Hurdman in early June

It was back to work on June 2nd, and the following day I visited Hurdman Park at lunch. It was a beautiful early summer day, and I was looking forward to seeing what insects were flying and whether any new birds had returned. I heard my first Great Crested Flycatcher and saw my first Cedar Waxwings of the year at this location, and found a female Wood Duck with a brood of nine small ducklings on the river. The usual breeding birds were still making themselves known through song, including Warbling Vireos, a male Baltimore Oriole, several American Redstarts and even a couple of Gray Catbirds.

It was the insects, however, that made the outing interesting. I was glad to see that a variety of species were present, including a couple of colourful beetles and one unusual dragonfly.