Despite the line of thunderstorms that rolled through before dawn, it turned out to be a pretty nice morning in Estabrook Park, with mild temps, light winds, and even some sunshine.
I was happy to see a female belted kingfisher at the pond. You can see just a hint of her chestnut flanks and belly band. I believe the one I’ve been seeing regularly this spring has been a male.
The great horned owl on the river was hiding but not too hard.
A pair of wood ducks were standing on a log over the recently reflooded “oxbow” side channel through the northern bottom. I couldn’t convince them to stand close together, so here’s the male, …
and here’s the female.
The big news of the morning, however, is the arrival of the first goslings I’ve seen this season in Estabrook. They were paddling across the river when I reached the north end.
I’ve heard a rumor that there might also be goslings on the pond, but I did not see them when I was there this morning. Maybe I’ll have to swing by this afternoon for a recheck.
For comparison, the earliest dates I’ve seen goslings in previous years have been
April 25, 2020;
April 26, 2021; and
April 28, 2022
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 