It was rainy and foggy when the sun came up this morning out here in Cheshire, CT, so my sister and I went to breakfast with my mom and dad, and I pinned my hopes on this afternoon. As luck would have it, the sky did clear up after lunch, and I got my chance to take a look around outside the complex my folks moved into last fall.
There was a busy bird feeder a few doors away, and I was thrilled to see a tufted titmouse again. I’ve heard them a couple of times in the Milwaukee area, but I haven’t managed to get a picture of one there, yet. Just as soon as I managed this shot, however, a shape swooped in, and all the little birds scattered.
The shape turned out to be this Cooper’s hawk, which we do get to see in Estabrook year-round, and it perched in the middle of a nearby tree, but it must have been hungry, because it soon took another pass at the feeder.
Its next perch gave me a closer look, but by then, its advantage of surprise was long gone, so it took off again nearly as fast as it had swooped in.
I moved on, too, and around the next corner, I found this song sparrow perched on a fence post. It was just sitting there, not calling, and certainly not hunting, so I don’t know what it was up to, and I just took its picture. I did manage to see one a few times back home late into the fall, but not once since the deep freeze at the start of December.
Finally, I was fascinated to spot about a dozen black vultures soaring high over the nature preserve next door. The turkey vultures we get in Estabrook have long flown south for the winter, so it was a treat to find vultures toughing out the winter here.
The weather’s supposed to be a lot better tomorrow morning, so it will be interesting to see who’s out and about after the sun comes up.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 