Welp, I finally did it. After passing on the roseate spoonbill in Green Bay and the pink flamingos in Port Washington, I succumbed to exotic bird fever this morning and rode my bicycle up to Kletzsch Park to look for a limpkin (Aramus guarauna) that was reported there just yesterday. Their usual natural range just barely extends north of Florida.
I found it foraging for snails on the far shore of the Milwaukee River, just as advertized, and I was surprised by how big it is, averaging 2.38 lb, which is not as heavy as an average 4.9-lb great blue heron, but a little heavier than an average 2.2-lb great egret. As I already said, it was at the far shore, and the sun was coming up through the trees behind it, so these are the best pictures I could manage.
Kletzsch Park was nice, even bigger than Estabrook, but I struggled to find much more to show you there. The next best picture I have is of this chipmunk enjoying the view from atop a shutter overlooking a little pollinator garden in front of the headquarters building.
Luckily, it was a beautiful morning, and Estabrook Park was right on my way home, so I stopped by just in time to find the two Cooper’s hawks flitting around at the north end, and here’s one perched for us nicely in the sun.
This tiny phoebe was not quite as cooperative, but it is nevertheless great to see them migrating back through and picking some gnats out of the air to fuel their journey.
I stopped by the pond next, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a painted turtle up on a log sunning itself. I guess the nights are getting cool enough that the turtle just needed to soak up a few more calories.
The wood ducks, on the other hand, are homeothermic and so were sleeping off their breakfasts in the shade.
While this downy woodpecker was still busy foraging for food.
Finally, at the far south end, this warbler, an immature or female blackpoll warbler, I believe, looks like it just scored a whole meal!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
