Deep into the January thaw…

Wow, the fog has really rolled in, and as I sit here at my dining room table looking out the window, I can barely see a couple hundred yards down the road. Happily, it was not so foggy earlier this morning when I slipped into Estabrook Park. Plus, the air was calm and mild, and the thick clouds overhead were holding their water, so it sure was a nice change of pace.

The birds, however, were taking advantage of the big change in weather to make up for lost foraging time, perhaps, and I didn’t see many, although I did hear plenty. Instead, the stars of the show this morning were the deer in this little herd. At first, I saw only these three, and I didn’t even notice that Mom had her tongue out, and it stretched halfway to her eye.

But then, as they moved, I could see that there were five (5!) of them making their way south along the west side of the Oak Leaf Trail. I haven’t seen much of them in a while.

I did see one goldeneye drake and a few common mergansers on the river, but there were no signs of the black ducks today, and the one bird willing to sit for a picture, or too sleepy to care, as the case may be, was our great horned owl, who had chosen a nice open perch for us today.

Finally, since I have so little to show for my efforts this morning, here’s one more look at the red squirrel by the pond Monday.

I’d say, “enjoy the thaw while it lasts,” but it is forecast to continue for at least the next ten days, so “take your time!”