It was a surprisingly quiet morning in the park today. With the weather so nice, I figured everybody and their brother would be out, but that was not the case, and even the beaver were laying low. That’s just as well. Wouldn’t want to get bored of seeing them, right?
Instead, we’re left with the regulars as we wait for the new spring arrivals. Here’s a fun little scene that captures a slew of females relaxing on the river ice for a moment, including common mergansers, common goldeneyes, and even a bufflehead. It is the first time I’ve seen either a goldeneye or a bufflehead out of the water, which reminds me of an old ZZ-Top song.
Here’s a dark-eyed junco and a Cooper’s hawk. I was surprised that the junco stayed still as long as it did, and perhaps it felt that the sticks in the foreground gave it enough cover. The Cooper’s hawk has usually been willing to pose if I show some respect.
Here’s a grey squirrel, who I managed to trap with that eye-contact trick like an atom in a laser beam, and who’s now wondering if I am ever going to be done and set it free.
Finally, here’s a black-capped chickadee performing some serious gymnastics on a birch tree, and it stuck the landing, as usual.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
A squirrel snout!!
Ya don’t see those everyday.
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Beautiful pictures as always, how close to that squirrel did you get?
Dad
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