Sheesh! It really poured last night. I hope you stayed dry. The river wasn’t as high as it got during the great flood last August, but the pond was higher than I’ve ever seen it, and high enough to completely cover the island, which inundated the goose nest. She was off it when I arrived this morning, and I could see at least three eggs floating in the water. Ugh! I’ll spare you the depressing picture, and the good news is that she has lost her first clutch before, likely to predators last time, and then went on to lay a whole new batch, which did finally hatch into goslings. So, not all hope is lost.
A happy sight at the pond was our first brown thrasher of the year, singing up a storm in exactly the same spot I saw it yesterday.
This little red squirrel found one of last year’s black walnuts and was so intent on chewing it open that it seemed to completely ignore me.
Another new arrival yesterday morning was our first pine warbler of the year and only the second one I’ve captured on film in Estabrook. This picture is a little better than the first, but not by much.
Late yesterday morning, it got so warm that even this mourning cloak butterfly was out.
Finally, my one good picture from this morning is this white-breasted nuthatch performing their signature pose.
Lastly, there are several wildflowers up in the park, including marsh marigolds and Virginia bluebells, but my favorite of the current batch is this white trout lily.
I see that the chance of rain in the current forecast stays below 25% until tomorrow evening, woo hoo, so maybe we’ll have a chance to dry out a bit. Keep your fingers crossed!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 