Arrivals and departures in Estabrook

Well, the birds start coming, and they just keep coming…

Yesterday, I was taking a second quick spin before supper and spotted something in the branches down the bluff from the path where it passes right next to the road. It wasn’t moving a lot, so I pulled out my camera to see if I could get a shot. Even with the zoom, I couldn’t tell what I was seeing through the viewfinder, but it looked sort of like a cardinal. Imagine my surprise and joy when I got home, loaded the pictures onto my computer, and could finally see this!

That right there, my friends, is my first ever cedar waxwing! Best of all, there were a couple of them, and they appeared to be performing some sort of ritual as they sat side by side on a branch and moved together, then apart, then together, then apart, etc.

I eventually made it to the pond where there were still no goslings, but there was this cute little canada warbler, who looks a little like the magnolia warbler we’ve seen before but without the white and black markings on its back.

As for this morning, I was out nice and early, and it was mild, still, and foggy. Best of all, the powers that be have closed the road through the park, for the holiday weekend I suspect, and so for the first half hour, I had the entire park to myself. It was just me and all the critters. A little slice of heaven right here in Shorewood!

The pond was empty except for one lone male wood duck. No canada geese at all, let alone any goslings. Not even mallards.

There were plenty of birds about making plenty of noise, for sure, but the heavy fog made for pretty bad lighting, so I didn’t even try for any pictures. The fog did, however, accentuate one more new arrival I haven’t seen yet this spring: spiders! There were spider webs here and there for the first time that I’ve noticed.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this morning. I can’t wait to find out how this new platform works or doesn’t for everyone. Don’t hesitate to let me know.

As always, you can skip all my verbiage and go straight to the pictures at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688