Took a trip with my sister, her husband, and my daughter, Charlotte to Cathedral Caverns today. (Today is Charlotte's fifth birthday!) I didn't expect to bird, so was only taking my camera for pictures of the cave. And, the birds were in very short supply. I pretty much counted what I saw once we reached the state park and got back to the parking area for the cavern tours.
It didn't disappoint. Sitting on an electric pole was a bird I'd been hunting from the first day I moved here. At first I thought he might be another Mockingbird- the rat of the south. I almost didn't give him a second look as we slowly approached. Glad I did- because I got lifer #251: Loggerhead Shrike!
(Bet you're expecting a photo here, but I'd already set my ISO for the caves and everything was a blur since we were moving. Bummer)
Anyways, we approached a pond where two Red-tailed Hawks were sitting in a dead tree. A mallard was on the pond, and the sound of our car flushed a Double-crested Cormorant. Near the pond, an Eastern Bluebird was hanging out on the power line.
Didn't see much else. A mockingbird and some Mourning Doves. Nothing was hanging out back in the cavern tour area at all when it came to birds. Did find an Eastern Box Turtle, some Five-lined Skinks, and a Green Anole:
The cavern was amazing, and I will make a non-birding post about it in the next couple of days. 1.3 miles up and down steep hills makes for a very tired Amber. Stay tuned.
Until next time...
Happy birding to all of you!
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