I had already walked more than 3 miles at another hot spot earlier to look for a Worm-eating Warbler, which was actually close to the parking lot, as I found out after getting lost on a trail there. Repeated tinny neat trills, but never got a visual. However, I was noticing how I was not hurting at all in all these miles. I guess having a new mattress delivered next week was sufficient to stop the pain this time #birding
For two years I grudgingly made an annual trip to the place in the county where Cliff Swallows breed. Grudgingly, as I've seen them where they did not require me to walk down a narrow, busy road, view them from across the water, write eBird comments, and get lost on the way home. Turns out there is a trail that brings me to the bottom of the bridge under which they build their mud huts every year (I did get lost on the trail on my way back to the parking lot, though). #birding
Also there's good evidence that a new mattress could do the trick: last year this time I was hurting on the other side, and it went away as soon as I got the $150 mattress topper -- that was definitely cheaper than going to the doctor too.
Went to check out a hot spot that's been on my to-do list since 2025. On my way back, I stopped at the large Black-crowned Night Heron colony in the neighborhood pond. One intrepid adult flew to the fishing pier from the island, proving again that to get a better photo of the bird you've got to get closer #birding