Forest Park has 8 bridges for motor traffic over the various waterways that wind through its northern and eastern parts (unless I missed one) as well as several viaducts crossing various highways and the metro link tracks. They all have sidewalks to allow pedestrians to walk and gawk (bridges give gawkers a great vantage point to practice their avocation). Most of these bridges are near the Muny (five are right next to it), so I parked by Lafayette Bridge (you can find it on this map ) and did a walkabout.

I was working hard on focusing on the bridges, but distractions kept arising. First, I heard a different bird cry from what I have been hearing. I saw a bird alight next to Deer Creek and, switching to my long lens saw a Killdeer on the stream bank. There were 2 of them, actually, and I took some photos of them walking and flying before they flew off to find a photographer-free perch.

I crossed the road to have the sun at my back and heard another cry, a loud, high screech. A hawk swooped quickly past me and alighted on a nearby tree. I quickly crunched through the tangle of leaves and grasses separating the two of us, all the time keeping my lens trained on my prey (you try it sometime; it makes remaining vertical difficult!). I actually got close enough to almost fill the viewfinder with this big, tough bird.

Over by the Muny, on the banks of the canal that flows beneath it, I stalked a covey of ducks (the ubiquitous Mallards and Wood Ducks) when suddenly I stepped in a hole and pitched forward on my face (“What’s the lesson here, class?” “Always watch where you’re going, teacher!”).

The ducks I had been sneaking up on exploded into the air with what sounded like raucous laughter.

“Thanks a lot, ducks.” I muttered as I got back to my feet to finish my project.