I believe it may have been the warmest morning of the year so far in Estabrook Park, with temps starting in the high 30s, and soon warming into the 40s. The cloud cover was thick, however, and so was the mud on the path beside the river, so I struggled a bit to get many pictures.
Thankfully, the river ice continues to recede, so the ducks are spreading out to forage in areas newly opened to them, and here’s one of two common goldeneye drakes checking to see how the “mollusks and crustaceans” taste in the water just above the falls.
Similarly, the water around the islands above the falls is opening up, and here’s a common merganser drake checking on the fish situation there.
The big surprise of the morning, however, came when a healthy murder of crows, six individuals eventually, did their best to persuade a great horned owl to move on to another forest. The action all took place above the far riverbank behind the downstream island, so I was thrilled even to see the owl at all, but right in the middle of this picture, you can make out the right edge of its facial disc, a smidgeon of its big, yellow left eye, and its huge left foot.
Well, since I’m out of pictures for today, and you’re already all here, let me fill you in on your next opportunity to see me show pictures and tell the stories behind them live and in person. The North Shore School for Seniors has inexplicably invited me back for the spring term, and my class will be on Tuesday, March 25 at 2:15. Besides just me, there is a whole catalog of courses to choose from, including the esteemed Chuck Hagner discussing “Wisconsin’s Birds of Spring”, and Andy Holman describing his adventures “In Search of Rare and Unusual Animals.” You can register for these and many other classes online here.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 