Work was hectic today with a bunch of meetings and trying to tie up loose end for my big deadline that is quickly approaching. I took a walk during my lunch break to clear my head so I would stay focussed throughout the afternoon and it was incredibly hot. It must have already been close to 90 degrees out. 

After work, I stopped home to take care of the boyz, then I went out to Cary Institute of Ecological Studies. It was extremely hot and buggy there. The bugs kept flying into my ears and eyes and one even flew up into my nose and got lodged for roughly 2 minutes. That was very uncomfortable and hurt a little bit.

Because of all the bugs flying about, the birds were also pretty active. I saw barn swallows, a baltimore oriole, grackles, eastern bluebirds, pigeons, and a few other types of birds I don't know. The muskrat made a cameo appearance and mama merganser came through with her kids. I kept hoping they would cooperate for pics, but they never did. I had a fantastic opportunity with a grackle taking a bath and a male barn swallow who posed very nicely and even flapped his wings for me. I had a tough time choosing between a bathing grackle and the barn swallow flapping his wings and decided to go with the little swallow since I liked the shot so much!