Episode 100!

To commemorate the 100th day in a row, that’s every single day since March 30th, that we’ve managed to find something pretty and/or interesting to look at in Estabrook Park, I am thrilled to show you that I finally managed to find an American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) willing to sit still for a second. Our hero this morning was hunting for breakfast by the river when I interrupted it, and within 30 seconds, it went right back to work. Thanks, little guy.

Also out this morning, perhaps to help us mark the occasion, are a couple of our old friends: one of the several deer that reside in the park was checking out the Benjamin Church House, and Ol’ Blue or his cousin Bill appeared to be waiting for the salmon to start running. He’s got a while to wait, though, because I read in the Smithsonian, of all places, that “in Milwaukee, the best months to see the salmon runs are September and October for Chinook salmon, and October and November for Coho salmon.” So, we’ve got that to look forward to, eh?

Perhaps not wanting to be left out of the festivities, our pal, the striking leopard slug (Limax maximus), glided by before the sun got too hot. Man, if you thought the mating habits of earthworms or damselflies were unusual, wait till you read about those of the hermaphrodite leopard slug, which “are considered unusual among slugs!” Oh, and don’t forget that they’re supposed to grow up to 8 inches long. Yowza!