Pier One 7/1--Late Waterfowl

I know Brant are the late migrators since they nest so high up in the Arctic that they have to wait the longest for warm conditions, but this is July so I suspect this Brant isn't making the trip. It seems healthy. Why leave when there's so much good garbage to eat?

Brant & Double-crested Cormorant--Pier One

Not as unusual, but still a little odd were the two (drake & hen) Gadwalls  hanging around the Pier. Here's the drake.

Cedar Waxwings were in the marsh and Barn Swallows were twittering and buzzing overhead. They were hunting for their family. I came across these 5 fledglings on a railing. They sat quietly until an adult approached. Then they would all start shaking their wings and chattering trying to get the attention of the adult with the bug in its mouth--"Food, food, food." Adorable.

There are a lot of juveniles at the pier right now--besides the Barn Swallows, I saw juvie mockingbirds, sparrows, ducklings and a gosling. So there's a lot of nesting going on in & around the park and that's good. 

16 species this morning:

Brant  1
Canada Goose  5
Gadwall  2
Mallard  6
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Laughing Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Barn Swallow  7
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  4
Cedar Waxwing  3
Song Sparrow  1
House Sparrow  15