After all the excitement yesterday of the teal, the warbler, the moth, and the grandson’s night heron, today felt like a return to the slower pace of the dog days of summer. The weather was certainly nice enough in Estabrook Park, and I even wore a light jacket until temps rose back into the 60s, but the pace just felt slower.
For example, here’s a great blue heron who must have already caught its belly full of fish and is now content to park in the sun and let its belly get to work on them.
Here’s a pair of wood-pewees peacefully perched together, and the last time I saw two together like this, one was a hungry youngster frantically devouring what its parent had just brought.
One species that was a little more rambunctious than usual was the northern flickers. I saw at least six hopping around in a tree together and calling to each other, and here’s one pausing for a moment to assess the risk I represent. “Don’t worry about me, Kiddo.”
I did see the first hooded merganser I’ve seen in a while, on the river at the far south end, right where Anne and the grandson had told me they saw one yesterday.
The biggest surprise of the morning, however, was this turtle sunning itself on a rock in the river just upstream of the merganser. At first, I thought it was a painted turtle or red-eared slider, which we often see in the pond, and I’ve seen on the river once in a while. But after I got a closer look, I noticed that the lines on its head and neck are thinner than the ones on those other two and not as bright a yellow. Well, that’s because it’s a northern map turtle, instead, and only the second one I’ve ever seen in Estabrook. Woo Hoo! Readers from last summer might recall that I found one crossing the parking lot at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau after our bike ride across Wisconsin, but I think this one is a different individual.
Finally, we continue to search the Milwaukee County Parks org chart for the person that can change the plan for the former weed patch between the paved path and the soccer fields, but in the meantime, here’s a monarch on the thistle still standing on the other side of the path.
Lastly, I see that temps are forecast to be back up into the mid-sixties at sunrise tomorrow, so maybe the show we were enjoying yesterday will resume. A guy can hope, right?
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 