The day after…

I was relieved to discover this morning that Estabrook Park had somehow survived Earth Day, or at least the human celebration of it. By the time I left the park yesterday, the Brew City Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races were in full swing, the Milwaukee Riverkeeper volunteers were combing the river banks for trash, and the soccer fields were full of little tykes playing games. And then the skies opened and nearly and inch of graupel fell in about 10 minutes. Happily, everything seemed back to normal this morning, and the goslings were up on the west lawn hunting up their breakfasts as if nothing had happened.

By the time I walked around to the other side of the pond, however, this curious, multi-species, and multi-generational scene was unfolding on the west lawn.

Things soon calmed down, and the goslings went for their morning swim.

As did the wood ducks.

Back on shore, I was surprised to find a dark-eyed junco who hadn’t flown north yet.

At the edge of the bluff, a trio of hermit thrushes were filling up on staghorn sumac seeds.

By then, I was cold enough, so I went back home, and to round-out this morning’s collection, here’s another look at that yellow-rumped warbler from yesterday morning.

And here’s another ruby-crowned kinglet, without a ruby crown, also from yesterday morning.

Finally, long-time reader Donna alerted me to a great horned owlet waiting for its dinner to be delivered.