The recent freeze in Estabrook Park deepened this morning with temps in the single-digits, and windchills well below 0°F. The skies were clearer than yesterday, on the other hand, and I still don’t see a single cloud this afternoon, so conditions were good for some nice pictures today. Happily, some critters were willing to oblige.
Here’s a white-throated sparrow by the pond who appeared to be as puffed up as possible and singing “the anthem of the boreal forest” to remind itself of warm summer days in Canada.
This dark-eyed junco was too busy foraging to have any time for songs.
While this red squirrel seemed to be too cold for foraging or singing and focused on soaking up sun instead. It acted the same way on the same branch during the previous cold snap.
On the river, the only odd duck I saw today was a lone common merganser drake, but these mallards put on a better show.
Finally, at the south end, just as I was about to cross the parkway and exit the park, I noticed this red-tailed hawk on the hunt over the weeds beside the soccer fields where I found butterflies and dragonflies all summer.
There sure as heck weren’t butterflies out today, so I suspect the red-tailed made a try for some warm-blooded breakfast, but it came up empty this time.
Thus, it took another perch, from which to wait patiently, and gave us a nice look at its version of a red tail. I read also that the pale yellow eye indicates a young bird, as opposed to the dark red eye of the bird with solid red tail feathers.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 