Since I’ve started to sound like a broken record, I’ll spare you the weather report and get right to the action. Just as soon as I could see the soccer fields at the south end, and while it was still pretty dark out, I was stunned to find a couple of coyotes and a white-tailed doe appearing for all the world to be playing chase. Even though, or perhaps because it was outnumbered, the deer was chasing the coyotes about as much as they chased it back.
I read that coyotes can and will take down an adult deer if the winter is harsh or the deer is sick or injured, but neither was the situation here. Another possibility is that she has a fawn stashed somewhere and was distracting the coyotes to protect it. In any case, I never saw any contact between them, the coyotes gave up after a few minutes, and everyone retired to the cover of nearby woods. Phew! That sure was a first for me!
At the pond, the wood duck ducklings remain in hiding, or so we hope, and the main attraction was this green heron fishing from the island.
As I headed down the stairway to the river from the beer garden, this red squirrel had a look on its face which seemed to ask, “remember when you were that excited to get a picture of me?” I replied, of course, “don’t worry sweetheart, I still love taking your picture.” So, here we are.
Not to offend the red squirrels, or any other regular cuties, but the huge news of the morning was the arrival of this small flock of dunlins. Long-time readers may recall that I’ve seen them before, but never in Estabrook, until now.
Here they are settling into the buffet. When I realized that the change made to the falls, which allows native fish upriver to spawn, was about equivalent to removing a low dam, I had a hope that more exposed river bottom would attract more shorebirds, and this is exactly my dream coming true.
They must have been hungry because they really kept moving, but here’s a near portrait that one let me sneak.
Finally, it was a little warmer today than it’s been recently, so the insects were active by the time I was on my way home, and here’s our first Peck’s skipper butterfly of the year. It’s on invasive dame’s rocket blossoms, which I know ain’t great, but at least they’re pretty, and they provide some nectar to the pollinators, even if it’s not their ideal diet.
Lastly, Friends of Estabrook is working on converting that patch of weeds along the west edge of the southern soccer fields, where I took the picture above, into a “rain garden of native plants”, and they are looking for volunteers to help out on that project and the expansion of the existing pollinator garden closer to the middle parking lot. Specifically:
“Help is needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10 am, starting on June 9th. The first few weeks we will be watering the new plants, pulling weeds and transplanting native plants. We will also be putting mulch in the garden to suppress weeds and create paths. Then we will get the rain garden ready for seeding and planting in the Fall. We will meet at the pollinator garden. If you have native plants to donate, bring them along. Questions? Email Henry at htomasiewicz at gmail dot com“
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 