The recent weather trend in Estabrook Park continued this morning with air temps now down into the teens and a stiff breeze to chill them all the way down to just +1°F. But the sky was still pretty clear again, so the critters could have a hope of catching a little warmth, if they could find a spot in the sun and sheltered from the wind.
One such spot is the stand of short spindle trees and other brush beside the river and across from the pair of radio towers. It was rife with birds this morning, and here’s a goldfinch taking full advantage of the situation while also nibbling on something it’s finding on the bark of the trees. I had no luck finding the bluebirds again, however.
The closer a perch is to the ground, the slower the breeze is, of course, so this red-bellied woodpecker was just about at eye level for a change.
These mourning doves, on the other hand, must have felt that a little more peace of mind was worth a little more breeze, so they kept to overhead perches.
Finally, the pond is completely frozen over, and the river is really starting to ice up. In some places the ice cover reaches from riverbank to riverbank. I haven’t seen any exotic waterfowl from up north yet, but at this rate, we might not have much longer to wait.
Here’s a look between the two abandoned bridge abutments downstream of the falls. In the foreground, you can see a big pile of ice chunks that has accumulated as the flowing water below keeps pushing ice downstream.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 