The grey morning skies over Estabrook Park continue, but at least the temps were mild, so I stopped in to see who was around today now that the crowds of moved on.
There were eight wood ducks on the pond, and their late summer molt appears to be wrapping up, so here’s a hen and drake in all their finery.
At least one Cooper’s hawk is still on the hunt, and here it is over the northern island. I saw one again farther south, but I can’t tell for sure if it was the same bird or not.
The river water continues to be quite low, and a pair of spotted sandpipers were foraging on the exposed rocks below the Cooper’s hawk.
After not seeing a killdeer in the park for a couple of weeks, and even mentioning it yesterday, look who showed up this morning.
Back on shore an indigo bunting was competing with the goldfinch from Friday for worst molt, and it is crushing it. The poor thing appears to have no tail feathers at all at the moment. At least the grasses are providing plenty of seeds for it to eat in the meantime.
On my way back south, I spotted a black-throated blue warbler, but it had no time for me today. Instead, this chipping sparrow immature white-crowned sparrow, whose crown is still brown, posed so nicely as if it was daring me to take its picture.
That’s about it for this morning in Estabrook, so here’s another look at one of the darling sanderlings from yesterday.
And here’s another look at the American pipit who appears to be having its own molt issues.
Despite all the morning gloom recently, the sun has come out in the afternoon a few times, and here are a couple of butterfly pictures I took Saturday along the Oak Leaf Trail where the asters are blooming in a few nice big patches.
First is a fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) on a white aster blossom.
And finally, here’s a common sulphur or clouded sulphur (Colias philodice) on a purple aster blossom.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
👍🌝
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Thats a great picture of the ducks!
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