It has really warmed up since yesterday, and it was in the low twenties this morning instead of the low single digits we had yesterday morning. Plus, the breeze was pretty light and the sun was shining, so it was about as nice a morning in January that I could hope for.
The critters wasted no time in taking advantage of it, and here’s one of two crows I watched taking turns bathing in the open river water just above the falls. Who knows when it might ever get this warm again, so better get right to it. Right? To their credit, the water was actually warmer than the air at that point, so maybe it felt good?
At the far north end, I was surprise to find a trio of muskrats out on the river bank feasting on the plants they dredge up from the river bottom. That’s the most muskrats I have ever seen together.
I didn’t see any pictures to take at the pond, but on my way back south along the river, this winter wren put on the best show I might have ever seen from the likes of them. The light was great, and it was nearly at eye level not even ten feet from me. “Thank you, cutie!”
I don’t take a lot of gray squirrel pictures, as you may have already realized, but this one posed so nicely, that I thought it was worth an exception.
I didn’t see a single goldeneye this morning, for the first time in almost three weeks, so here’s a drake from Thursday that I didn’t have room for then, …
and here’s the hen who was with him.
Finally, we do still have common mergansers, and here’s a trio of hens taking a break up on the river ice and in the warm sun.
I see that it is forecast to be cooler again tomorrow, so maybe the goldeneyes will come back and bring some buffleheads with them. Or red-breasted mergansers! I’d love to see them, too. I’m not picky!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 