I couldn’t resist the siren call of those least bitterns at Sheridan Park, so I headed back there first thing this morning to try my luck again. At least the grounds crew wasn’t mowing the lawn around the pond this time when I arrived, so I could hear the call of this female belted kingfisherContinue reading “Stiffed again, but I’ll survive…”
Monthly Archives: July 2026
A day of consolation prizes…
It was indeed another beautiful summer day in Estabrook Park, but I must have used up my luck yesterday because I didn’t have a whole lot today. I did see these bucks crossing the river, and there was even a third one, but they were going the other way, so I mostly got their backsides.Continue reading “A day of consolation prizes…”
Another rarity pays us a visit…
Oh, my goodness, the weather was absolutely fabulous this morning in Estabrook Park. The skies were crystal clear, and the air was cool and nearly still. If you live in the vicinity, I hope you’ve had a chance to get outside. The fun started for me at the pond again, where the hooded merganser letContinue reading “Another rarity pays us a visit…”
Youngsters on the move…
A big front rolled through Wisconsin yesterday, and it created a disaster for our neighbors to the north, but we’re thankful that no fatalities or missing persons have been reported there. Around here, we were a lot luckier, and all we got was about an inch and a half of sorely needed rain and aContinue reading “Youngsters on the move…”
All kinds of pleasant surprises…
The rain forecast for this morning never came, at least until this afternoon, and neither did any wildlife walkers, so I had quite a nice morning in Estabrook Park all to my lonesome. My first treat came on the river between the islands, where I was checking for shorebirds, when I spotted this giant snappingContinue reading “All kinds of pleasant surprises…”
Herons in a flurry…
Sorry about missing yesterday. Between wrapping things up at Retzer, packing up, getting home, and catching up, my post fell through the cracks. The good news is that I somehow did complete the Master Naturalist training and now I have a slightly better understanding of how much I still don’t know. Best of all, EstabrookContinue reading “Herons in a flurry…”
Wrapping up a week in Waukesha…
It was another great day at the Retzer Nature Center and one more great day of class in their Master Naturalist Program. We got an excellent guided tour of the Waukesha Clean Water Plant in the morning and visited Carroll University’s Howard T. Greene Scientific Study and Conservation Area to investigate life in the GeneseeContinue reading “Wrapping up a week in Waukesha…”
More faces familiar and new…
We had another cool start to the day at the Retzer Nature Center, out here in Waukesha County, but the winds were light, the sky was clear, and the smoke was still gone, so it was a very nice morning. This hairy woodpecker is a familiar face, of course, but he posed so nicely inContinue reading “More faces familiar and new…”
Retzer delivers again…
It was a big day at Retzer today. The first surprise came early this morning when temps were in the low 50s as I hopped on my bike soon after sunrise, and I was thankful that it was a bit warmer when I headed home just before sunset this evening. In the time I hadContinue reading “Retzer delivers again…”
UWM Waukesha Field Station!
The smoke was gone again, and it was a great day in Waukesha County. As was the case yesterday, I got to spend a couple hours at the Retzer Nature Center before class started, and this little cutie, a female common yellowthroat, came out to say “hi” as I paid a visit to Brown’s Fen.Continue reading “UWM Waukesha Field Station!”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 