A morning of several happy returns…

Wow, what a morning to be in Estabrook Park. Temps were in the mid-20s, so the trail mud was nice and firm, winds were nearly calm, so I could hear a bird chirp, and the sun was shining bright, at least for a couple of hours.

My first treat didn’t come until I reached the islands above the falls, where I found this goldeneye drake floating in icy water that was reflecting the old brick candy factory across the river and lit up by the golden morning sun.

Just a bit upstream, I found the sole remaining hooded merganser, a hen, in the company of a mallard pair and perhaps emboldened by their calming presence.

The first big surprise of the morning came when I was counting the mallards resting and preening along the shore of the upstream island, and I came across this darling little pair: our first wood ducks of the year. They’re back, baby! Woo Hoo!

The second big surprise of the morning was finding a great horned owl again and close enough to make a pretty portrait for a change.

Meanwhile, three goldeneye drakes out on the water began a heated competition for the attention of one hen. Here’s one of the drakes striking his “come and get it” pose, while the hen appears to be looking elsewhere.

The third big surprise came when this mature and dry bald eagle drifted in and perched above the upstream island to see what was on the menu.

I found it unusual when this red-winged blackbird let me get so close, but then I saw another one perched similarly just twenty feet upriver, and I remembered that when the females arrive in a few weeks, the last thing the males will want to hear is, “you had ONE job.” That job, of course, is to stake out the best territory and defend it against other males, so no wonder neither one was willing to budge.

Finally, the fourth and biggest surprise of the day came as I was already on my way south from the pond, and I found this little darling peeking out of its cavity to see who was strolling up the path. You may recall that we saw a “red-morph” screech-owl back in December, and the one today is a “gray morph“. I wonder if they’ve met.

I see that this gorgeous weather is scheduled to continue through tomorrow morning, so here’s hoping that my luck with the critters does too.