Monthly Archives: May 2020

A couple more flitty little warblers stayed still nearly long enough for me to capture images. They are a male common yellowthroat hunting for breakfast in the grass and a male magnolia warbler prefering to hunt in the bushes. Meanwhile, Ol’ Blue was back at the pond again along with his little green sidekick, who looks likeContinue reading “The parade continues in the park”

First, I’d like to wish Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and all the moms out there trying to make the best of things in these very difficult times. Second, a couple of readers have written to ask me about the mushrooms. I am sure that they are not morels, but I don’t know what they mightContinue reading “Happy Mother’s Day from EP”

I’ll spare you pictures of frost and get right to the interesting change afoot at the pond. When I arrived this morning, nine goslings were napping in one group with one set of parents, and two goslings were in a distinctly separate group with a second set of parents, instead of the usual eight andContinue reading “Frost in the Park (and I’ve got the pictures to prove it)”

I’m sure you will all be relieved to hear that the kids are still alright. 11 goslings with 4 adults were making the best of a cold morning by the pond. Luckily, the sun was out a bit.I heard much less singing today, although the gray catbird on the Oakleaf Trail did give a nice littleContinue reading “Snow flurries in Estabrook”

It was a perfect morning for pictures with a bright sun in the east and a crisp blue sky in the west. I set out to find a grosbeak, as one does, and these are the directions I had: Listen for its song, like a robin’s, but better. Follow the song to a tree LookContinue reading “A bevy of birds in the park this morning”

A Baltimore oriole has been at the pond two mornings in a row singing quite a song and making me work for a picture, a Jack-in-the-pulpit is up in woods with at least a dozen more on their way,  the white trillium are finally opening in several locations, and the toadshade is right on the verge ofContinue reading “More new arrivals in Estabrook!”

The air temperature was supposed to be 39°F, but with grey skies and the wind whipping out of the northeast, it felt like 32°F. The trout lilies, that close down in the night, didn’t even bother to open this morning. I stopped by the trillium, to check on their progress, and there was none.Then IContinue reading “Refugees welcomed at Estabrook Park pond”

It is a very gray and cool morning, with a breeze off the lake, so I’m in no hurry to get out there.Luckily for all of us, I finally caught a glimpse yesterday afternoon of my first warbler in the current migratory wave, about which I keep hearing.Give a hearty welcome to the Nashville warbler, onContinue reading “Warblers in my viewfinder at last in Estabrook Park”

It pays to get up early, it seems. Who could have known?As I approached the pond from the south, I spotted the geese and goslings on the lawn just to the west of the south end, so I headed in that direction, merely to say hi. Then, as absolutely amazing blind luck would have it,Continue reading “Enjoying the heron now this morning at the Estabrook Park pond”

WIth all the avian excitement yesterday, I didn’t even get to show you all that the recent April showers have brought.First up is the yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum), a distinct species from the slightly-smaller and much-earlier-opening white trout lily (Erythronium albidum), which continues to bloom in big patches and has begun attracting bumblebees andContinue reading “The May Flowers are starting to arrive in Estabrook!”