Sora

Maria and I were birding the Stu Visser Trail, and she was looking at a Swamp sparrow, which is a small brown bird that often forages in dark, swampy places, hopping from branch to branch, moving every 2 or 3 seconds. And, while doing this, she spotted a Sora, which skulks about even more than the Swamp sparrow. Soras are plump with thick yellow bills and broad striped sides, near the size of a large robin. She quickly motioned me over and I got a quick glimpse before it disappeared into the dank undergrowth. It's not a bird one sees every day, but mostly because it is so secretive, not because it is uncommon. It was a FOY (first of year) bird for both of us.

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning with blue, blue sky, warm sunshine, cool air, no bugs and lots of colorful birds, the most striking of which was a male Baltimore oriole, easily seen at the top of a small tree right along the trail. The orange and black colors were breath-takingly rich and stunning against the deep blue sky.