It finally felt like November in Estabrook Park this morning. It wasn’t especially cold, and the sun poked through the clouds once in a while, but a stiff breeze out of the north pushed the windchill below freezing, so the inconvenience of trying to operate my gear with gloves on was a price I was willing to pay, at least for the first hour or so.
Now that I’ve been reminded to keep my eyes peeled for beaver, I am seeing them more often, and the one in this terrible picture appeared to be harvesting roots from the river bottom.
Much farther upstream, near the islands, this great blue heron seemed to be in a contemplative mood. Perhaps it was daydreaming about how much fun winter will be.
The belted kingfisher let me sneak another picture, and I’d love to think it has realized I’m harmless, but maybe this is its first autumn, and it just hasn’t yet adjusted to losing the cover that a tree full of leaves used to provide it.
With winter fast approaching, I figured I’d better brush up on capturing chickadee pictures, so here’s my first attempt in a while.
Finally, a pair of cedar waxwings beside the pond were performing a little bonding ritual with that berry, which I’ve seen before. One would pass the berry to the other, and the other would hop away with it only to return a few seconds later to pass it back. They repeated this several times, while I tried to get a clearer shot through the sticks, but I should just be glad I got to see it at all.
Upcoming Events:
- Estabrook Park Fall Park Cleanup, Saturday, November 14, from 10 am to Noon, starting in the Beer Garden Parking Lot. If you’ve been itching for a chance to get your hands dirty in Estabrook Park, but removing buckthorn just isn’t your thing, then this could be your next best opportunity. Plus, the email announcement includes a tidbit the website left out, “free beer and soda for participants following the cleanup,” so there’s that.
- Signs of Life in Estabrook Park, hosted by Sierra Club Great Waters Group, and presented by yours truly, on Thursday, November 19, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm in St. Rita Square. I hear that this will be open to the public, and registration is encouraged, but won’t be strictly required, though you may have to listen to a Sierra Club member go on and on about nature and wildlife. Maybe bring a wingman or arrange for your spouse to call you at a specific time.
