The beautiful weather continues, and it was another glorious morning in Estabrook Park. The first surprise came at the pond where I didn’t find a single wood duck for the first time since I don’t know when. Instead, I found about a dozen on the river around the northern island, and here are two hens parked on a log and catching some rays.
The next surprise was spotting a green heron, which have become scarce lately. This one was in the shade when I first saw it, but I didn’t have to wait too long for the sun to come around and light it up for us.
This next sight isn’t really a surprise, because of how many warblers we’ve been seeing lately, but it is still always nice to spot them, and I believe this little darling happens to be a female/immature magnolia warbler, based on the full eyering, grey head, pair of wingbars, and faint dark striping on a yellow belly.
I have seen far fewer river deer this year compared to previous years, but here’s another island deer hiding in the bushes.
Finally, more mushrooms! My best guess, with which you should definitely not trust your life, is that these are elm oyster mushrooms (Hypsizygus ulmarius), which “commonly grows on tree species like … box elder” and “in the wounds or scars of the host tree,” as are both the case here.
And that’s it for today, I’m afraid. I did see the red-headed woodpecker, a yellow-bellied sapsucker, and a Cooper’s hawk again, but despite the nice weather, few critters were just hanging out enjoying it. Perhaps they’ve heard the forecast for a high of 56°F on Saturday and are just too busy getting ready.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 