It was a little warmer and a lot cloudier than yesterday in Estabrook Park this morning, but still plenty nice enough for a visit.
The most exciting show came early, on my first visit to the pond, when this belted kingfisher made its usual loud rattle as it moved to a different perch, and a Cooper’s hawk that had been perched higher gave chase.
Well, the chase didn’t take long, the hawk came up empty, and here it sits looking for its next opportunity. “Try for a squirrel next time. We’ve got plenty!”
That’s it for vertebrate pictures today, I’m afraid. Perhaps the warblers took advantage of a relatively calm night and got out of Dodge because I didn’t see a single one this morning. So, here’s a male American goldfinch from yesterday pulling the seeds out of a thistle blossom and setting the pappus adrift to mesmerize young hummingbirds.
I did get a chance to pour through the swift pictures I tried to take after sunset yesterday, and I am a little surprised to report that one came out good enough to recognize a chimney swift diving into the top of the chimney. I can’t quite tell what the second one, lower and slightly to the right, was doing, but they all seemed to like swirling around the chimney, like toddlers that don’t want to go to bed yet.
Finally, I did see one more late-season dragonfly, and this one is a black saddlebags on the bushes by the beer garden.
Lastly, I see that we are due for more thunderstorms overnight, but they should clear out by mid-morning, so I have a hope of be able to go take a look for new wildlife then.
In other news, I’ve got a couple of talks coming up for the North Shore School for Seniors fall semester, and you can check out times and topics and register on their website. Perhaps I’ll see you there.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 