A few regulars and a pleasant surprise

The weather forecaster on the news last evening claimed that the new snow on the ground would help temperatures drop overnight, and the +3°F we had this morning doesn’t prove him wrong. The air was almost still, however, so both Anne and I didn’t think it felt too bad out there. The sun’s effort to burn a hole through the building cloud cover for a while, was valiant but in vain, so the pictures are a bit grey today.

Happily, yesterday was so pretty, I have plenty of pictures left over from then, so let’s start with this black-capped chickadee by the river.

This morning, I did see the catbird again, but this is exactly the kind of grey picture I was warning you about.

For a break from the grey, here’s a dark-eyed junco, from yesterday and also by the river, just before it gulps down that bright red spindle seed.

The big surprise this morning, which just happened to coincide with a high-water mark of morning sunlight, was finding a great horned owl on the southern island again for the first time since New Years Eve. I can’t tell if this is one of the pair that we hope have gone off to nest, and this is just the equivalent of sleeping on the couch, or if this is a third owl, but whatever the case, I sure was happy to see it.

Here’s a female downy woodpecker beside the pond and against that beautiful blue sky we had yesterday.

This morning, I could only find one hermit thrush, the one by the river, and it appears to be warming its toes in the water seeping out of the ground near the bottom of stairway nine. Clever bird, or desperate.

Finally, to end on a sunnier note, here’s a male house finch from yesterday with its beak covered in the snow it was just gobbling down from that fresh pile beside it.

Lastly, I see the forecast for tomorrow afternoon is 31° and “snow showers,” so Havenwoods State Forest should be a regular winter wonderland for the Winter Break Milwaukee. As I’ve mentioned before, Bird City Milwaukee will be leading a couple of 1-hour bird walks at 1 and 2 pm, and I’ll be there from 12 to 4pm, so come on out if you are able, dress for the weather, and I hope I’ll see you there.