Top Photo: spotted sandpiper makes brief stop in wetlands.

A Spotted Sandpiper was seen at the Sailboat Pond. The bird circled the pond once and then proceeded down the path toward Explore the Wild. Spotted Sandpipers prefer a muddy shoreline on which to forage for invertebrates. We don’t often see shorebirds at the Museum. If they stop in, they usually don’t stay long.

A young Red-tailed Hawk, leisurely soaring over the Wetlands, was met by a Red-shouldered Hawk intent on clearing the air of the former. An American Crow flew up to roust the Red-shouldered Hawk. Finally, a Cooper’s Hawk entered the fray. All four were last seen chasing each other off to the northeast. A Hooded Warbler was singing behind the Lemur House and a Red-eyed Vireo and Eastern Wood Pewee were heard near the main entrance to Explore the Wild. A dozen or so Cedar Waxwings breezed through the area on Saturday the 17th during the final day of Bear Aware Week. In my last journal installment I reported a Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s nest above the boardwalk in Explore the Wild. The hummingbird was last seen on May 18 as it sat on the nest, occasionally flying off to gather nesting material. I’ve regularly checked the nest since the last sighting but have not seen the bird.