The day has gotten pretty warm out by now, but conditions were quite pleasant in Estabrook Park right after sunrise.
We still have a few broods of ducklings on the river, although they mostly look like teenagers these days, and here’s a sextet of mallards just above the falls. The second one from the left looks like it’s telling its siblings to “just be cool.”
The big surprise for today was the plethora of shorebirds on the river between the islands. There were at least two killdeer, which has become pretty common lately.
There were eight spotted sandpipers, which I could all see at the same time, and which is certainly the highest count I’ve ever had.
Best of all, merely because this is only their fifth visit, least sandpipers were back, and I was thrilled to see these four (the fourth one is hunkered down a bit on the right side of the image), but when they all decided to take off, it turns out that there were ten of them! That makes twenty shorebirds in all, which is just fantastic!
Even this great blue heron was amazed!
Our weed meadow at the north end remains unmowed, and I counted five butterfly species, but the best pictures didn’t come until the weeds beside the soccer fields, where there are still Halloween pennant dragonflies hanging out.
And the monarchs are still sipping nectar from thistle blossoms.
It looks like we’re in for some precipitation overnight, but that should dry up by morning, and I can’t wait to see who’s on the river tomorrow.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 