Top Photo: Mystery bird in red maple.

If you identified the bird in the top photo, you did well. It’s a blue-headed vireo. It was formerly know as solitary vireo, a name which I prefer over blue-headed. It’s not a rare migrant here in the Piedmont, but I haven’t seen one at the museum in several years so I thought it noteworthy. Occasionally they’re seen in the area during December, January, or even February.

Fatsia Japonica is in bloom on the Dinosaur Trail. Honeybees, wasps, flies and ants are visiting the flowers for their nectar.

While on the Dino Trail I noticed a gray tree frog resting on a viburnum leaf.

Swamp rose is in fruit in the wetlands.

Close by, holly is showing off its bright red fruit. Many species of birds eat holly berries.

The green anole below was on a tree trunk next to the Sound Garden in Gateway Park.

As mentioned in an earlier post, keep an eye out for a red-shouldered hawk perch-hunting from the trees alongside the path on the outdoor loop trail.

Fall colors are still with us here in the piedmont.

Enjoy!