JBP, Friday PM

Before appearing at JBP, I made a quick stop at Bellevue Botanical Garden, found this lovely little flower near the western trail, just off the grassy knoll next to the gift centre. If anyone knows what it is, I'd appreciate knowing. There were no markers at the flower itself.















JBP Highlight: one male Blue-winged Teal sleeping (mostly) with several Gadwalls. At least one person says he's been in the inner cove for the past few days, so it's a good bet he won't be around too much longer. No useful photo (beyond an ID shot), as he decided he wanted to be on the other side of the cove the entire afternoon.
Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds bouncing off everything in sight, including passing crows, several Great Blue Herons, and a person or two. RWBB chicks chirping on at least one nest, females sitting eggs on a few dozen others... Swallow porn still occurring, but there's at least one Tree Swallow couple on eggs.















At the Warbler Willows, a Red-breasted Sapsucker enjoyed banging on both almost-dead willows (middle boardwalk, first bend). Lots of tasty birch and aspen around, and he's choosing dead wood. Go figure :)

























There's a Canada Goose nest in the inner cove about 15 feet from the former beaver lodge. Starlings still on nest in former(?) Red-breasted Sapsucker hole, end of western boardwalk.

Some of the Barn Swallows are incredible combinations of oranges and reds.












To prove no BARS were harmed during the taking of this photograph:















Across the cove, there's a line of logs against the far shoreline. On those logs, approximately 40-50 turtles, queued as if waiting for the new Harry Potter film.














Five Mallard chicks started out across the cove, from the middle boardwalk to the western end; no adult in sight. 15 minutes later, four chicks returned. As they reached the middle's end, they split into two pairs, and I lost sight of them. I'm going to guess we'll not have these guys around too much longer.

Just as I was leaving, two wood duck females flew through...