Author Archives: Andrew Dressel

Yesterday, long-time reader Dan stopped by, and we went on a field trip down the west side of the river to North Ave and back up the east side, about 3 miles round trip in the fabulous Milwaukee River Greenway. I brought my camera, just in case, and am sure glad I did, but let’sContinue reading “What a bunch of babies…”

Yikes it was a cold morning for June: 50°F, and the wind made if feel like 45°F. I had to break out a fuzzy hat, and maybe that’s what set off these red-winged blackbirds. I was just walking around the pond on the paved path, minding my own business, and they were simply not havingContinue reading “Birds go ballistic!”

It was another cool morning, but maybe too cool for some critters. There was not a lot going on. Oh sure, the squirrels and rabbits were going about their business, and robins where everywhere, but the pond was empty until one female wood duck flew in, there were no deer to fear, and I haven’tContinue reading “A butterfly bonanza!”

Man! What a super deluxe morning. The air was calm, cool, and crisp, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but let’s get right to the action! Several Baltimore orioles took exception to where a crow had perched itself, and they expressed their displeasure with great enthusiasm. The crow stuck it out for quiteContinue reading “Drama in the high trees!”

The ducklings, fresh off their hot debut yesterday, where nowhere to be found this morning. Nowhere that I looked, anyway. Mallards and wood ducks were on the pond, and I did startle a great blue heron, for which I am very sorry, but he did get a nice send off from a red-wing blackbird forContinue reading “All Creatures …”

I got out a little earlier this morning, and I’m sure glad I did because I got to enjoy this spectacle of Mrs. Mallard taking her new ducklings on what might be their first tour of the pond. The light was still low, and they were always moving so my camera struggled to capture evenContinue reading “Wait… there’s more!”

You’ve got to be wondering, how long can this go on? I know I do. After all, how many birds even are there, anyway? At some point, we’ve got to have seen them all, right? Right. But today is not that day. I was by the pond, heard a new, cheerful call, simply looked up,Continue reading “New kid in town”

It was a cool grey morning, and a great blue heron and a green heron were at the pond when I arrived, but neither were in the mood for pictures. One lone male mallard flew in, but there was no sign of the wood ducks. Even the muskrat was sleeping in, it seems. Luckily, thereContinue reading “Birds take a back seat”

The recent usual suspects were all out and about. The muskrat was having breakfast on the west lawn, a few mallards and wood ducks were on the pond, and loads of red-wing blackbirds and grackles were flitting about. Meanwhile, I could hear robins, cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, catbirds, wrens, and orioles in the trees. As farContinue reading “Sleepy Saturday”

As the anonymous volunteers at the Pedia of Wik so eloquently put it: Mating in dragonflies is a complex, precisely choreographed process.  They continue, breathlessly:  This distinctive posture is called the “heart”. Probably, don’t try this at home, kids. In any case, those are Mr. and Mrs. skimming bluet damselfly or Enallagma geminatum, as theContinue reading “Frisky Friday!”