First Arb Outing

Early spring in the Arb - mostly bare and brown, still, but with a haze of pale green and tawny colors as the trees in the distance start to get their leaves. (Click on photo to see larger version.)

We finally took our first Arb (Cowling Arboretum) walk of the season just now -- a beautiful late afternoon, about 70 degrees F., a light breeze, no bugs... We saw two Eastern Bluebirds and one or more Eastern Phoebes (not sure if we were seeing the same one more than once, or multiple birds), both also the first of the season. I am just getting over a bad cold with an exhausting cough, so I didn't have a lot of stamina, but it felt wonderful to be outside, walking slowly as we listened for birds. Besides the bluebirds and phoebe(s), we saw and/or heard cardinals, chickadees, pheasants, blue jays, crows, and a downy woodpecker. A really nice first outing.