The sun was out, the air was still, the snow was fresh, the surface of the trail was like concrete, and I got the lay the first footprints on much of it. What a stupendous morning in Estabrook!
Most critters were sleeping in, it seems, but I did see a lot of fresh rabbit tracks. I even spotted a rabbit at one point, but the second I broke eye contact to fuss with my camera with gloves on, she was gone. Maybe one of these days I’ll learn that lesson.
Most of the birds on the river were gone this morning, too, leaving just a couple of geese, a couple of goldeneyes, a couple of mergansers, and a few mallards, but nowhere near the carnival atmosphere of yesterday. In today’s sun, however, we can finally see that the male common merganser’s head is actually dark green, as advertised.
Further north, I happened upon a grey squirrel, and it appears that I somehow managed to do a better job of keeping eye contact.
Finally, by the pond, this little guy looks to be doing his level best to avoid eye contact with me. “Don’t look! Don’t move! Maybe he hasn’t seen you and will just go away!”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 