As I mentioned yesterday, I’m traveling back to Connecticut today to see my folks, and I don’t expect to get any pictures until tomorrow. I don’t want to leave you in the lurch, however, so here are a few more highlights from 2025 that I didn’t manage to sneak in before the new year started.
An absolute favorite has got to be the three curious river otters who paused from their fishing to check me out on March 13, 2025. Then, as if seeing them in Estabrook for only the second time ever wasn’t enough, we had a hungry one visit again on August 8, 2025.
After many “false positives” I finally saw my first, for-sure, “raspberry red”, male purple finch on April 22, 2025.
Long-time readers may recall that I see vesper sparrows now and then at Anne’s mom’s place out in Waterford, but I finally found my first one in Estabrook, on April 7, 2025, and it happens to be the first one ever reported there.
Another bird that evaded me for years is the ovenbird, and I not only got to see one this year, on May 16, 2025, but I even had a second chance, just a few days later, to get a nicer picture, on May 22, 2025.
Finally, just when I thought we might be done with firsts for the year, my first yellow-billed cuckoo popped in to say “hi”, on October 3, 2025.
The weather forecast looks good for Cheshire on Wednesday, so I have a hope of finding some new content for you. Wish me luck!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 