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 upContinue reading “Is this spot taken?”

A morning better than expected…

It was a surprisingly nice morning in Estabrook Park, considering that the weather forecast just last evening had pretty confidently called for rain. Sure, it was cool, with the air temperature just below freezing, and the cloud cover was pretty thick, but the wind was light, and not a raindrop fell, so I call thatContinue reading “A morning better than expected…”

One more trip around the sun…

This morning got off to a great start in Estabrook Park, with nearly clear skies, nearly still air, and nearly 50°F temps. It was almost balmy, and I skipped a poofy jacket for the first morning this year. The birds seemed to be digging it, too, because I could hear them singing their little headsContinue reading “One more trip around the sun…”

More new sights and sounds for the year…

It was a little warmer, a little less windy, and a little sunnier than yesterday in Estabrook Park this morning. Woo hoo! Baby steps. I don’t know if it was the improving weather or just hunger, but one of the chipmunks I’ve been seeing for a few days finally relented and let me have aContinue reading “More new sights and sounds for the year…”

A morning of browns and grays…

The cold and wind in Estabrook Park this morning were about the same as yesterday, but the clouds were back with a vengeance, and the pretty blue sky we had was long gone. Nevertheless, this ain’t a portrait studio, and we’ve gotta take pictures with the light and backgrounds we’ve got, so here we go.Continue reading “A morning of browns and grays…”

You win some, you lose some, and once in a while it’s a draw…

There was a little more wind this morning than I had been led to expect, but the sky was indeed clear, and the cold firmed up the muddy river trail nicely, so it was a fine morning for a wildlife walk in Estabrook Park. Eight hearty enthusiasts found their winter coats and came out toContinue reading “You win some, you lose some, and once in a while it’s a draw…”

The March weather rollercoaster continues…

In addition to a 35°F drop in temperature from the high of 70°F yesterday afternoon, the other big surprise in Estabrook Park this morning was our first eastern phoebe of the year at the pond. I watched it fly off that perch and return a couple of times, as if it was catching bugs, andContinue reading “The March weather rollercoaster continues…”

Right on schedule…

It was a classic first full morning of astronomical spring in Estabrook Park with no sign of the warmth and sunshine that are forecast to blow in by this afternoon. The first pleasant surprise of the morning was spotting this little cutie, our first pied-billed grebe of the year, on the river below the pairContinue reading “Right on schedule…”

How’s this for a warm welcome home?

Man, by the looks of things in Estabrook Park this morning, those of you who live around here must have really had some weather while Anne and I were galivanting around Europe. Trees are down and there’s snow on the ground, but spring is back again, and birds are really on the move. The firstContinue reading “How’s this for a warm welcome home?”

Just one squirrel before I sleep.

As I mentioned already, our flight leaves before sunrise, so I’ve gotta get to sleep, but before I do, here’s a little cutie we saw on our hike up to Vaduz Castle overlooking the city yesterday. Despite the dark complexion, my sources assure me that this is a Eurasian red squirrel, like the one weContinue reading “Just one squirrel before I sleep.”