Kohler-Andrae Recap

Well, it was dark as pitch long after “sunrise” this morning with rain in the forecast, so I skipped visiting Estabrook and have some more pictures from Kohler-Andrae to show you instead.

Here’s one of the curious deer keeping tabs on me as I made my way along the cordwalk yesterday morning.

Here’s a young bluebird, which by itself might not be all that interesting, but …

nearby in the same tree sat this somewhat larger brown bird. Upon closer inspection, I believe this is a young brown-headed cowbird and probably step-nestling of the bluebird above. Just to be sure that cowbirds do parasitize bluebirds in Wisconsin, I looked it up, and sure enough, the female can sneak right into the nesting box and leave a speckled egg behind. Ah, nature.

Here’s a third fawn I saw yesterday morning, which brings the total deer count up to at least twelve distinct animals.

This was one of several sparrows foraging on the sand, and at first I thought it was a chipping sparrow, which I had heard, but upon closer inspection, I see dark streaks in its little cap. So then I thought it might be a clay-colored sparrow, but they have an unmarked chest even when young. Finally, I’m back to juvenile chipping sparrow, which I read “are streaked from head to toe.” Sheesh!

My old buddy, Brian, chimed in about the mystery warbler from yesterday and suggested pine. Here’s another look. In my defense, Nate Swick writes on 10,000 Birds that “pine warblers have the rather unusual distinction of appearing to look like nearly every single other species of migratory passerine in eastern North America.” At least it’s not just me.

Anyway, I think I’d be hard pressed to mistake a sora for any other bird, and here’s another look at the one out in the open for a moment yesterday.

I never did get to see a coyote again, so we’ll have to make do with another shot from Tuesday morning. I don’t believe I saw it look my way, and I wonder what it was keeping tabs on so intently.

Finally, since the tiger swallowtail was kind enough to pose, here’s another look at it on the Joe Pye weed from yesterday.

Lastly, this is the first glimpse I got of the sandhill cranes as I walked back to camp along the park road Thursday morning, and it seems like a nice way to close out the 2023 chapter on Kohler-Andrae State Park.