What a pretty morning to return to Estabrook! The skies stayed gray, but the fresh snow was marvelous. I spotted another bald eagle over the river this morning, a mature one with a white tail and head this time, but it didn’t want to stick around for pictures. Don’t worry. I’ll get one for you soon enough.
Meanwhile, here’s a grey squirrel beside the river and back at its breakfast now that the eagle has safely flown back north.
I was happy to see that the black ducks are back, although they could have snuck in a while ago, and I just didn’t spot them until now. The yellow bill on this one, inconspicuously foraging amongst the mallards, suggests he’s a male.
Here’s a female mallard with her lighter feathers and mottled bill for comparison.
Here’s a whole flotilla of mallards pretending not to notice the snow.
Finally, the ice is back on the river, and here’s a look at one interesting slab that perched itself on a rock and grew a fringe of icicles.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 