Our store's Saturday Morning Birdwalk group enjoyed an outing to Dragon Field, which was highlighted by a Meadow Jumping-Mouse, three Indigo Buntings # including a female with a face-full of food, Bobolinks, and a lot of Cedar Waxwings.

On Sunday, I led a birdwalk for the Friends of the Eastern Promenade. Unexpected, was an American Kestrel heading north, but more expected were the plethora of Song Sparrows, Gray Catbirds, and European Starlings, along with Yellow Warblers and an Osprey nest with one nestling getting very close to fledging. But, for much of our walk, we identified plants as well, including the few valuable native plants still scratching out an existence in a park overrun with nearly the entire suite of invasive species # from Oriental Bittersweet to Japanese Knotweed.

Then, on Monday, I simply took Sasha for a walk around Florida Lake. It was a rather birdy outing, with quite a few species of warblers seen and/or heard, including three Canada Warblers, two Magnolia Warblers, and one Northern Waterthrush. At least one Marsh Wren is still there # singing away once again today # and I heard at least three different Swamp Sparrows.

Meanwhile, this stubborn frontal boundary continues to hold in place over our region, with various impulses of energy moving along it, triggering more showers and thunderstorms. Instability, coupled with heat and humidity, is producing some very strong storms. This unsettled pattern is forecasted to continue through week's end.

Keep an eye out in any flooded fields and large puddles for shorebirds that may have put down ahead of - or during # a strong storm. With the migration of adult shorebirds now in full swing, now's a perfect time to find some unusual shorebirds in some unusual locations.

And finally, today, here are some photos and writings from our ½-Day Portland Pelagic last weekend, for your viewing and reading pleasure:

Dan Nickerson's Blog.

Kirk Rogers' Photo Essay.