Lots to see, despite the rain…

It was raining this morning when the sun came up, but that wrapped up by around 7 a.m., and I hustled into Estabrook Park soon after that.

My first big surprise came early, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I turned my binoculars to a dark shape, which I thought was probably a robin, high in a tree beside the paved path that runs along the west side of the southern soccer fields. Once I realized what it was, however, I was so excited that I had to calm myself down a bit before I could hold my camera steady. Here, Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, is our very first common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), which I have glimpsed flying high over Shorewood once or twice at dusk, but never in Estabrook Park before, and never perched like this. Be still my heart!

Their range map indicates that this little sleepyhead has probably just flown in from the Caribbean or South America. In fact, I read that they have “one of the longest migration routes of all North American birds.“

Another recent arrival was waiting for me right across the path, in the remains of the weeds that grew beside the soccer fields last year. Here’s our first Tennessee warbler of the year, just in from the Caribbean, Central America, or Northern South America.

I didn’t find our next new face until I got north of the beer garden, where I could hear the ethereal call of our first wood thrush of the year.

The new faces didn’t even stop there. When I reached the riverbank across from the upstream island, I was relieved to find that the recent rain had not covered up much, if any, of the exposed river bottom, and as if to prove my point, a flock of seven tiny least sandpipers flew in to refill their tanks. I’ve only been lucky enough to see them once before in Estabrook.

I’ve been wondering lately where our great blue herons have been hiding all spring, and I even mentioned their absence to the crew yesterday, but look who finally decided to show its face as I was trying to get a good picture of the least sandpipers with what little light I had.

Back on our side of the river, the warblers were especially thick today, and here’s the first blackburnian warbler picture I’ve managed this year.

Our first magnolia warbler was a bit more accommodating.

Finally, your blossom of the day is from one of the first trees I see blooming in the park each spring, this common service berry.