Dupont Open Space and Trail

It's been a long time since I've been on a bird walk with actual birders.  I always know I might not get great pictures, because the other folks in the group are content to see birds through their binoculars or even just hear their songs and calls.  But I also know I'm probably going to learn a lot, so it's worth it.  Today's walk in the Dupont Open Space and Trail organized by our local Wild Birds Unlimited store gave me both.

Wildflowers were my first subjects.  I can always get close enough to them, and they rarely fly away.  Silvery Lupine hadn't yet turned blue.

I didn't even know Wild Asparagus was a thing.

I'd already been eyeing this Upright Blue Beardtongue for a shot, then a Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee paid it a visit.  Two for one!

It took me a while to get any shots of the birds we were hearing and occasionally seeing.  And everything I got is at full zoom and heavily cropped.  But this Lesser Goldfinch is easily recognizable.

I got a nice education on identifying the calls of House Wrens, and was then fortunate enough to get a shot of one making that call.

This is not a wonderful shot of a Great Horned Owl.  But it is a shot of a Great Horned Owl, which is still cool.  We saw four of them in the same basic area, or we disturbed the same poor owl four times, or some combination thereof.

A Brown-headed Cowbird, possibly looking to take over the nest of some other poor unsuspecting bird.

We watched quite a little kerfuffle between a pair of male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, likely over a female.  Here one is on the lookout for his rival...

...then KAPOW! Well, not so much "kapow."  But they did buzz and circle each other a lot.
 

Wild Four o'Clock blooming under the trees.

One of our guides pointed out a Red-tailed Hawk nest they'd seen a few weeks earlier on another walk.  Then we watched its residents circle overhead for a bit.

We heard most of the birds before we actually caught sight of them, and this Yellow Warbler was no exception.

Meadow Salsify already on its way out before summer even arrives.

A great walk with some great folks, where I learned some interesting stuff and got some decent pictures.  In other words, a great morning!