A morning of unexpected sights…

Our recent run of nice weather continued this morning, so I was able to get into Estabrook Park nice and early again.

I was a little surprised that this eastern cottontail rabbit, beside the path along the western edge of the southern soccer fields and the likes of whom I see often in the spring and summer but much less so in the fall and winter, let me get this picture.

I saw a muskrat and a mallard drake on the pond, in the little patches of open water, but neither was in the mood for a picture today. Instead, the male belted kingfisher at the northern end was quite accommodating for a change.

There were no eagles, hawks, merlins, or falcons at the north end today, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of common merganser hens on the water.

The great horned owl was in today and hardly hidden at all.

The big surprise of the day, however, was finding a second great horned owl in the same tree and so well hidden I almost didn’t see it. I have heard from a couple of reliable sources that a pair have been seen and heard in Shorewood recently, and here’s hoping that we’ll get to see more of these two in Estabrook Park in the coming weeks and months. Woo hoo!

Finally, back at the pond, the raccoon whose backside we’ve seen before finally decided to show its face. “Hey there, Cutie!”

I’ve signed up for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count tomorrow, and showers are not supposed to start until 10am, keep your fingers crossed!