Monthly Archives: May 2024

We have ducklings at last! What a wonderful development, and here’s one mallard hen with her four on the river. She might actually be the hen we first saw at the pond Thursday morning seeming to shelter someone or something under her wings. And here’s another hen with a single duckling on the pond. TheContinue reading “Ducklings! We have ducklings! Hurray!”

All that finger crossing must have worked, thank you very much, because it was a stunningly beautiful morning in Estabrook Park, and with nice clear skies, I was able to get in the door at 5:40am. Noice! Plus, such an early start allowed me to catch the last of the deer heading to bed. “SweetContinue reading “Several promising new signs…”

It was a dark and dreary morning in Estabrook Park, but the clouds were never as leaky as the big green blob on the radar suggested they were, so I was still able to take a couple of pictures. This first one is not much of a portrait, what with me having to over-expose itContinue reading “Along came the rain, and…”

After a few lines of thunderstorms rolled through yesterday, the river is at least a foot higher today, but the drop-dead gorgeous weather has returned, and it was a perfect morning in Estabrook Park. First off, I am happy to report that the scene of Canada geese and goslings downriver that I ended with onContinue reading “Out came the sun, and …”

The line of thunderstorms forecast to roll through this morning got delayed a bit, perhaps in Chicago traffic, and I had some time to sneak into Estabrook Park. The skies were pretty dark, but I found some subjects willing to sit still for 1/125 of a second. The first one is this pretty green heronContinue reading “One more new face.”

Weather-wise, this morning in Estabrook Park was almost a perfect repeat of yesterday. The sky wasn’t quite as clear, but the cool breeze out of the northeast was a bit lighter, so I’ll take it! I had only reached the narrow part of the park, where the paved walking path goes right along the edgeContinue reading “A pretty fine way to start the week…”

We had some thunderstorms roll through last evening, but they took all the clouds with them, so it was a very nice morning in Estabrook Park. I stopped by the river on my way to the pond, and I was thrilled to find a family of Canada geese there. I have no way of knowingContinue reading “More old friends return…”

Anne and I are in Chicago this morning to visit some relatives passing through, so here are the rest of the pictures from yesterday that I couldn’t cram into yesterday’s post. Right after seeing the grossbeak, I was thrilled to also get one more chance at an eastern towhee portrait. This guy was more elusive,Continue reading “May the 4th Be With You”

This morning started out wet and grey, though not as wet as forecast, thankfully, and I was able to hit Estabrook soon after 6 am. Man-oh-man, was the place ever hoppin’ with birds! I counted 66 species. Here’s my first rose-breasted grossbeak of the season. I also saw a female with him, but she soonContinue reading “Spring appears to be in full swing now!”

I made it back to Wisconsin safely last evening, after a great week in Connecticut, and ventured back into Estabrook Park this morning, despite the cloudy skies, to see who might have arrived while I was away. Holy Moly! What a difference a week can make at this time of year. I counted 19 speciesContinue reading “Many happy returns…”