Monthly Archives: August 2020

Wow! It was a gorgeous morning out there in Estabrook, and all three recent big birds were on the pond. This makes 5 straight days for the cormorant, and he or she is really starting to look comfortable there, facing the audience to dry out in yesterday’s midday sun and pausing to scratch behind anContinue reading “A big bird morning…”

The cormorant really seems to be making itself comfortable on the pond, which I am sure glad to see. This morning, he or she was on the usual branch in the southeast corner but facing west for a change so we can see the nice pale neck and chest plumage and one big webbed foot.Continue reading “The kid sticks around…”

Wow! There sure was some high drama on the pond this morning! That’s right, our young new hero, the double-crested cormorant, has struck pure gold. Here’s hoping he or she will feel like sticking around for a while, eh? Meanwhile, on the river, the butterflies continue to eat and drink. And the water lilies continueContinue reading “Life goes on…”

It was yet another beautiful morning for a walk in the park. Our new friend, the juvenile double-crested cormorant was on the same log in the pond as yesterday, and this morning struck the classic cormorant pose intended to dry out his or her feathers after a fishing expedition, which suggests that maybe he orContinue reading “These kids are sticking around…”

The parade of beautiful days in Estabrook Park just keeps chugging along, and even more surprising is the parade of new arrivals. First up is what appears, for all the world, to be a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), right there on our pond, and this one seems to be yet another juvenile, based on itsContinue reading “Don’t forget to include a title…”

It was yet another beautiful morning in Estabrook Park, and there was a light fog hugging the soccer fields. All four deer were out again, but there were also a lot of walkers and joggers trying to get by, so they didn’t get a chance to pose for a family portrait this time. Our newContinue reading “Things big and small…”

Ah, summer is back, it’s good to hear the cicadas again, and we’ve got a raft of new characters to check out today! Let’s start with the first new bird I’ve spotted on the pond in quite a while. This appears to be a juvenile black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), since is does not have theContinue reading “Avies, insecta, et mammalia…”

Man, I thought it was cool yesterday morning, but this morning I had to go back inside and get a windbreaker. It sure is a welcome break from the recent heat, but I’m also glad it’s not going to last. I’m not ready for summer to be over yet. So, I was just walking upContinue reading “Deers, ducks, birds, and bugs…”

Wow! That was a cool, dim, and damp morning for early August, eh? The park was very quiet, especially now that it seems only buntings and wrens are singing to mark their territory. The closest to a newcomer I found this morning is this immature wood duck on the river. In the left/top image, youContinue reading “A snake in the grass…”

Man, we’ve got a special treat today with not one, not two, but three, count them, three reader photos of the week! The first one is the most amazing picture, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime shot, of an albino sparrow taken by long-time supporter Carolyn in her yard right here in Shorewood, WI. She calls him AlContinue reading “A bird named Al”