Phenology: baby theropods, and flowers

[redbird]

This morning, we saw three ducklings following behind their mother; they're small enough that they were probably only hours old.

This afternoon, seven goslings near their parents, yellow and fluffy and again looking very new.

Orioles are back in the park, and we think we know where a pair are nesting.

The wild geraniums are blooming bright yellow all along the base of the hills, at the western edge of the soccer field. There are purple violets in front of them, a fine effect; a few white violets are blooming in the patch where we've seen them in the past. On the edge of the woods south of that field, we saw some impressive purple flowers that I haven't seen noticed before, which I think may be spring larkspur. There were a few clusters, quite impressive.

This is also the first day this season that I've gone out in a sleeveless top; the weather report made this seem sensible, but it had gotten a little cooler since that measurement (confirmed by cattitude, who'd already been out this morning).