All discombobulated…

Today’s date is even, but it didn’t rain, in fact the weather has been gorgeous all day, and perhaps that is what has goofed me up.

Things started out pretty good with an image, good enough for a positive ID, of the first winter wren spotted this fall in Estabrook Park. It was still so dark that I didn’t dare zoom in at all so that my autofocus stood a chance.

At the north end, there were still a few warblers around, but the only one who would even allow me this back-of-the-head image was this black-throated green.

I didn’t see the sharpy or any owls, and I did see a Cooper’s hawk across the river, but the only image worth showing is of this merlin high over the northern island.

On my way back south, this sparrow, which looks like a young white-throated who has just taken a bath, took some pity on me and held still on this side of the river for a second.

Finally, back at the weeds beside the soccer fields, I watched a monarch and a mourning cloak flutter by without stopping, and I started to take pictures of sulphurs and whites, out of desperation, but then I stumbled upon this beauty. I thought we were done with buckeyes for the year, but I guess not, and it sure is nice to have something we haven’t seen in a while for a butterfly of the day.