The promised heat dome has arrived, but it wasn’t too bad yet when I reached the pond at about 6 this morning. Unfortunately, that’s also when this raccoon decided it was time to amble off to bed, and this is the best look it let me have.
Happily, this great blue heron is not nocturnal and was still looking for its breakfast, so I had plenty of time if I managed not to scare it off. They’ve been quite skittish on the pond so far this year, but perhaps this one felt safe in the cover of those reeds.
When I got to the river, I was thrilled to see a turkey on the far riverbank again, and thank goodness it was less successful at hiding in the grass than the heron was.
The treat of the morning came on the river bottom, which is become more exposed every day, around the islands. As has become the norm lately, I was checking for spotted or least sandpipers, and I thought this little cutie was one of the former, ‘cause it was way too big to be one of the latter, but it didn’t look quite right. It was a little taller and its beak was a little longer.
Well, I hope you’ll be as thrilled to learn as I was, that this is because it’s our first solitary sandpiper of the fall migration. We last saw one at the end of May, just 52 days ago, but that’s about 7.5 weeks, and I read that their breeding season is only “about 6 to 8 weeks, running from late May through mid-July,” so this one is right on schedule. “Safe travels, Sweetie, and give my best to the Gulf of Mexico when you fly over.”
Back on shore, the warm morning had the butterflies out nice and early, and here’s a clouded sulphur appearing to sip dew from the leaf on which it is perched.
Farther downstream, a nice patch of swamp milkweed is coming into bloom, and here’s a western honeybee sipping up that sweet nectar.
Finally, in scene I look forward to seeing for much of the summer, here’s a monarch sampling the thistle nectar in the weeds beside the soccer fields.
In case you’re wondering, I did receive an email reminder late this morning that the Friends of Estabrook Picnic is still on for 5-7:30 this afternoon in the Estabrook Park Beer Garden, so wear something cool and come on out to join us for an ice-cold refreshment. It’ll probably be too warm for cheese and crackers, so I’m gonna try bringing cookies to share this time.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 