It was cold and cloudy this morning in Estabrook, but the wind was light, we already have a nice new coating of snow on the ground from the previous couple of days, and the snow that is coming down now hadn’t started yet. Plus, the park was nearly empty of people, and traffic noise was low, so my stroll along the river was a very nice and quiet way to start the new year.
Despite the cold and them having stayed up late to ring in the new year, there were still a few critters out and about today, and here’s an American red squirrel who looked a little chilly.
I did see one goldeneye, a few common mergansers, and a slew of mallards on the river, but the water was pretty empty around the two islands, and this mature bald eagle perched high over the far riverbank and looking quite hungry was probably the cause of that.
I didn’t take a picture of the goldeneye today, but here’s another one from yesterday that came out pretty well.
I didn’t see a fox sparrow today, but here’s one from yesterday, when the lighting was just about the same.
It was quite a bit warmer yesterday, right around freezing, so a bunch of house sparrows were taking the opportunity to bathe in a bit of open water in the pond. Their wet feathers looked so much darker than they do when dry, I was all excited for a moment about spotting a new bird.
Finally, here’s a male northern cardinal to provide a festive splash of color to an otherwise gray day.
I see that we’re forecast to have clear skies tomorrow, so maybe I’ll get a chance to photograph a goldeneye in some warm morning sunlight for a change. Wish me luck!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 