Now that most of the storm system seems to have blown by us, and the sun even peeked through the clouds a bit this morning, life in Estabrook Park is returning to normal. There were about a half dozen mallards and a trio of wood ducks on the pond.
Best of all our first winter visitor has arrived: a gorgeous little female hooded merganser!
She was sticking close to the wood ducks, and when they swam over to see if I was one of the old guys that feeds them (I’m not!), she swam right over with them. Sweet!
Also at the pond, a little female downy woodpecker was busy at work right beside the path.
And, I spotted this puffy little white-throated sparrow. He even sang me one verse of “Oh Canada da da da”.
Meanwhile, at the river, this raccoon forgot to set its clock back, doesn’t even have a clock, or is simply nocturnal. In any case, it was sleeping the morning away again.
Lastly, the belted kingfishers keep right on fishing, and here’s one turning his nose from a bush full of berries in hopes of a more-wriggly breakfast.
What a treat it has been to catch one of the last catbirds before they had all flown south for the winter and welcome one of the first hooded mergansers, for whom Estabrook might be her winter home, all in the same week.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 