Maybe a break from the crowds.

I see that it is already raining as I write this, but I was able to sneak into Estabrook before it started, and I managed to see a few things. One of the masked bandits was peeking out of a tree trunk, perhaps to see if the park was still crawling with birders hoping to catch a glimpse of the fabled prairie warbler.

At the pond, the six goslings were trying to get in out of the cold. Meanwhile, two new pairs of geese have joined the party, and Dad was doing his best to keep them from getting too close.

There were also a pair of blue-winged teals on the water, and here’s the drake.

I didn’t see an owl by the pond this morning, but the great horned owl at the river was out in the open again, which is always a treat.

By the falls, this great blue heron appears to be getting a little shut-eye. Maybe it had a rough night.

Finally, it appears that we have another new arrival, this tiny “least flycatcher” (Empidonax minimus), just arrived from the Yucatan Peninsula, and there abouts. Welcome to Estabrook, little cutie!

It appeared to be busy catching flies, but its motion was much more like that of the eastern phoebe, quick dashes into the air before returning nearly to the same place, than that of the kinglets, who seem to prefer their flies on a twig.

The forecast is for this rain to clear out before tomorrow morning, so keep your fingers crossed!