They haven’t all flown south yet…

I wish I knew what I stepped in, because it sure has brought a nice long streak of beautiful weather to Estabrook Park. It was cooler this morning, closer to 50 than 60, which created some low fog over the soccer fields and the river, but the air was still again, and the skies were clear, so it was just perfect for a walk in the park.

I stopped by the river again before the pond, and I arrived just in time to watch this Cooper’s hawk make an unsuccessful try for a belted kingfisher, after which it perched nearly over my head to see what else might be on the menu.

Oddly, it seemed not to notice, or care for, the young spotted sandpiper foraging atop the lily pads on the water almost right below it. Perhaps it was just as amazed as I was to learn that sandpipers could even do that.

The kingfisher went by again, and the hawk gave it one more try, without success, and perched overhead again to contemplate the error of its ways. But this time, it faced the camera and hid behind fewer branches, so hurray for us.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement enough already, then a beaver steamed down the river, …

and a couple of mallards came up river to greet it. I mentioned the fog already, right?

Anyway, the party eventually subsided at the river, I checked the pond, which was quiet again, and returned to the river at the north end. I was sad to find the teals had moved on, but a family of indigo buntings, dad with two hungry and noisy offspring, made up for that.

By the time of my second pass at the pond, a great blue heron had arrived and was giving fishing lessons to a gaggle of photographers on the west lawn.

Since I had a few minutes left on the clock, I stopped by the river one last time, and I was thrilled to find the sandpiper still foraging on the lily pads, but now with a nice warm sun lighting up the scene.

From there, it was a quick walk up to the pollinator garden, where I did spot a monarch, but it stayed away from the flowers. Instead, this red-belted bumblebee (Bombus rufocinctus) was nearly climbing into the obedient plant blossoms.

On my way out of the park, I swung by the Benjamin Church House, and look who I found lurking in a lilac bush there: perhaps our last house wren of the season.

Finally, the warblers appear to be thinning out, so I was extra happy to spot this Cape May in the evergreen right next to the Church House.

Lastly, your butterfly of the day is this magnificent monarch tanking up on thistle nectar beside the soccer fields to fuel its long journey south.