Monthly Archives: January 2022

I had to go to campus this morning and so didn’t get to Estabrook till after 10. The day was pretty enough, but it seemed that just about everyone was already sleeping off their breakfast. For example, here’s our hooded merganser hen dozing beside a pair of mallards. Happily, one creature still up was ourContinue reading “A late start…”

It was another stunningly beautiful morning in Estabrook with bright sun, crystal blue skies, and nearly calm air. Sure, it was cold as all heck, but it was a dry cold, so not bad, not bad at all. Right off the bat, I was greeted by a new bird for the year, a Cooper’s hawkContinue reading “Not bad, not bad at all…”

Oof! It was almost opposite day in Estabrook, at least compared to yesterday. It was sunny instead of cloudy, the wind was howling instead of calm, temps were dropping from the 20s instead of rising, and I mostly saw only the little birds that can forage close to the ground instead of owls, deers, andContinue reading “Oh, how the tables have turned.”

It was cloudy again this morning, so I didn’t expect to see much, but the clouds weren’t very thick, the temperature was pretty mild for the season, and the winds were nice and light, so I still had hope. The show began right away with this common merganser drake at the south end who wasContinue reading “Yet another “great” day in Estabrook!”

The little bit of sun I was promised in the forecast never materialized, and the breeze was up, so it was not a perfect morning for pictures, but Kyle, who I met when he was participating in the Christmas bird count last month, came along to keep me company. We saw the pair of goldeneyeContinue reading “A slow start to the 2nd half of January.”

It’s another beautiful day in Estabrook with still air, blue skies, and temps in the teens heading to the twenties. I heard our kingfisher right away at the south end, and caught a glimpse of her, but I couldn’t manage to get her picture. Instead, a bit farther north, I was treated to this newContinue reading “A golden morning in Estabrook”

It was cold this morning, in the low 20s, but the forecast wind didn’t materialize, so not too bad at all. Plus, lake-effect snow was lazily sifting down to make it feel like being in a snow globe. Best of all, long-time readers Donna and Kate came along to help me see what there wasContinue reading “Breakfast served hot and fresh!”

The beautiful blue skies are gone, along with the mild temperatures, and it feels like winter is back. On the lower river, I saw most of our old friends: the kingfisher, the common mergansers, the hooded merganser hen, the pair of goldeneyes, and the gadwall drake. It was pretty dark still, however, so I justContinue reading “The return of the buffleheads…”

Wow! What a gorgeous morning in Estabrook it turned out to be. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations when I stepped outside because the clouds were back, and it was pretty dark out. The temperature was just around freezing, however, so mild for this time of year, the wind was calm, the trailContinue reading “Just a stupendous morning in the park”

The warmup came as forecast, and the critters in Estabrook came out to enjoy the reprieve. Our belted kingfisher, who I’ve heard all along but couldn’t spot recently, was fishing over some newly open water across from the boardwalk below the beer garden. Just north of the southern-most stairway, down the bluff from the playgroundContinue reading “Everyone enjoys a respite from the cold”