Wow! It rained a lot last night. It had poured at least three times before I went to bed, and once I turned in, it seemed as though every time I rolled over, there was a new line of thunderstorms rolling through. There was even one more heavy shower this morning while I was in Estabrook, and here is where a lot of that water went.
You might not recognize the scene below in this condition, but that is where the Estabrook Falls usually are. The river water was so high when I visited earlier this morning that it reached the railing along the boardwalk. In the background, you can see all the heavy equipment the workers left parked high-and-dry, now up to their axles in water on the far shore. I will be fascinated to learn, eventually, how all those big white bags full of gravel made out, and you can check Friday’s post for a reminder of how it looked just twenty-four hours ago.
So, even getting to the river was difficult, let alone finding anyone to photograph there, but luckily, Estabrook Park also has a pond. The water was up at least a foot there, as well, but it was still nice and calm, and here are the birds that found shelter in and on it.
The pair of hooded mergansers was there, …
and one even caught itself some breakfast.
There were a bunch of wood ducks, and here’s a hen letting her feathers dry out, …
two more, …
and a half dozen.
I heard a great blue heron squawking over the river, and it sounded frustrated, perhaps by the lack of any place to perch and fish, but then again, they always sound like that. I don’t know if this is the same bird, but this one got right to fishing and kept quiet about it.
There was also a green heron, looking surprisingly pulled together and also keeping quiet.
Finally, there were even a couple of belted kingfishers, and here’s a female.
Lastly, I don’t believe I saw a single butterfly today, so here’s another look at that eastern tiger swallowtail from yesterday, before the deluge.
I never made it to Bender Park this morning, so the shorebirds will just have to wait for another day.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 