We’re just approaching the middle of April, and it feels like summer is here already.

The trout lilies are up and open!

The cat bird was busy feasting on the staghorn sumac seeds, …

but took a break to strike a handsome pose when it saw I was taking pictures.

The chipmunks are out and about.

This red-bellied woodpecker must have heard that the catbird had struck a pose.

Yet another butterfly is out and sipping birch tree sap.

This one is an eastern comma, as indicated by the little white “c” you can just see on the underside of its wing (below).

Finally, the female red-winged blackbirds have arrived to see what kind of territories the males have staked out.

The weather is becoming more summer-like with each passing day, and all this warmth has made the bloodroots nearly rocket out of the ground. In previous seasons, I can remember watching the leaves slowly emerge, seemingly for weeks, before they finally bloomed, but not this year. Boom! Here they are!

There’s also a brand-new turtle in the pond, this time a Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii): notice the lack of yellow or red stripes on the side of its face. It is local to the Great Lakes region and is considered to be an endangered species. The local guess is that someone acquired it somehow, no longer wanted it and/or discovered it was illegal to possess, and so deposited it in the Estabrook Park pond along with the painted turtles, red-eared sliders, and giant snapping turtles. Here’s hoping that someone from the DNR can collect it and release it somewhere else where it can continue contributing to the gene pool.

I spotted another butterfly yesterday afternoon, and this one is an American lady (Vanessa virginiensis), which we’ve only seen one other time before.

On the inside/topside, the color scheme is quite different from the outside/bottom side and quite similar to that of the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), which we have seen a couple of times before in Estabrook and once in Delft.

Even the toads are up and out already, and here’s one beside the pond. It won’t be long before they all head down to the river for toad-a-palooza.

Now for some birds. Here finally is a decent picture of one of the white-throated sparrows that we’ve been hearing sing Oh Canadadada for the past week or so.

The great horned owl by the river was much further out of its hidey hole this morning and even flashed me those big, beautiful yellows for a moment.

The gray catbird is still hanging out beside the pond, and still hasn’t started singing, but will someday soon, I hope.

Finally, the yellow-bellied sapsuckers are still around, and this is a female, without the red patch on her neck and top of the head that the males sport. She was really lapping up the sap on this birch tree, which have begun running like faucets recently.

And thems the pictures fit to print for today.

Man-oh-man, a guy sure could get used to this weather.

The pair of deer were on the soccer fields again this morning, and I was able to sit on one of the soccer net frames to take some pictures as they passed by. The youngster seemed a little curious, but Mom was not interested and kept right on moving.

After reconnecting with the deer, I wondered if I’d ever see the beaver again. Well, I don’t need to wonder any more.

After investigating something on the far shore, it returned to the water and headed back up stream, so I ran up the trail to see if I could get ahead of it. Sure enough, it eventually came steaming up the near side, but was in no mood to smile for the camera.

I didn’t see anybody new at the pond, so I continued to the north end of the river where I was surprised to spot a pair of common merganser hens at this late date.

There was also a quartet of hooded merganser hens, just like the one I saw outside of Delft, but they were super skittish and wouldn’t let me get a single shot. Instead, the great horned owl was back in its spot on the island, and it didn’t seem to mind at all when I took this picture. 😉

Speaking of shy birds, for all their bright color and loud singing, the northern cardinals have been giving me a cold shoulder so far this spring, until this morning. Here’s a male.

And here’s a female, who was also singing their signature song.

Finally, the yellow-rumped warblers were thick this morning, and I even found one foraging on the ground.

Lastly, I spotted my first butterfly in Estabrook of the season this morning, this slightly-roughed-up red admiral.

The Bug Lady explains that “red admiral adults and pupae are [normally] found in the south during the winter, and migrating admirals repopulate the north each spring. According to Ebner, in The Butterflies of Wisconsin, [however,] a few individuals may overwinter as adults in Wisconsin, emerging in the balmy days of late April and May.”

The beautiful weather continues, and this morning I was thrilled to see a pair of deer out on the soccer fields to enjoy it with me.

One was a bit smaller than the other, so perhaps it was a yearling with its mom, and it was a bit restless, as youngster sometimes get. You can see it below in mid-cavort.

Eventually, though, it settled down and joined Mom at the breakfast buffet.

At the pond, I finally managed to capture an image of the other kinglet staying with us these days, the ruby-crowned, as it sang while foraging but kept its rub crown well hidden.

And there are still plenty of yellow-rumped warblers around.

A red-eared slider has finally emerged from the pond bottom to bask in the sun as we saw the painted turtles doing already.

But the raccoon was sleeping away the morning instead.

On the river, there are plenty of geese and ducks, but I was happy to find a pied-billed grebe who hasn’t moved on yet.

Finally, back up on the bluff, this yellow-bellied sapsucker was searching for birch sap to sip, …

and really showed off its yellow belly for a moment.

The nice weather is forecast to continue to perhaps we’ll start to see more warblers soon. Keep you fingers crossed.

Happy Easter, to those of you who celebrate. The glories of the snow (Scilla sect. Chionodoxa) are up in Estabrook Park to mark the occasion.

Yesterday afternoon, the sun was so warm that even the painted turtles came up from the bottom of the pond to bask in it.

If glories of the snow aren’t your thing, the alpine squill or two-leaf squill (Scilla bifolia) are also up around the pond.

This morning, a white-breasted nuthatch seemed to be proudly prancing and posing around a nesting cavity, perhaps to attract another nuthatch to share it with.

Finally, after musing to myself on my walk home that I haven’t seen a raptor in a while, I found this red-tailed hawk perched on the telephone wire crossing Wilson Dr right in front of our place. Ha!

It was sporting a bunch of jewelry, as you can see above, and seemed mesmerized by the crowd of house sparrows in the bushes below. So transfixed, in fact, that it let me take the closest closeup I’ve ever been able to take of a hawk.

Thanks!

It was in the 30s this morning, but the high 30s, and the clouds were thick, but thinned out as the morning wore on. Best of all, however, was that the winds were dead calm at sunrise, so it was a perfect morning for listening to the birds, and they did not disappoint.

My first pictures, however, are of the water birds on the pond, who didn’t have a lot to say, and there were plenty of them to choose from. Besides the regular pair of Canada geese with a nest on the island, and a slew of mallard bachelors, there were a few wood ducks, …

a solo male red-breasted merganser, …

and a solo pied-billed grebe. There have been a few hanging around in the park this week, but this is the first time I’ve seen one on the pond this season.

Meanwhile, down on the river, there was a pair of grebes, and I got a picture of this one before I realized there were two.

There was also a pair of mallards, and this hen was hunting for something up on a downed tree trunk. I sure hope she finds it.

On my way back home, I took one more swing by the pond, and it afforded me the opportunity to catch a yellow-rumped warbler finally showing off its namesake yellow rump patch.

Best of all, I got to welcome this freshly-returned gray catbird back to Estabrook. It was parked in a bush beside the pond, perhaps waiting for a little bit of April sun to warm it up, and I can’t wait until they start singing from the bushes again.

Finally, big clumps of snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are up in the lawn on the north side of the maintenance building.

The ones that got away today, before I could get a picture, were a quintet of blue-winged teals dabbling along the edge of the river with a pair of mallards. Maybe next time.

What a perfect morning in Estabrook Park. Sure, it was a little chilly, but the air was nearly still, the sun was shining, and the sky was blue, blue, blue. Best of all, it seemed that everyone came out to enjoy it with me.

The bunnies were munching on the lawn, …

the robins were foraging for worms, …

the Canada geese were coming and going on the river, …

the male red-winged blackbirds were loudly staking out their territory, …

the grackles were foraging along the riverbanks, …

the swamp sparrows were living up to their name, …

the cedar waxwings were twittering away as they basked in the sun, …

the male belted kingfisher was making his presence known …

and looking for some breakfast at the pond, …

the yellow-rumped warblers were skulking about, …

as were the golden-crowned kinglets.

It was just a picture-perfect morning, and I hope you got to enjoy it, too.

What a difference 24 hours can make! After bouncing off 70°F yesterday, it was down to just 32°F this morning, with ice on the puddles and a stiff breeze out of the west. Happily, the sun was out, and the critters gotta eat anyway, so there were plenty of pretty sights to see.

I caught a glimpse of a bluebird yesterday, but they didn’t grant me a portrait until today. Here’s the Mrs.

And here’s the Mr.

Speaking of portraits, this little cutie who granted me one yesterday turns out to be a savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), which I had never positively IDed before.

Speaking of sparrows, there are a bunch around these days, and here’s an American tree sparrow with its rusty cap and two-tone bill,…

A big ol’ fox sparrow with its two-toned face,…

A field sparrow with its grey face and pink bill,…

And finally, a song sparrow in all its stripes.

That’s probably enough sparrows for now, but there are still more little birds to be seen. Here’s a dark-eyed junco, which I was happy to find haven’t all left yet, …

A black-capped chickadee camped out in the sun and out of the breeze, …

and a hermit thrush also soaking up some sun.

Lastly, here’s a red squirrel who somehow managed to score a nice big nut to munch on this late in the spring.

Yesterday was a long day of trains, planes, buses, and automobiles, but I made it home in one piece, and slept well. The weather’s been busy here today, but between the downpour this morning and the gusty winds this afternoon, there was a calm in Estabrook Park long enough for the critters to put on quite a welcome-back show.

Let’s start with one of the main attractions on the pond, the wood ducks. I counted 2 pairs, and this drake was the one kind enough to pose for a picture.

And the surprise guest on the pond was this sole, red-breasted merganser drake.

Meanwhile, besides the Canada geese and mallards, this pied-billed grebe greeted me down on the river, which was high enough to flood some parts of the river path. I eventually counted three grebes on the river, which is a first for me.

Another surprise guest on the river was this American coot, one of a quartet, and which we have also seen before, but never in such quantity.

Between the river and the pond, and slightly smaller than the aquatic birds, were a handful of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, who won’t be around for long before they continue on to points north, in my experience.

Slightly smaller still, but equally as temporary, were a dozen or so rusty blackbirds foraging on the lawn amidst the red-winged blackbirds, European starlings, American robins, and brown-headed cowbirds.

Even smaller is the first warbler to arrive, one of a few yellow-rumped warblers.

At about the same size, and also recently returned, were about as many eastern phoebes.

Finally, the smallest bird I saw this morning was probably the golden-crowned kinglet, and this is the one that managed to remained stationary for the full second it takes me to aim, focus, and capture an image.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, was this darling white-breasted nuthatch, who’s been here all winter.

I saw plenty more, 41 species, in fact, and I even have a few on film, but let’s not get carried away on my first day back, eh?

The rain did quit by morning, and the sun even came out around noon, but man-oh-man it sure was cold in the breeze before then. After a couple of hours outside, I had to go back to my apartment, get warmed up, and put on more layers before going out again.

When the sun was out, however, and especially if you could get out of the breeze, it sure was nice. So nice, in fact, that I saw my first butterfly of the season, this skittish peacock (Aglais io), whom we haven’t seen since September. I read that they hibernate instead of migrating, same as the mourning cloaks in Estabrook Park, so they can be the first on the scene as soon as the weather is warm enough.

The graylag geese goslings we first saw just yesterday were also enjoying the warm sun after lunch.

As was this chiffchaff, one of the first birds I ever photographed here.

And this willow warbler, whom we also saw last summer.

The main event, for me anyway, was this kestrel hunting.

Here it is again after collecting a very plump-looking rodent.

And here’s a closer shot from later in the day when the clouds had mostly cleared out.

Finally, here’s a patch of butterbur blossoms (Petasites hybridus), that have sprung up all over the place in the past two weeks.

And that concludes the Dutch portion of our program, at least for now. I fly back home on Tuesday, and I hope to have something pretty from Estabrook Park to show you when I write again.