Marsh Youngsters

     I applied the deet and wandered into the Salt Marsh Nature Center trail this morning in Brooklyn's Marine Park. After an early morning rain, the mosquitoes were buzzing, and also, West Nile has been found in the area during testing of mosquitoes, so protect yourself out there.

    I wasn't sure if I'd encounter much, but I was wrong. Some of the recently fledged critters of all kinds have yet to figure out how to hide from large scary creatures, like myself. So I got more photos that I thought I would!

This American goldfinch looks like it is starting to go into its molt to its winter plumage.

A young and rather unafraid Eastern cottontail.
It's ear facing us has 2 engorged ticks on it and if you look closely, a third engorged tick is on its muzzle. A good reminder to stay on the paths!

Every visit to Marine Park has yielded a very vocal marsh wren.
Well today, I found what I presume is one of its offspring!

AND IT HAD NO BUTT.
This horrid picture is only for butt-less purposes only.

Important feature of the marsh wren - that split stance. Looks like this little one has it down.

A cute, disheveled little thing!

SCREAM IF YOU HAVE NO BUTT!

Another youngster, very likely born this past season, a common yellowthroat.
Also supposed to be very shy.

It and the two other young common yellowthroats it was with, were not young. In this shot, the bird came toward me, and landed in this plant maybe 8 feet from me, which is not far.

I figured I'd try my luck near an area where I knew some Baltimore orioles nested and like that, a family of dad and his two youngsters were just perched in a tree. Dad and sibling 1 took off, but sibling two lingered as we made eyes at each other.

In addition to all these youngsters, there were very many young American robins and even some young red-eyed vireos also in the area. My favorite was a young male cardinal, molting into his red plumage from that baby olive plumage they have when they fledge. GO see them while they are young and curious about the world to get some good looks at some birds before they head south, which has begun!