More from a Hot Week

These are more photos from last week. This week is turning out to be wet and stormy. We are watching out for a possible hit by Tropical Storm Henri on the weekend as the finale.

Last week was really hot and even the birds seemed to slowed a bit by the oppressive heat and humidity. But a Least Sandpiper knew a nice dip in a big puddle was just the right thing.

Shorebirds are continuing to stop for a time during their migration. There was a huge flock at the North Pool on the refuge, at least until a Peregrine Falcon visited. This is just a small part of the ensuing chaos.

There are also large flocks of Tree Swallows that number in the thousands.

Here’s a Tree Swallow flying over the water to grab a drink on a hot day.

There weren’t many birds to photograph after the falcon dispersed the shorebirds so I was easily distracted by the dragonflies that were buzzing around us. It was a real challenge to get one of these guys as they zipped around. This shot took a lot of time and memory card space to get!

Ospreys are still here.

If you or a friend think you are a good fisherman, forget it.

But this Double-crested Cormorant was happy to gobble up minnows.

The shorebirds returned later. These are a Semipalmated Sandpiper chasing a White-rumped Sandpiper off the mud bank, a White-rumped Sandpiper flying and Short-billed Dowitcher in flight. Yes, there is a Long-billed Dowitcher with a slightly longer bill but it isn’t very common in this area.

I have some nice photos of Marsh Wrens from years past. But they are very secretive and you often only hear them in the reeds. I finally got a quick view of one this year. This is a typical view of a Marsh Wren.