Just when I thought the weather in Estabrook Park couldn’t possibly get any darker and damper, today came along to show me I ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Sheesh! At least it wasn’t pouring down rain, and the winds continue to be very light, so that’s somethin’.
Anyway, most of the critters appeared to be sleeping in this morning, and the park was as quiet as I can ever remember. Birds gotta eat, however, so here’s a young green heron trying to fish from the bank of the downstream island in the river.
The one fun surprise today was spotting this little darling, colored perfectly to match the day, and perched high above the meadow at the north end. The wildlife walkers and I thought we saw one on Monday, but that turned out to be a false alarm. This time, I’m happy to report, it really is our first olive-sided flycatcher of the fall migration. “Welcome back, Sweetheart!”
Their range map suggests that this individual is on its way from breeding grounds, stretching from upstate almost to Hudson Bay, to wintering grounds in parts of Central America and most of northern South America. “Safe travels, and see you next spring!”
And that concludes the avian portion of today’s program. Thankfully, I’ve got a couple pictures from yesterday to pick up some of the slack, and here’s a quintet of wood ducks up on a log in the pond to preen and get that new fall plumage in top shape.
I didn’t see the bald eagle this morning, but it paid us a visit yesterday, so here it is.
Finally, I did see one butterfly today, a Peck’s skipper, of which we’ve seen plenty already this summer, so here’s another look at the Huron skipper from yesterday, but this time holding its wings in that signature fighter-jet pose that skippers use.
If you’re wondering if we might have seen the end of the gloomy weather, I have some bad news for you, because the forecast for tomorrow morning calls for fog and 95% humidity. Oh well. Maybe next week.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 