Three-peats…

The weather was amazing again this morning in Estabrook Park, with clear skies, nearly still air, and seasonably cool temps.

Things got off to an exciting start when, just as I was about to reach the river for my first visit, this Cooper’s hawk swooped in, came up empty, and looked around for whatever prey had attracted it in the first place. The picture is so grainy because it was still quite dark down in the river valley, and I was surprised my autofocus was even able to lock onto the bird at all.

As crazy luck would have it, I soon had another chance when a Cooper’s hawk, quite possibly the same one, swooped over the pond, and then made a try for one of the wood ducks there, but had no luck again.

At the north end and back at the river, I didn’t see any owls, eagles, osprey, red-tails, merlins, or kestrels today, but, you guessed it, a Cooper’s hawk swooped in and perched low over the northern island. I ended up seeing a Cooper’s hawk five separate times in five separate locations, but I never saw one have any success this morning. Well, you know what they say, “practice makes perfect,” right?

Closer to shore, I found one last palm warbler, who looks like it might have just taken a dip, so it was not in the usual mood for pictures.

Hopping around on the rocks with the palm were a couple of yellow-rumped warblers.

Back at the pond, there is still quite a contingent of wood ducks, and here’s a sharp looking pair.

On my last visit to the river, where we’ve seen song, tree, and Lincoln’s sparrows recently, all I saw today were swamp sparrows: puffy, round ones, …

slim, sleek ones, …

and excited as all get-out ones. I didn’t even know they could do this, until today, and I even had a hope that this might be a new bird for us. Well, you know what they say, “live and learn,” right?