Meanwhile, Back at Mead...

I finally had a short time slot to head out to Mead Botanical Garden and got right at 8 AM. I found a feeding flock of bird almost immediately but the sunrise was directly in back of them and I thought it would be rude to walk on the neighborhood lawns so most of the birds were in deep shadow. The only one that came out to play was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.



Deciding to walk off the trail for a bit, I dove into the wooded area near the creek and soon got to an opening where a Great Blue Heron was soaking up the morning sun. I wanted a head-on shot but he had other ideas and walked the other direction.



To my left, a Great Egret was on a root just above the water and this bird decided to pose nicely.



Up around the pond, a flock of White Ibis fed along the shoreline. Adult and juvenile (pictured) Ibis were busily probing the grass and shallow water for any morsels they could find.



Near the butterfly garden I started to see flocks of warblers streaming toward the marsh. That part of the boardwalk is technically off-limits as it is in disrepair. I still head out there from time to time but it is getting really dicey now. Boards are rotting and plants, like Climbing Hempweed, are taking over the railings.



Just around the next bend an Eastern Phoebe landed ahead of me. I could hear other Phoebes calling in other spots along the marsh.



I finally caught up to the flocks of Myrtle Warblers I was after. They were right where I thought they would be. Chowing down on Wax Myrtle berries that are in big numbers out in the back of the old boardwalk.



It was time to head toward home and on the way I decided to stop by the church ponds to scan for incoming ducks. No new ducks were there but I did have a couple of Palm Warblers that let me walk right up to them for some nice full-frame shots.



A nice batch of birds and fresh air. Now that I have a nice full-time job again I will have limited time to bird like I used to, especially with these shorter days of late Fall. Not a bad problem to have, I guess. The birds will be out there somewhere when I get a chance to visit them.