The big news from Estabrook this morning is that it appears as though a third pair of geese might have finally found a nesting site. She was off it again by the time I left, and it’s not on the island, so we’ll have to see if they can make a go of it there, but best of luck to them!
Meanwhile, I am pleased to report that the incubation continues on both the northern and southern tips of the island.
At the river, I found another robin nesting in a spot that seems far too obvious, so I hope that works out, too. The one we saw a couple of days ago was on the nest again as I walked past. Fingers crossed for both of them. Sorry about the blurry picture, but I’m trying to be as unobtrusive as I can so they don’t abandon.
Just a bit north of there, was another pair of geese making all the appearances of hoping desperately to find a nesting site of their own, literally looking high and low, but nothing in that vicinity looked promising to me. Oof, that’s gotta be an awful feeling.
At the north end, I spotted one of our furry little aquatic friends again, a muskrat this time.
On my way back south, I found this cute pair of mourning doves foraging beside the little stream that runs from the pond down to the river. All winter, they were surprisingly shy, so I was very surprise to see how unperturbed they appeared to be today.
Lastly, I spotted this little clutch of eggs on the back side of a small tree trunk, and I wonder what they’ll hatch into.
Finally, there are a couple of new splashes of color in the park. At the south end, beside the river, I found this specimen, about the size of a quarter that Pl@ntNet assures me with 97.7% confidence is Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus)
At the north end, also beside the river, are these pretty white and blue violets, apparently a hybrid (Viola melissifolia).
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 