A couple surprises on a slow Saturday.

The weather this morning in Estabrook Park was about the same as yesterday, but maybe a bit cooler, and a bit less breezy. I finished breakfast early, so I got out well before sunrise, and I found the hoodie and the woodie still on the pond, but once again thought I’d have better light later, so I headed to the river. Perhaps because I was ahead of schedule, it seems I beat the anglers today, and thus I found a great blue heron fishing right at the falls for the first time since I can’t remember when.

On my way north, I came across another little red squirrel that kept coming back for a closer look. That’s always fun.

I did see a belted kingfisher for the first time in a few days, but it just did a fly-by and continued upriver. Otherwise, there were only geese and mallards, so I turned around and headed back south.

Right before I was going to take that path back up to the pond again, there was a lot of little-bird activity, with chickadees, goldfinches, and white-throated sparrows all twittering away, and while I was checking out that action, I noticed a surprise visitor: one last gray catbird, who is long overdue at its wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico.

I barely had turned around from taking my last catbird picture, when I almost tripped over this great blue heron fishing right against the near riverbank.

Back at the pond, the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds a bit, so here’s your hoodie portrait.

But wait! The little rascal also put on a fishing show for us.

It took four or five dives to find one, and then it took a few gulps to get it down.

Perhaps it helps to stretch out the neck a little.

And finally, down it goes. Breakfast of Champions!

Lastly, I had to wait a bit, but the woodie finally came around for his portrait, too.