One step forward and one step back…

After a couple of nice dry days, some humidity has returned, but it was an otherwise nice enough morning in Estabrook Park.

The pond was quiet, especially compared to yesterday, and these two wood duck hens seemed to be taking advantage of the tranquility to share a little personal time.

At the river, the most interesting sight was this gorgeous deer on the shore of the northern island. With all the rain we’ve had and how high the river has been, I had begun to wonder if we’d see any river deer at all this summer, and I sure hope this is a sign of things to come.

Speaking of how wet it’s been, I came across this new candidate for the Wisconsin State Bird.

Farther south, I did finally find a great blue heron.

On my second trip to the pond, along the path to the south of the dog park, this red squirrel would not stop staring at me.

At the pollinator garden, there was an interesting pollinator that I don’t believe I’ve noticed before. It was about the size of a honeybee, but stout like a bumble bee, and jet black except for two little white dots on its butt. I had to look it up to find that it’s a two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus). How about that?

Here you can better see the two tiny namesake spots on its little bee butt.

Also on the bee balm was our first silver-spotted skipper of the summer.

At the weeds beside the soccer fields, I spotted this striking grasshopper, which I believe to be a two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), and which I also don’t believe I’ve seen before.

Finally, your butterfly of the day is this one of several buckeyes out, both beside the soccer fields and at the little flower garden at the far south end. If you’ve been hoping to see one in the wild for yourself, today might be your day.