We had the nicest weather of the year, so far, in Estabrook Park this morning, with clear skies, warm temps, and still air, which made perfect conditions for our weekly wildlife walk. Seven folks came out for the 7 a.m. start, and two more joined us at 8 a.m. I started a new checklist at 8, and we identified 52 species before we called it quits.
The first big surprise of the morning was finding our first ducklings of the year, these nine mallards, in the river just off the upstream island. They must have been hungry, because they had stayed on the bit of exposed river bottom as Mom had drifted away. When I showed up, they seemed to realize how far away she had gotten and made a b-line for her.
Surprise number two was the familiar call of our first red-eyed vireo of the year.
The scarlet tanagers are still around, and we saw at least three at once, and there might even have been five, altogether.
We also saw my first magnolia warbler, whose picture did not turn out well, and my first Wilson’s warbler, who I didn’t even try to capture on film. Instead, I have this pretty nice picture of our first willow flycatcher of the year.
When I first stopped by the pond, I didn’t see the goslings, and figured that Mom and Dad had finally marched them down to the river, but when we went by a second time, look who we found. Boy, they’ve gotten big, eh?
In the water, I believe this is the first American bullfrog I’ve seen this year.
Finally, your blossom of the day is this dainty little thing, which appears to be sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba), growing in the woods between the parkway and the Oak Leaf Trail.
Lastly, we have some rain in the forecast for tomorrow morning, but it might wrap up by sunrise, so keep your fingers crossed.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 