It was a little warmer, a little less windy, and a little sunnier than yesterday in Estabrook Park this morning. Woo hoo! Baby steps.
I don’t know if it was the improving weather or just hunger, but one of the chipmunks I’ve been seeing for a few days finally relented and let me have a nice picture today, my first of the year. I read that they don’t actually hibernate, but they do mostly stay in their burrows for the winter to sleep and eat, like good little couch potatoes. Sounds like a great plan, doesn’t it?
My guess is that this one was compelled by hunger, because here it is, right after the pose above, furiously digging for something that must have smelled good enough to put up with my gaze.
Meanwhile, the juncos are getting really noisy, probably in hopes of getting a date to the prom before they head north, but the good news is that their call sounds like tiny dinner bells.
Similarly, the fox sparrows, whose numbers have multiplied in the past few weeks, are up to the same thing.
Finally, one bird that remained quiet this morning was this great blue heron that glided south over the pond. I was thrilled to finally get eyes on one, another first for the year, and I hope that they’ll soon start landing in Estabrook to fish in the river or the pond.
The weather is forecast to continue its slow improvement through tomorrow morning, so maybe a heron will fulfill my wish or someone new will appear. I can’t wait to find out which.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 