A walk in the woods

I'm sure that Bill Bryson will forgive me for stealing his title.

After a day filled with migraine pain, I was ready to get out of the house and find some nature.

The girls and I went to Kelley's Nature Preserve in nearby Miamiville.

I am fairly sure this is a life bird, but I have no idea what it is. (Center of picture)

It is a juvenile, with a streaked breast like a female house finch, with a long tail that had light (maybe yellow, maybe white) outer tail feathers. And there was more than one, but this is the one I could see the best. When I saw it, I first thought "Vireo" but none of the vireos in my book really match.

Up the hill from the river path we came across an old foundation, built from river rocks. Call me dramatic, but my first thought was "The Blair Witch Project".

This sycamore is massive, with a trunk at least 6 feet around, and is obviously a favorite spot with those frisky teenagers who think burning their names in a living tree is cool.

A toad ventured across the path in front of us and posed.

Other than the mystery bird, we saw Carolina chickadees, American goldfinches, a turkey vulture, Carolina wrens, Tufted titmice and we heard a pileated woodpecker. I knew there were more birds, hearing calls that I couldn't place. But the girls were not about to break their record of always messing up my birding.