It's taken some time but Mount Loretto is really coming into its own as a wildlife sanctuary. Mature grasslands, deep woods and copious shorelines make this a paradise for all manner of birds and insects. Most obvious are the bald eagles and osprey which crisscross the airspace above the cliffs.
![Don Vito](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4317/35798148800_b2926c58b9_b.jpg)
Along the shoreline are many cormorant, geese, peeps and the always entertaining solitary sandpiper.
![Solitary Sandpiper](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4310/35352656264_58b622ce52_b.jpg)
In some of the tidal estuaries I had Wood Duck, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Blue-grey gnat catcher, marsh wren and this family of very agitated white-eye vireo.
![White-eyed vireo](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4319/35798148710_44d18af352_b.jpg)
Along the grasslands were indigo bunting, yellow warbler, barn swallow, common grackle, rwbb and orchard oriole. As for butterfly I had many monarch, black swallowtail, comma, question mark, red admiral, common buckeye and painted lady. The only herp was a common bullfrog singing somewhere in the marsh. Gorgeous day!