While Anne and I were off to Illinois to see the total eclipse of the sun, spring really kept springing along in Estabrook Park, and there were a few new faces to see this morning.
First, the ruby-crowned kinglets have returned, and there are also yellow-rumped warblers, but they were less bold this morning.
Butterflies are out, too, and here’s an American painted lady or American lady (Vanessa virginiensis) warming up in the sun. The jury is still out, oddly enough, on whether the ones we see here in Wisconsin have just emerged from hibernation or have just migrated from points south. In various locations, they are known to do both.
And here’s its close cousin a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), sipping sap from a maple tree. As for whether they hibernate or migrate, they are in the same boat as the American Lady.
Finally, here’s one last bird from our visit to Illinois, a Northern mockingbird, which I’ve seen in Connecticut and Texas, but not yet in Wisconsin.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 