A couple more new faces…

Sure, its a wet and dreary morning in May, but at least it’s not April. Am I right? Anyway, temps were in the 50s and there was a nice gap in the rain from about 8 till 11, so I popped over to Estabrook Park to see who might be out and about.

It was perfect weather for waterfowl, perhaps that’s how they got that name, and the geese on the pond were enjoying a little swim when I arrived

Both green herons were there again today, but they were hiding a little better.

The big new arrival was this male Baltimore oriole checking out an old nest in this blossoming poplar tree. I’ve been hearing them along the river for a couple of days, so I’m glad to finally capture an image of one.

At the river I saw two more geese families, both of whom looked a bit newer, and here’s one mom with her three goslings. I don’t believe I have yet seen more than four goslings in a family this year, which seems a little out of character. In previous years, there have been sixes, sevens, eights, and even a nine. Let’s hope it’s not a bad sign.

In any case, here’s a spotted sandpiper who was foraging along the riverbank, and whom we’ve seen already this month.

And here’s a solitary sandpiper, whom we have seen before, but not yet this year. It was fun to see both sandpipers in quick succession, and wasn’t it kind of them to strike similar poses to facilitate comparing their appearances.

I did see a few warblers today, but not nearly as many as yesterday, and here’s the best picture I managed this morning. Yup, you guessed it. That’s an aptly-named black-and-white warbler.

The blue-gray gnatcatchers were thicker than usual, and here’s a male with some of the most amazing eyebrows in the entire aves class.

Finally, mushrooms have started sprouting, and here are a pair of dryad’s saddles, aka pheasant’s back (Cerioporus squamosus)

Lastly, I’ve been seeing the female cowbirds searching for and checking out nests into which they can sneak their eggs, and here’s one from yesterday looking high and low.