Even after the crowds have gone, the show continues to go on.

Our recent stretch of beautiful weather in Estabrook Park continued this morning, and without clouds to block the sun, I had enough light for a nice early start.

My first treat of the morning was catching this cute pair of young spotted sandpipers flitting back and forth across the river. Better yet, they paused for a moment to visit the sandbar reemerging from the river just downstream of the southern island.

At the north end, this red squirrel appeared to be foraging for apples as the sun started to reach down to the river, but I didn’t get to see which one it picked.

Out on the water, a great blue heron fished while a gaggle of geese preened.

The next big treat, however, came on my way back south when, by sheer luck, I opted to refollow the riverbank around the low ground next to the southern island, instead of taking the nice path inland along the bottom of the bluff. Look who I found perched high in a bare tree on the northern tip of the island. I think that’s the young female great horned owl that we’ve been seeing lately, and ain’t she absolutely gorgeous?

But wait! Who’s that peeking out from behind a branch behind her?

I bet that’s her little brother, Shorty, whom I believe I’ve only seen that one time they were down close to the water on the far riverbank. Boy, it sure is great to see them sticking around.

Back up on the bluff, I got a fleeting glimpse of another fall migrant, a yellow warbler this time, on his way south to the Yucatan peninsula or even farther.

The pond is still full of wood ducks, I counted 15 today, and here’s one making another nice reflection.

The pollinator garden was nice and busy, and here’s a red-spotted admiral on one of the tall cup flowers in the back row.

Better yet, it closed its wings for a second so we could see those namesake red spots.

The weeds beside the soccer fields were just as busy, and here’s another wandering glider showing off just a little more color than the first one.

Finally, the butterfly of the day is this beauty, back at the pollinator garden.

What type is it; you ask? Well, it was also kind enough to close its wings for a second to show off the small white crescent near the middle of its hind wing that makes it an eastern comma.