Monthly Archives: August 2020

It was another morning in paradise, the cormorant was on the pond, a few birds were chirping, the crickets were singing, and this little guy, who we may have seen before, seemed beside himself with curiosity about me. For all I know, maybe he just wanted to play, and as before, he would approach meContinue reading “Short and sweet.”

It was just a little warmer this morning than recent days so there was no photogenic mist on the river or over the falls and the grass was not wet with dew. Although it has cleared up now, there was also some overcast, but it was still another beautiful day in a long string ofContinue reading “A late arrival…”

Imagine a broken record, but with the break perfectly placed so that your favorite line of your favorite song repeats just as if the artist had recorded it that way. That’s what the weather has been like lately. Holy Moly! Why would anyone ever leave Wisconsin, right? Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Technically, these imagesContinue reading “Couldn’t think of a good title…”

Man, we are in some kind of beautiful weather pattern lately, and it’s just been one gorgeous day after another. The cormorant was fishing in the pond, and a wood duck was dabbling on the river. The surprise in the park this morning was not a new critter but critters in a new spot. TheContinue reading “The mammals stage a comeback…”

It was yet another gorgeous morning in Estabrook Park; cool, still, and pretty dry; and I saw several of the regulars during my usual rounds. A deer was grazing at the edge of the soccer field, the cormorant was fishing in the pond, and a pair of wood ducks were dabbling on the river. TheContinue reading “Cottonwood bark anyone? Anyone?”

It is another perfect summer morning in the park, cooler and drier than recent days, and despite, or perhaps because of, my announcement yesterday, I’ve got a photogenic new critter to show you today. This pretty little butterfly, posing on some knotweed blossoms growing on the mudflats by the river, appears to be a femaleContinue reading “A reprieve…”

Welp, we all knew this day would come, but we just didn’t know when. I’ve probably composed this message in my head once a week for the past 3 months, and today is the day I finally need to write it down. After 138 straight days, since March 30, I didn’t see a single thingContinue reading “And then there were none…”

There were some low clouds and fog this morning that let the crickets sing until 8am. Then the sun burned through, the crickets quit, and the cicadas took over. Aah, August. Only the young cormorant was on the pond this morning. The night-heron has probably moved on, and the great blue heron might have beenContinue reading “And then there was one…”

It was a nice morning in the park today; the air was cool and still. The doe and her two fawns were across the southern foggy soccer fields again, and two of the three big fishing birds we’ve seen a lot of recently were on the pond. The young cormorant was in its usual spotContinue reading “Two out of three ain’t bad…”

Man, if the mornings continue to be this nice, I might not want summer to end. I went out earlier than usual, in search of a mammal I haven’t seen in the park yet this year but rumored to be there lately, and Venus was especially brilliant in the clear eastern sky. I had noContinue reading “Branching out…”