BY JOHN KARRIGAN
Another month with lots of rain and lots of high water in the park. And various American Bald Eagles near or in the park, from Sept. 3 on. My best in-the-park Eagle sighting was around 6 p.m. on Sept. 10. I saw it approach the park, perch for some minutes in one of the eagle-favorite cottonwood trees, and then take off.
The Cooper’s Hawks were also around most of the month with my strangest sighting being one Cooper’s Hawk, standing in the middle of the street, on 15th Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets. I was afraid something was wrong with the hawk, since one usually does not see them on the street. But this hawk was in fine shape, apparently just enjoying a rain puddle in the middle of the day on Sept. 7.
A couple of days before that, on Sept. 5, a Sandpiper was on the lake, my first and probably not last, fall Sandpiper on the lake for this year. And for the rest of the fall shorebirds, I will hopefully be able to determine exactly what type of Sandpiper or shorebird I am seeing.
The Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons and one Green Heron have been fairly regular for at least the first half of September, and might be around a little longer into October. And Mallards, Wood Ducks, Ring-billed Gulls, and Canada Geese (at least the remaining live ones) are still quite regular park (and lake) visitors and will probably stay until late fall or early winter.
I received a raccoons-in-the-park report in the middle of the month, which I think is great. We used to have regular raccoons in the block and yard for years, but not lately. And I did see one raccoon in an alley a half block east of the park not too long ago. I just saw two raccoons a few days ago but I was 350 miles away at the time. Why was I 350 miles away? Was I hiding from the mob again? I can’t talk about that situation.
I learned about the raccoons just after the fantastic double rainbow easily seen from the park on the evening of Sept. 15.
While I am on the subject of mammals, one of my staff members said I should mention rabbits. Yes, there have been many rabbits in the park and yards this summer, and most are somewhat outgoing and unafraid.
One more park issue and I will get back to birds. The wading pool (or whatever it is called) has been totally destroyed, on purpose, in the last week of September. Hopefully the replacement will be good for the park, the kids and everything else.
Yard birds:
The yard birds are doing well with the addition of a Hairy Woodpecker family and—most exciting of all—one (or more) Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. I, of course, have never seen the bird or birds yet, but my “staff” has seen the birds on three occasions between Sept. 11 and Sept. 19, and I am still hoping to see one. I immediately cleaned and filled the hummingbird feeders after the first sighting.
Another non-bird item:
The Powderhorn Empty Bowls event will be on Friday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the park building (before the scheduled delivery date of the November Phillips/Powderhorn issue of Southside Pride), which is why I’m writing about it now. It is a great neighborhood event for seeing former and new, plus young and old, neighbors, and contributing to a very good cause, feeding the hungry in our neighborhood.
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of Southside Pride. Thank you.
