I returned to the creek corridor after work late yesterday to find a serene and calming setting ― a great evening for a walk in the woods. There was barely a breeze and much of Nature's subtler sounds could be heard. The tree canopy is beginning to fill in, reflecting every possible shade of green. This is truly the best time of year to be a naturalist.
As I came upon the first creek crossing, I found a lone bat flying around the bridge. Observing further, I could see it was flying through swarms of small flying insects. The bat eventually came to rest on the side of a nearby tree.
Little Brown Bat
Further down the trail I found a patch of blossoming White Trillium. Low in the sky, the sun's rays were becoming obstructed by trees on the ridge across the creek, so I opted to use my flash to bring out detail and color.
White Trillium
A beam of sunlight moved to an opening between trees, illuminating a patch of nearby Prairie Trillium. This particular spot is how I wish the entire creek corridor's forest floor looked, but so much of it is covered with garlic mustard and would require a herculean effort to clear it out for good.
Prairie Trillium
Using the last light of the day, a solitary Yelllow-rumped Warbler foraged for insects near the bridge before Branch Street. Between sallies over the creek, most perches it landed on were in the shade. There were a few sunny spots I hoped it would use, but anticipating a warbler's movements is a challenging endeavor.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The warbler also gleaned for insects on branches and leaves. Fortunately for the corridor's migratory birds (and resident bats!), warmer weather has facilitated an abundance of insect hatchings.
The little bird eventually rested on a perch directly across from me, painted by light streaming into the creek corridor from 93 million miles way.
All images © 2016 Mike McDowell