A couple of interesting new faces…

Despite the noisy thunderstorms late yesterday afternoon, it was a very nice morning in Estabrook Park today with mostly clear skies and very still air. Add to that the parkway closure for the farmers market and the light Sunday traffic at all, and conditions were perfect for hearing any unusual peeps.

As I strolled up the center of the parkway for the narrow stretch north of the soccer fields, I heard my first unusual peep, and it came from this little cutie with black speckles on its head and a white bib, my very first Harris’s sparrow in the park. Woo Hoo! What a way to start the morning.

Long-time readers may recall that I have seen such a sparrow before, when Donna invited me up to Bayshore to see a Harris’s sparrow that had taken up residency in a backyard there last November. That picture was a lot better, but I sure am glad to finally find one in Estabrook.

The next unusual peep came at the river where this stunner, another rusty blackbird, was foraging at the water line. Better yet, this bird was far more comfortable with me taking pictures than the sparrow was, so I took at least 50 as it hopped around and faced one way and then the other. The icing on the cake was that golden morning sun, and the cherry on top was the mixing reflections off the water of the blue sky above and the red radio tower over the far riverbank.

At the north end, it’s wooing season for the great blue herons, and here’s one strutting his stuff.

Meanwhile, several of our recent visitors are still with us, and here’s a gadwall showing white speculum feathers with a black border feather.

In this mashup, the only duck I’m sure of is the wigeon on the right. The one on the left is probably a second wigeon, but the pale blue speculum feather on the one in the middle is giving me pause. I can’t tell if that color is an artifact of the lighting or its “true” color. We’ll have to see what the experts say.

Upstream of the ducks, another great blue heron was taking a nap in the middle of the river.

Back on shore, this little darling hiding in the weeds is one of the last warblers hanging around, an orange-crowned.

As I was heading south, I contemplated the complete lack of raptors today, compared to the glut we’ve been having recently, and I thought maybe they’re all waiting to dry off before coming out to hunt.

I took one last glance north before my view was blocked, and I spotted the one raptor who probably doesn’t care if its feathers are wet. In fact, the osprey thrashed its wings a bit in the water and appeared to be taking a bath.

Finally, while I was standing out in the middle of the river on the bottom exposed by the low water we’ve been having, I noticed something tiny and on the move. Happily, it didn’t move far, and I was able to get my eyes and then my camera on it.

If you think it looks funny, wait till I tell you its name. This is our very first big-eyed toad bug (Gelastocoris oculatus), I kid you not, and once again, fact is stranger than fiction. It was tiny, “about half the size of a thumb nail,” and if it hadn’t moved, I never would have seen it.