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Sure, it was 11°F, but the sun came out to light up all the ice from yesterday, and it was pure magic! The coating of ice on the trails was amazing, much thicker than I expected, and the dusting of snow, like sifted powdered sugar, which hid the ice and provided an extra layer ofContinue reading “A Crystal Palace”

A lot of sleet and ice was forecast, and we did get enough for UWM to cancel classes today, but not really enough to do a lot of damage, thank goodness. There was a break in the precipitation early this afternoon, so I hopped over to Estabrook to see if anyone was around. The usualContinue reading “Ice Ice Baby”

At 32°F, it was wonderfully mild this morning, even if the wind was blowing a bit. The pretty blue skies were gone, but the birds were out in droves, so all-in-all, it was a great day to visit Estabrook. The rapidly expanding open water on the lower river was chock full ‘o mallards this morning,Continue reading “Some tantalizing new sights.”

The bright sun and blue skies continue in Estabrook this morning, and a 20°F increase over yesterday made the wind feel not bad at all. The pair of red-tailed hawks at the north end must have heard about all the attention the courting nuthatches and snuggling squirrels got yesterday, so they were out this morningContinue reading “Love is in the Air”

The thermometer said 5°F, but my sources said the stiff breeze out of the northwest was making if feel like -15°F. Yikes! Anyway, the fresh snow and blue skies were very pretty, so maybe worth the price, but probably that’s about enough for this year, eh? Most of the critters in Estabrook were still snugContinue reading “Winter’s last blast, or so we can hope…”

It was just as beautiful in Estabrook this morning as forecast. Sure, it was only 7°F, but the sky was clear, the sun was out, and the winds were calm. Hurray! Plus, as much as I like to share, it is also nice to get some quality alone time with our feathered and furry friends.Continue reading “Mixed doubles…”

I am sorry to report that I won’t be able to make it to the park today, so let me leave you with just two scenes from last winter that we haven’t yet seen this winter. The first is a gray catbird from January 9, 2021, who was well outside its ocean-side winter range, soContinue reading “A couple from the vault…”

Wow! What a difference 20°F makes. Even though the wind was still howling, it was almost 50°F, and the sun did peak through for a bit, which made for a pretty nice morning in Estabrook. I saw three goldeneye drakes and one hen along with about 4 dozen mallards on the widening open water farContinue reading “Riding the temperature rollercoaster…”

Oof! That wind was nasty this afternoon, and I wish I could have gone to Estabrook in the morning instead. Oh well. Most of the critters were trying to avoid the wind, too, and almost nobody wanted to sit still for pictures, but I did manage to get a couple anyway. This cardinal by theContinue reading

It was a perfectly nice mid-February morning in Estabrook Park with temps in the teens, but light winds, and even a bit of sunshine before the clouds rolled in and the snow flurries started. I was happy to find a goldeneye hen still gracing us with her presence on the river near the south end.Continue reading “Happy Valentine’s Day!”