We took every opportunity to go birding in some of the great parks around St. Louis, but of course I don’t walk by flowers without stopping to look so here are some photos of colorful blooms as well.
Probably the most exciting thing to happen while we were hiking at a local sculpture park was rounding a bend on a trail and seeing a gorgeous barred owl right there in a tree. He assessed us and must have decided we were okay, since he then flew down into a small creek and proceeded to take a bath. Then he flew into a tree and continued to preen, and shake and fluff his feathers. We were absolutely beside ourselves with joy as we watched him from such a short distance.
Loved your comments about the birds!
Thanks! We’re still swooning over the owl!