Now that’s more like it! The skies were not crystal clear in Estabrook Park this morning, by any means, but they sure were clear enough to let some sun shine in and let some blue reflect off the river water. For these pictures, that makes all the difference in the world.
The critters were not necessarily any more obliging than yesterday, but my camera and lens worked a heck of a lot better today. Here’s a red-breasted merganser drake, probably the same one who’s been hanging around for days, and looking gorgeous against that backdrop of blue and gold.
This picture is more for documentarian purposes than pretty. Today is the first day I’ve seen a bunch of geese up on the northern island in the river, and I was a little surprised that they weren’t all honking at each other. That’ll come soon enough.
Meanwhile, back on the water, here’s a pair of common goldeneyes, and it appears that the drake has caught himself something big to eat. Those legs sticking out of his bill make it look like a crayfish, which I read is right in their diet. Good for him!
Another first for the season is this pair of mallards on the pond, which is still mostly covered in ice, but is now starting to show little slices of open water around its edges.
Finally, how could I resist this face?
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
Good for the goldeneye drake, but not so good for the crayfish.
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