The weather this morning was not too bad for April. A little cool, for sure, but the winds were light, and the sun was trying to come out. The goslings were grazing on the west lawn when I arrived at the pond, and as I watched from the bench, it became nap time.
There they all are, nice and cozy under mom’s wing.
Meanwhile, we had some surprise guests at the pond, this handsome couple of blue-winged teals….
and they sure were hungry! “Eat up, kids! We’re glad you’re here.”
And there was a sole field sparrow, with its pink beak, all puffed to keep warm up in the bushes beside the pond.
Finally, here’s a European starling peeking out of its nesting cavity in a dead tree standing over the pond.
I eventually headed back down to the river, and on my way, I heard and then finally spotted this brown thrasher. If you haven’t heard one, give a listen here. You won’t be disappointed.
Beside the river I spotted this grey squirrel padding its nest with straw. Perhaps there are little squirrels on the way.
At the north end, the northern rough-winged swallows have finally returned, and here’s one on break from hunting bugs over the river.
When the sun did poke through the clouds, this ruby-crowned kinglet was kind enough to give us just the slightest glimpse of its ruby crown.
Finally, this yellow-rumped warbler has some of the boldest black and yellow I’ve seen on this species. Compare it to the others we’ve seen this spring: on the 17th, the 11th, and the 10th.
Lastly, I was sure glad to make it home before the heavy, wet snow squall rolled through. As I explained above, the weather was nice for a while, but it is still April, after all.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 