).  Through the rain I focused on what I thought were stumps or sticking

Spotted Sandpiper

up out of the water. Those logs ended up revealing themselves into lazy, snoozing Double-crested Cormorants and I was able to spot the white facial markings on 2 distant Wood Ducks and every time I turned around there seemed to be another Green Heron!

As for passerines the going was a little slower. Catbirds were pretty ubiquitous around the pond. Snippets of songs and calls gave away the presence of Black-capped Chickadees, a Downy, Blue jays, Goldfinches, and an American Crow. I thought I may have heard a Hairy Woodpecker and some Cedar Waxwings, but I just couldn't be sure. A Grackle was working the shoreline but my favorite passerine was a Common Yellowthroat who

Great Blue Heron

popped up by the vernal pool to investigate me. I was hoping a few more migrants might be around, but they easily could have been laying low in the rain.

The rain was starting to let up as a Great Blue Heron made his entrance to start stalking the mudflats. I took this as a sign that perhaps I could brave the camera for a few shots. After a minute or so, a Green Heron flew directly at me, and for a normally skittish creature, seemed to be posing for me (top picture).



P.S. I also checked on the two orchids I found back in the spring and they are still there and doing well, though without their conspicuous flowers. I was glad to know that they haven't been disturbed.