I gotta be quick today. I’ve got a lot to do, but not so much that I couldn’t sneak into Estabrook Park nice and early. I stopped by the pond first, and everyone was there: the hoodie, the woodie, a few mallards, and the same six Canada geese that have been dropping in all month. It was still early, however, and the sun hadn’t come over the trees, so I left them to their breakfasts and continued to the river.
The north end, which has been pretty quiet lately, was really hopping for a change. First, the great horned owl was back, and even looked my way.
The osprey was back, and perched over the far shore this time looking for a fish to catch.
The heron at the falls was also on the far side, but this one by the northern island was right in front of me.
The big surprise for this morning was this pair of new arrivals: a gadwall drake and hen. I saw them a lot in South Holland, but they are not very common here, and it is always a treat when they stop by.
Finally, by the time I took those two pictures, the osprey had already caught a fish and was devouring it in a new perch.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 