“Welcome August” sunrise, 1 August 2026, 6:06am (photo by Kate St. John)

1 August 2026

There was a spectacular sunrise this morning to usher in the month of August. As quickly as it built to fiery red with a sun pillar, it was gone.

On Thursday 30 July, Charity Kheshgi and I went birding at Frick Park where our most impressive sighting was not a bird. In the area south of the large deer exclosure on Clayton Hill we saw a 10-point buck browsing with a 4-point comrade. Both were still in velvet and were exhibiting the behavior I’ve often noticed in August in the City Parks. The deer kept their distance but were curious and generally unafraid of us. Their placid behavior changes in September for the rut — at which point stay away.

We only had our cellphones and wanted to take pictures but we kept our distance, too. Hence the photo quality.

10-point buck, Frick Park, 30 July 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

A slideshow of my photos.

We also saw this beautiful flower, nodding onion (Allium cernuum), in the meadow near the Environmental Education Center. It thrives in the presence of so many deer because deer won’t eat it.

Nodding onion, Frick, 30 July 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)