Photos: Birds in Bloomington parks (April 10, 2022)

Miller-Showers Park, which is on the north side of town nestled between College Avenue and Walnut Streets, is a favorite spot for The B Square to visit on a pleasant weekend afternoon.

Around 2 p.m. on Sunday the temperature was about 60 F degrees with mostly clear skies.

Resting on the retaining wall of the lower (northernmost) pool of the park was a mallard. The duck un-burrowed its head from its feathers just long enough to be photographed.

Unnoticed by The B Square at the time was the photobombing of the mallard by a great blue heron, which was wading in the waters to the east of the lower pool. A pair of Canada geese floated not far away.

The heron itself eventually captured The B Square’s attention. The 20 mph breeze out of the southeast was enough to ruffle the heron’s feathers, but otherwise seemed unperturbed.

Leading from Miller-Showers the city of Bloomington is eventually supposed to build a bicycle-pedestrian path to the north, connecting Miller Showers to Lower Cascades Park.

On Sunday, the road with its newly installed speed humps served as The B Square’s route.

At Lower Cascades, a red-tailed hawk swooped over the playground and alighted high in a tree on the far side of the creek, but only for a minute. It clung to its perch, which was unstable under the breeze, then flew off.

Photos: Miller-Showers, Lower Cascades (April 10, 2022)