The weather was beautiful in Estabrook Park this morning, and I didn’t have any errands to run, so I got there nice and early. So early, in fact, that my camera outright refused to focus on the quartet of deer I found at the sand volleyball court across from the southern parking lot. I sat down right away, and two of the smaller ones were curious, but I couldn’t get a picture until they were through with me and heading off to bed down in the woods. Oh well. The lights behind the trees are across the river and on Capitol Drive.
My string of good luck continued immediately when this Cooper’s hawk glided over the soccer fields and perched in one of the big oak trees on the west edge.
After all that excitement, I didn’t see anything worth writing home about until I got to the great horned owl, who happened to be in today and had attracted the attention of a couple of crows. That sure seemed to wake it up.
The owl didn’t move, but the crows eventually got bored, or simply declared victory and moved on, and one even took a bath in the river. Wow! I bet that sure was brisk!
The big surprise for the morning was hearing a northern flicker calling at the north end, remembering who made that call, and then actually laying eyes on the bird after climbing up on the bluff. Perhaps his call translates as “Hey! Where did everybody go?!?” The last time I saw a flicker was back in October, and the last time I showed you one was when they were flocking up back in September. “Safe travels, little buddy!”
Finally, since the mink yesterday morning was so accommodating, here’s another look, which Anne didn’t think was as good as the one I already showed you, but it’s still not too bad either.
I hear we’re due for a warmup, so the pond ice is likely to melt, and maybe we’ll get to see birds on the water again, if only the mallard hen who has no tail feathers and appears to be stuck there.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 