I know what you’ve all been thinking. “Birds are fine, mammals are nice enough, reptiles will do, and we’ll even allow a fish or two, but where the heck are the amphibians, for Pete’s sake? How about a newt, a salamander, a frog, or even a pollywog for a change? Come on, man, you’re better than this!” Well, wait no more and, as all the kids say these days, “say hello to my little friend!”
The irony is that I’ve been checking on the dog-gone toadshade every day to catch when those blossoms finally open, and this little guy was hiding in a nice big patch of bluebells. Actually, he or she is a good sized American toad and not so little, maybe a couple of inches long, or so.
Meanwhile, since you’re all sick of pretty flowers, too, here are some more mushrooms!
Oh, sure, I could definitely go out, and I will have to at some point, but I don’t want to get the camera wet, you know?
Anyway, I managed to capture a couple of images last evening before the light was gone that I have a hope will get us through the morning.
First up, and most exciting, is a v-formation of double-crested cormorants. Now you could argue that they were not technically in the park, just in its airspace, and I’m sure all the fish in the pond are relieved about that, but I was standing right beside the pond when it finally dawned on me to take this picture, so we’re going to allow it.
At that instant, they are heading back toward Lake Michigan, and when I see their low, purposeful flight over the water and read articles about their fishing prowess and human efforts to constrain them, I imagine that when they arrive, the lead bird might say something like “give us all your fish, and nobody gets hurt.”
Anyway, in a completely other direction, just after witnessing the spectacle above, I was headed home along that little path in the woods where I had finally spotted the grosbeaks earlier this week, when I noticed this pretty new arrival.
Sure, all the usual suspects were out and about, but I didn’t manage to see anybody new today. Maybe they’re all at Gary’s bird feeder along with the grosbeaks he’s been hoarding. Luckily, I did happen upon this little guy down by the river yesterday afternoon. He’s a Black-and-white warbler, if you can believe it.
When I’m not even thinking about grosbeaks, that’s when I spot a grosbeak, right? I was by the pond, had just taken yet another picture of a turtle already up on a log in the sun, and had just turned off on a little trail heading north into the woods, when I spotted a couple of big light-colored objects up in a tree. At first I thought they were plastic bags, but then one flew off. So I try to zoom in on the other one through all the branches, and it still looks like a plastic bag glinting in the sun, but I take a few pictures anyway. Boy, I’m sure glad I did. Tada! A male rose-breasted grosbeak looking resplendent in the morning light, and he never made a sound, perhaps listening to the nearby catbird for ideas.
I also managed to capture a cute little palm warbler who deigned to sit still for a second.
There was plenty of other activity in the park as well, this morning, and some of it was photogenic. Finally, all 11 goslings were up and about this morning, and no play date appeared to be under way. Maybe later. You know the drill: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
A couple more flitty little warblers stayed still nearly long enough for me to capture images.
They are a male common yellowthroat hunting for breakfast in the grass and a male magnolia warbler prefering to hunt in the bushes.
Meanwhile, Ol’ Blue was back at the pond again along with his little green sidekick, who looks like Gru, and the third of three gosling appears to be on another playdate with the octet.
First, I’d like to wish Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and all the moms out there trying to make the best of things in these very difficult times.
Second, a couple of readers have written to ask me about the mushrooms. I am sure that they are not morels, but I don’t know what they might be instead, so please do not eat them!😊 Also, don’t drink bleach. If you must know, they are in the woods at the western base of a tree just east of the northern end of the southern parking lot. Besides, if I found morels, do you really think I’d tell where they are? 😋
Third, and I’m sure some of you are wondering how is this not first, the kids are all still alright, and our little adventurer seems to have returned from his or her play date. At first, I couldn’t tell because everyone was hunkered down trying to get out of the 20% chance of rain we were all enjoying, but then some other geese got too close, one of the dads got all excited, and everyone decided that they might as well eat some more grass now that they’re all awake anyway. Lastly, there were not one, not two, but three new visitors to the pond this morning, and I even got pictures of two of them. Ath, say hello to a green heron, who was busy making the weirdest call I’ve ever heard a bird make. If you don’t already know what I mean, it’s worth a listen.
Bth was most probably an immature green heron, looking all brown and mottled, who did not want to sit still for me. Cth is most likely a great white heron, technically a white variant of the great blue heron, even though they are suppose to be “very rare outside central and southern Florida”. Nevertheless, after reading “How to Identify White Herons“, an excerpt from “Better Birding”, and examining this image closely, I am convinced it is not any of the other possible white wading birds.
I’ll spare you pictures of frost and get right to the interesting change afoot at the pond. When I arrived this morning, nine goslings were napping in one group with one set of parents, and two goslings were in a distinctly separate group with a second set of parents, instead of the usual eight and three. I was immediately worried, as some of you must be too, that maybe someone had had a rough night and didn’t want to, or worse, couldn’t get up in the morning. I am as relieved to report, however, as you all must be to read, that a little later all eleven goslings were up and about and all seemed to be eating just fine. It appears that one just wanted more than two siblings and so jumped ship. I even suspect that I observed one of the nine getting picked on a little by its new siblings, but it was minor and lasted only a few seconds before everyone got back to munching on the grass. I’ll bring you updates as soon as they arrive. Meanwhile, say hello to Mrs. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Note the lack of a prominent, v-shaped, monobrow, compared to a blurry picture I took of the guy she was with.
I think there’s an “Angry Birds” character based on him. Finally, mushrooms are up. I know everyone has been wondering when that day would come, because people keep asking me on the Oakleaf Trail if I’m looking for mushrooms, and at last, that day has finally arrived. Shrooms and other images are stylistically arranged for your viewing pleasure by my dedicated staff at https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
I’m sure you will all be relieved to hear that the kids are still alright. 11 goslings with 4 adults were making the best of a cold morning by the pond. Luckily, the sun was out a bit. I heard much less singing today, although the gray catbird on the Oakleaf Trail did give a nice little concert and then even posed for me to take this picture.
The real surprise guest this morning, however, is this little guy, a “blue-gray gnatcatcher“. Seriously, I can’t make these names up.
He was busy flitting from branch to branch, hunting gnats I can only suppose, while singing his soft little song. This image was the best I could do in a dozen tries. I read he winters in Mexico and along the gulf coast and is now at about the north edge of his breeding range. This morning he might be wondering if he might have arrived about a week too soon. Well, welcome to May along the shores of Lake Michigan, Buddy. To check on the glacial toadshade progress, please go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
It was a perfect morning for pictures with a bright sun in the east and a crisp blue sky in the west. I set out to find a grosbeak, as one does, and these are the directions I had:
Listen for its song, like a robin’s, but better.
Follow the song to a tree
Look up in the tree
See the grosbeak
How could I go wrong? So I head out, and right off the bat, just behind the police station, I hear a beautiful song, look up, and spot a bright orange and black baltimore oriole. Boy, the early light really makes his colors pop, but meh, I got his picture yesterday at the pond. Next up, only a little further into the park, I hear another beautiful song, look up, and spot a bright orange, black, and white male eastern towhee singing to a female just a few feet away. Sweet, I haven’t seen either of them before.
Meanwhile, just to my right is a pair of little yellow birds flitting through the branches. I was tempted to chalk them up as kinglets because that’s what I discovered before after spending a half hour trying to catch one stationary long enough for me to aim, zoom, and focus, but what the heck, with the blue sky, it would still make a nice picture anyway. Well, it turns out they weren’t as flighty as kinglets because they were palm warblers! Noice! Another new one for me. A dozen steps further along the path, and I glimpse a couple of birds just sitting in the bush at eye level. Usually, as I slowly take out my camera, they would take off, but they must have really been enjoying the warmth of that morning sun, because they didn’t budge. Best of all, one turns out to be a white-crowned sparrow, and the other is the elusive white-throated sparrow I’ve been trying to capture for weeks. Just sitting there like two old guys on a bench. Ha! As I wrap up that photoshoot, I hear yet another beautiful song, and this guy turns out to be a song sparrow. I’ve even seen him before, but the lighting is much better this time.
Until now, I had only thought of sparrows as those little guys that make a racket in the bushes. I was totally ignorant of their variety. Welp, I haven’t even made it to the pond, it’s time for breakfast, and no grosbeaks yet. Maybe tomorrow. On my way back home, down the oakleaf trail, I hear one more beautiful song, and it’s really close. Here we go! I scan and scan and scan the tree right in front of me, but I can’t find a dang thing. Just as I turn to move on, out of the bush below the tree hops a gray catbird. You little stinker! Fooled again, and no wonder the sound was so clear. Man, I think I’m gonna need more detail than “song, like a robin’s, but better”.
A Baltimore oriole has been at the pond two mornings in a row singing quite a song and making me work for a picture,
a Jack-in-the-pulpit is up in woods with at least a dozen more on their way,
the white trillium are finally opening in several locations, and the toadshade is right on the verge of showing us what it’s got. Yesterday morning, the goslings gave me a scare when I could only find 2 sets of 3, but it seems the octet just got cold, and 5 still manage to fit under mom’s wings at nap time. In the afternoon, the octet paid a visit to the island and then had a little snack on the eastern lawn. Everybody seemed hale, hearty, and hungry this morning. I’ve tried to arrange these pictures and others in a pleasing fashion at https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewdressel/albums/72157713703616688
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 