Despite the chill and the breeze, or perhaps because of it, the wildlife viewing in Estabrook Park this morning was amazing. The clear skies we had for a couple of hours were an added bonus.
Things got off to a stupendous start when I spotted this beauty just as I looked down the trail toward the river at the far south end. It appeared to be in a bit of a hurry to get out of sight, so I’m extra thankful that it glanced back for a second to let me have a nice look. I haven’t seen a coyote since there was snow on the ground.
With the breeze out of the northeast, most of the little birdies were in the trees and bushes beside the river and below the bluff, but the sun took its sweet time climbing high enough to reach down to the river path. Thus, the next sight that was big and slow enough for me to capture on film was this pair of goslings grazing beside the river under the watchful eyes of Mom and Dad. I suspect that the rainy April we’ve had has really goofed things up for the geese, because we’d have goslings coming out of the woodwork by now in a normal year, so I’m thrilled to see even these two.
Just after I passed the falls, I caught sight through the trees of a large bird flying downstream over the river, so I hustled back to an opening, and this was my reward, our first osprey of the year. Awesome!
Even better, by the time I reached the islands, two more osprey had arrived, and they put on quite an airshow. One seemed to stay perched and just cried, while the other two circled and fished, but chicks aren’t even supposed to have hatched yet, so it sure wasn’t a fledgling pleading for its parents to feed it. Thus, what the three were doing together there today remains a mystery.
I had barely managed to capture a picture of an osprey in flight, when four killdeer arrived and started to circle the upstream island. They eventually landed, and I have a picture of three of them standing around together, but this one came out the best.
There was plenty more on the river to show you, but I don’t want this to get too long, so let’s move inland just a smidge to check out this acrobatic cedar waxwing pecking at something on that branch right over the boardwalk below the beer garden,
Finally, I found my first nesting blue jay a little farther downstream. As I’ve mentioned before, given their reputation at backyard bird feeders, they are remarkably shy in Estabrook Park, so it is no wonder that it has taken me six years to stumble upon this sight. “Good luck sweetie!”
It appears that we’re in for another morning of this cool and breezy weather, and without the sun next time, but if the wildlife responds again as they did this morning, I’ll allow it!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 