I’m sure there will be an unseasonable thaw, eventually, that will break my heart, but I am definitely loving the winter that December is serving up so far. Temps were in the single digits at sunrise this morning, the sky was crystal clear, the breeze wasn’t bad at all, and there is still enough snow on the ground to provide about 99% coverage. The only thing missing today was critters willing to pose in front of that perfect blue sky. Oh well. Perhaps they have other things to worry about.
On the plus side, the common merganser hens are still on the river, and it was nice to have some sun to light up their pretty red eyes and something other than gray clouds to reflect off the water.
Even better, they scrounged up a drake, and he let us catch just a glimpse of the amazing iridescent green his head feathers can produce.
Finally, and I know that came up soon, but that’s just how this game goes sometimes, now that the lawns they like to graze on are covered in snow, there are plenty of Canada geese back on the river. Here’s a snoozing sextet that has accumulated a dusting of hoarfrost from the slight steam coming off the relatively warm river water.
The forecast for tomorrow morning calls for a little less cold, a little more wind, and a lot more clouds, so maybe a few more critters will be out and about. We shall see soon enough, eh?
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 