The skies were dark over Estabrook Park again this morning, and perhaps that tricked this muskrat on the pond to be out and about well after its usual bedtime.
I tried walking upriver atop the bluff this time, to save me from backtracking for better eagle pictures, but the eagles saw right through my ploy and simply didn’t show up today.
Instead, when I reached the river, I was just in time to catch the belted kingfisher with his breakfast and perched on a log between the two islands.
Meanwhile, high above the northern island, this merlin, the likes of whom we haven’t seen in nearly a month, was taking advantage of the eagle dearth.
I saw only one hermit thrush today, and it was the one beside the river at the north end.
I had seen the owl on my way north, but it was buried so deep, I didn’t even try for a picture. On my way back south, however, I found a spot from which my autofocus might have a chance. In this image, I can make out belly feathers and part of a dark ring around one eye. You?
On my second visit to the pond, the muskrat had finally gone to bed, but now a mink was up, and here it is with a fresh catch. It’s a little hard to make out what that catch is exactly, but I’d bet a small fish or bull frog tadpole. Scrumpdillyicious, either way, I’m sure.
Finally, the great blue herons completely eluded me this morning. Oh well.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 