It was a dark morning in Estabrook Park, but the temps were mildish, and the forecast precipitation wasn’t supposed to start till at least 8 or 9 am, so I slipped in to see if there was anyone around. I didn’t spot any herons or eagles today, and the owl was so deep into the sticks that I didn’t even try, but there was one Cooper’s hawk swooping through the trees at the north end, and it perched high over the island for a moment.
There were a lot of squirrels out and about this morning, and here’s a little red one chowing down on the huge nut it found.
Finally, at the pond I was very happy to see this mallard hen again. She’s been there for weeks, along with the now-departed hoodie and woodie, but something has gone wrong with her tail, and it appears that she’s not able to fly away from the pond. When the ice formed a few days ago, and the wood duck disappeared, I feared that we had lost her too, but here she is back again and as bold as ever. Since mallard hens lay, incubate, and hatch their eggs in nests on the ground, right under the noses of coyotes, foxes, raccoon, mink, and all other manner of creature who would love nothing more than duck eggs for breakfast, they must be really good at hiding out, and perhaps that’s what she’ s been up to while the pond was frozen over. In any case, “Welcome back, Sweetie!”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
When you spot an injured or sick creature, you can call the Humane Society Wildlife Department and they may send someone for rescue. I did th
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chris McAuliffe told me about your beautiful photos. I was wondering if you would add me to your email list?
LikeLiked by 1 person