A little bit of everything…

It was another beautiful morning in Estabrook Park, and I thought there was enough light for me to get a nice and early start. So early, in fact, that I surprised this raccoon, who was still out foraging by the underpass when I walked by.

Things were quiet, however, and the only bird picture I took today is of this darling spotted sandpiper. It’s young, so it doesn’t have spots yet. Instead, you can still see its fluffy baby feathers poking out all over.

Since I wasn’t seeing much today, I decided to hike back home, grab my bike, and ride down to the Urban Ecology Center for their 8 a.m. bird walk. We saw a decent number of birds, but I still failed to capture any on film. Instead, I found another spiny softshell turtle on the far riverbank, and I couldn’t resist.

Then there were two more! Wow, they’re thick down there.

On our way back up from the river, we went by two (2!) raccoon dens, and this is the one with better lighting.

Not to be outdone, this chipmunk held its pose perfectly for me.

I saw a few dragonflies on the wing today, but I never got a good look at one perched, so here’s a ruby meadowhawk from yesterday.

I did have a butterfly perch this morning, and it was this pretty little wood satyr.

Finally, if you like black raspberries, now is the time! They are ripe and delicious.

Lastly, I found these two beauties by the river on Monday, and Lisa was kind enough to keep them in her car for me during our wildlife walk. You’ll be glad to know that I’ve tested them already, and they both turned out to be safe to drink. Ha!