Ooh, Baby, it sure was cold out this morning! At 8 am, my phone claimed it was 0°F in Milwaukee, and I believe it. It also claimed the wind speeds were in the teens, which put the windchill in the negative teens, but I am happy to report that it sure didn’t feel that bad in Estabrook Park. Plus, the sky was clear again, so the sun was able to help a bit.
Anyway, the first surprise of the morning was spotting a trio of bluebirds beside the river at the north end. It is beginning to seem that their arrival marks the onset of a cold snap.
The next surprise was finding the Cooper’s hawk at the pond again, and this time it was perched only about five feet above the ice, to minimize the breeze, I presume, and I did my best to let it stay there. I was also surprised to find the nearby bushes full of little birds, mostly house sparrows and house finches, who all seemed to be ignoring it. Perhaps with such great numbers, each one figured, “the odds of it selecting li’l ol’ me for breakfast are nearly zero.”
Finally, the biggest surprise for the morning was finding our “rare” gray catbird again and in nearly the same spot I found it last time. “Hang in there, Buddy! You’ve only got a couple of months to go until spring arrives.”
It is forecast to be even a bit colder tomorrow morning but a bit less breezy, so about the same as today. Thus, I will definitely be at the parking lot by the beer garden at 8 am for our weekly wildlife walk. So, come on out, if you’ve got the clothing for it, and maybe the bluebirds or the catbird will still be around to greet us.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 