Our incredible streak of wonderful weather this fall continued today, and I joined the Milwaukee Birders at Milwaukee’s fabulous Lakeshore State Park this morning to give the critters in Estabrook a break. I even managed to arrive in time to watch the sun rise.
The water was full of mallards and geese, but there were also a few double-crested cormorants, who have stopped in at Estabrook, from time to time, but not yet this year, although we have had some fly-overs.
I was thrilled to spot shovelers, who also visit Estabrook, but even less often.
There were dozens of coots, both in the lagoon, and out in the outer harbor. They also come by Estabrook once in a while, and we had one visit us just last spring.
Back on land, a red-winged blackbird flew in and immediately started calling. Perhaps it is wondering where all the others have gone, but we’re right on the cusp between their breeding and year-round ranges, so probably not too far.
Even a kestrel showed up, and it spooked all the starlings.
The rocky shoreline was mostly full was sparrows. Here’s a song, ….
a young white-crowned, …
a white-throated, …
a dark-eyed junco, which are considered “neat, even flashy little sparrows“, …
and this beauty, which had us all excited. Some thought it might be a vesper sparrow, which I’ve only seen in Waterford so far, or even a grasshopper sparrow, which I have never seen before. Instead, it turns out to be a good ol’ savannah sparrow, which we have even seen in Estabrook Park. Ha!
Finally, in the fruit trees near the entrance, this orange-crowned warbler was rustling up some bugs.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 