I gotta admit, I felt sorta iffy about visiting Estabrook Park this morning. At sunrise the wind was howling, the clouds were thick, and it was spritzing enough to wet the pavement. But, I always need the walk, and the nature is supposed to be good for my head, so I grabbed my raincoat and the rain cover for my camera, and into the park I went.
Holy Moley, am I sure glad I did!
My first treat of the morning was catching this darling pair of pied-billed grebes fishing and then preening together on the wide and slow part of the river under the twin radio towers.
As I tried to move into a better position on shore, I spotted our first eggshell of the year! It’s really happening, people!
When I reached the pond, there was a bit of a ruckus in the woods to the north, and here’s one of the culprits. You can see just the tail of its accomplice in the bottom right of the picture.
At the edge of the water, I found the white-crowned sparrow with brown stripes, whom we’ve been seeing all winter, and perhaps who was wondering when in heck the rest of the white-crowned sparrows are going to show up.
From the pond, I headed to the river, and look who was there to greet me.
Farther upstream, there were still about a half dozen blue-winged teals, and they sure are pretty birds, but I thought the more interesting sight today was this little cutie. At first glance, I figured it was another phoebe, of whom I had already seen a couple, …
but then look who I found on the next branch over. Those aren’t phoebes! Those are our first northern rough-winged swallows of the season! Woo hoo, and “Welcome back!”
They weren’t alone, either. Once the sun started poking through the clouds, there was a swarm of swallows hunting for bugs over the river, and here’s our first picture for the year of a tree swallow in Estabrook, …
and our first barn swallow of the year. It’s really starting to get crazy out there!
As the swallows were hunting bugs, this turkey vulture was looking and sniffing for carrion as it soared over the river.
I wasted a bunch of time and film trying to get pictures of swallows in flight, but I eventually tore myself away and headed back downstream, where I found one of our great horned owls again.
Finally, back downstream of the islands, I found this gorgeous yellow-rumped warbler furiously foraging on the low branches for bugs who were trying to get out of the wind.
The weather tomorrow is supposed to be back to beautiful, so I can’t wait to see who I find next.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 