Is this spot taken?

It was a beautiful, if chilly, morning in Estabrook Park. The skies were clear, the air was still, and temps were in the mid-20s, brrrr, but I read that such is not unusual for this time of year in southeast Wisconsin.

What is unusual, and a sight I rarely see, is a Canada goose up in a tree. Maybe it was just taking a break from the fray below as nesting sites are still being sorted out on the upstream island. I didn’t see any of the fancy winter waterfowl we’ve been enjoying on the river lately, but I see that a red-breasted merganser was spotted there today after I had moved on.

At the pond, there were three pairs of wood ducks, and they were making excursions up onto land for the first time I’ve seen this year. Here’s a drake, …

and here’s one of two hens that were nearby.

Another bird on the lawn for the first time I’ve seen this year was this male northern flicker. He was furiously digging into the frozen ground for ants, but I don’t know if he found any, nor if frozen ants taste as good as fresh.

Meanwhile, the red-winged blackbird males are still jockeying for nesting sites, in hopes that the ladies will be impressed when they arrive. The date they arrived last year is just one week away, so it’s time for the guys to start their full court presses.

Back on the lawn, the American robins have been busy, and I see as many as two dozen at one time on the big fields these days. This one appeared to be on break and might have been just enjoying the warmth of the sun for a moment.

Another bird that appeared to be soaking up some of that same sun was this European starling. Sure, they are an aggressive invasive species, but I’ll give you one guess as to who is to blame for them being here, and it’s not them.

Finally, I was pleasantly surprised to find that some violets are already in bloom.

Lastly, North Shore School for Seniors is back in session, and I will be talking about the wildlife of Estabrook Park this coming Tuesday, March 31 at 2pm. If you’ve found yourself wanting to argue with me in front of a live audience about the gamification of birding, this could be your big chance!