Look whoo-wh’HOO-whoo-whoo’s back.

Even though the wind was whippin’, it was a pretty nice morning in Estabrook Park, with unseasonably mild temps, and mostly sunny skies.

The big news today is that I finally saw the great horned owl again, for the first time since May 16, I believe, after which the tree it liked to perch in leafed out enough to provide full cover. In previous years, I would see it over the summer from time to time, but not this summer, and I began to fear that it had found another perch, or worse. So, I don’t know if it has been there the whole time, and today was just the day that the leaves were finally down enough for me to see it, or if it simply returned now that daylight savings time has finally ended, but I’m thrilled either way.

I must admit that after a while of not seeing it this summer, I began merely to give the spot a glance as I walked past. Since the leaves have started falling, however, I began searching again in earnest. This morning, at first, I couldn’t even be sure I was seeing a bird and not a branch or wishful thinking. Once I was sure someone was there, it took me a while to find a spot from which my view was the least obscured by branches. Then it took another while to trick my camera autofocus into choosing the right subject in all that clutter. Finally, once everything was all lined up, I had to wait for it to turn its head toward the sun and open those big beautiful yellow eyes. But I believe every second was worth it just to see this magnificent creature again.

Anywho, I eventually moved on, and the north end was pretty quiet today, not only because there was not a single goose for a change, but also because I only saw a few mallards and this one great blue heron.

On my way back south, I swung by the pond again in hopes of nice woodie and hoodie pictures now that the sun was higher in the sky and there was a nice big gap in the clouds. As I crossed the parkway to approach the pond, I accidentally spooked a Cooper’s hawk, who I hear will be getting a new name soon, and happily it perched right across the pond and in front of a gorgeous blend of a pretty blue sky and some last vestiges of nice fall foliage. An added bonus is that it is even sporting some bling on its ankles.

The woodie, who I had seen earlier, was probably keeping out of sight because of the hawk, but the hoodie, a proficient diving bird, seemed to be showing off instead.

Finally, here’s a northern cardinal showing us the nice morsel it had just found.