It was a cool and damp morning in Estabrook after the brief early shower, and all four moms-to-be were keeping their eggs warm: the two geese on the island and the two robins along the river.
I hardly saw another creature, mammalian or avian, but I did finally manage to capture an image sufficient for identifying a large bird I’ve seen soaring over the park from time to time since last summer. Say hello at long last to a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). You can see the tail narrower than a red-tailed hawk, but not as narrow as a Cooper’s hawk, the long beak with a little curve at the end, and the lighter flight feathers on the underside of the wing. I would take that positive ID to court!
There’s also a new fungus among us, and I’m not going down the rabbit hole of trying to identify a mushroom again so soon.
Finally, not everything was shades of brown, grey, and black. Here’s a goldfinch looking pretty yellow. Not completely yet, but almost there. Even he looks none too thrilled with the cool breeze out of the northwest.
Our owl appears to have found a warmer branch to perch on this morning, and I searched in vain for where that might be, so I hope it comes back to its usual spot soon.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
Another Identification point to help distinguish turkey vultures from hawks and eagles is the vultures have dihedral wings and the raptors tend to have flat wings. Easier for me to see when driving and trying to spot eagles.
Sent from my iPhone
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