A new behavior, and maybe a new face…

It was a super nice morning in Estabrook Park, with mild temps, mostly clear skies, and nearly still air. Once the channel 12 news helicopter was done reporting on an early-morning traffic tie-up on I-43 north, things really quieted down, and I could even hear the blue-grey gnatcatchers calling softly.

Before we get to the critters in Estabrook, however, I’m a little light on little birds today, so here’s one more cutie from Horicon Marsh yesterday, a male common yellowthroat who was uncharacteristically sticking to that perch even after it saw me standing about just 15 feet away.

Okay. Now back to Estabrook, where I was greeted by this red-tailed hawk in the TV tower at the far south end even before I could cross Wilson Dr.

The pond was quiet today, and the next interesting scene I saw was our river deer crossing from the mainland back to the upstream island, where we saw the doe with her fawn just Monday.

Meanwhile, at the other end of that same island, the family of kingfishers was out, and one of the youngsters was playing with a stick like a puppy, which I have not seen before. Actually, it was most likely practicing for when it catches a live fish or crayfish and needs to thrash it against the branch it is perched on before gulping it down, as we have seen kingfishers do before.

Here it is checking to see if I’m watching, and I’m not just watching, I’m very much enjoying the show.

Nor was I the only one watching. Here’s the osprey perched high above the far shore and looking right at the island.

Back on shore, I saw a few dragonflies today, but no new ones, so let’s go with this eastern pondhawk, who chose the prettiest perch.

I did manage to see another first-of-the-year butterfly, and it was this stunning banded hairstreak on a branch above the pollinator garden.

Finally, I believe I have laid eyes on my very first rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis). They are considered to be “critically endangered,” so I sure didn’t go out expecting to find one, but if my identification is correct, and my sources suggest that it is, then this makes the 7th species of bumble bee I’ve managed to find in Estabrook Park. Who even knew there were so many? I’ll have to start a new section in the index just for bees.