Some nice dashes of color after the storm, even if they’re not in a rainbow.

Compared to the heat waves and torrential downpours we’ve had already this summer, the weather was pretty nice in Estabrook Park this morning. The partly cloudy skies even let the sun through once in a while, which lit up this young great blue heron fishing on the pond very nicely. The two hooded mergansers wereContinue reading “Some nice dashes of color after the storm, even if they’re not in a rainbow.”

A high water mark…

Wow! It rained a lot last night. It had poured at least three times before I went to bed, and once I turned in, it seemed as though every time I rolled over, there was a new line of thunderstorms rolling through. There was even one more heavy shower this morning while I was inContinue reading “A high water mark…”

I can see clearer now…

It felt as though the smoke was thinner this morning in Estabrook Park, and the wind out of the south that has built up since then is supposed to push it back north, from whence it came, so maybe we’ll have a nice and clear day tomorrow. In the meantime, this is who I sawContinue reading “I can see clearer now…”

Making do with the visibility we’ve got.

Yeah, the smoke is still here, but the clouds were pretty thin, the temps were mild, and the air was nearly still, so it was an otherwise very nice morning in Estabrook Park. The pond was pretty busy when I arrived, with two belted kingfishers, the hooded merganser, at least one wood duck, and theContinue reading “Making do with the visibility we’ve got.”

Another smokey day…

The Canadian wildfire smoke is back and thick enough for even me to be able to smell it when I first stepped outside this morning. It was great to be back in Estabrook Park, nevertheless, and the first treat to greet me was the doe and her fawn crossing the river at the north endContinue reading “Another smokey day…”

It’s not August yet, but these sure feel like some lazy days of summer.

The recent great weather in Estabrook Park continued this morning, the cicadas were already singing at 7 a.m., and this green heron making one of its infrequent visits to the pond was icing on the cake. There was also this trio of wood duck hens there, and they’ve started that mutual preening behavior that we’veContinue reading “It’s not August yet, but these sure feel like some lazy days of summer.”

A new behavior, and maybe a new face…

It was a super nice morning in Estabrook Park, with mild temps, mostly clear skies, and nearly still air. Once the channel 12 news helicopter was done reporting on an early-morning traffic tie-up on I-43 north, things really quieted down, and I could even hear the blue-grey gnatcatchers calling softly. Before we get to theContinue reading “A new behavior, and maybe a new face…”

A skeleton crew…

The air was a bit more humid than yesterday, but it was an otherwise very nice morning in Estabrook Park. I saw far fewer critters than yesterday, however, and perhaps the missing ones have already hit the road for the holiday. They haven’t all gone, thankfully, so here are some of the ones I couldContinue reading “A skeleton crew…”

Deer and ducklings…

We had some rain overnight, and it sure was humid at sunrise, but the sky was mostly clear, and the air was almost still, so it was a fine morning to look for wildlife in Estabrook Park. Some of the wildlife didn’t even wait for me to get there, and I was greeted as soonContinue reading “Deer and ducklings…”

More unexpected faces…

It was a picture-perfect morning in Estabrook Park, with blue skies, a light breeze, and pleasant temps, at least for the early morning. Sure, the heat’s on its way back, after a couple days of relief, but another sign that peak summer is almost upon us, and one that I love to hear, is theContinue reading “More unexpected faces…”