Weather is always a consideration when planning outdoor activities. Thunderstorms were forecast, but we figured that they wouldn't show up until mid-afternoon, so we rented bikes and rode along the river and the canal. It was sunny and warm while we were riding, but we could see thunderheads off in the distance.
Our target along the canal was a colony of bee eaters that we have been observing for 8 or 10 years. Until this year, we have always seen dozens of the brightly colored birds flying above the canal, and perching at the entrance to their burrows above the canal. This year, we have previously visited this site twice. On the first visit, I saw 5 bee eaters. On the second visit, it was too windy to see any. Today, we only saw one bee eater. It appears that the once-active, nesting colony of bee eaters has collapsed. Sadly, this is not completely surprising, as bee colonies around the world have been suffering from colony collapse.
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| The site of the bee eater colony |
As we were riding along the river, I saw some local art that I stopped to photograph.
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| A driftwood bench, painted as a elephant |
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| Another driftwood bench |
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| A face painted on a plane tree |
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| The proximity of the tree to the river |
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| Bridge support |
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| Light pole |
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| Light pole |
We ate lunch, ran errands, and made it home before the thunderstorm hit. Stay dry!
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