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 usual cast of characters was on the river, dozens of mallards, a few goldeneyes, and the one pair of buffleheads. Here’s a goldeneye hen up on the ice again.

And here’re our buffleheads running through some rough water.

Plenty of woodpeckers were hard at work, and here’s a hairy male.

I did see a wet-looking red-tailed hawk, but it stayed so far on the west side that I couldn’t get a picture to come out. Instead, by the pond someone has been throwing down bird seed, and here’s a “gray-headed” darked-eyed junco. I read that it is “very similar to [the] “red-backed” form but with [an] all-pale bill.”

There were plenty of house sparrows, house finches, and even chickadees, but I like the looks of this American tree sparrow, who will be soon on its way to the shores of Hudson Bay and points north. Eat up, little buddy!

With the dark skies today, the ice certainly hasn’t had its chance to sparkle in the sun, but it made this tangle of vines catch my eye, nevertheless.

Finally, I must report that our exciting new bird yesterday was indeed a rare bird to see but not really a new bird for us. Here it is again so you don’t have to click on a link to refresh your memory.

The experts weighed in, and it turns out to be a merlin, and not the sharp-shinned hawk I thought it was. We’re in the year-round range for sharp-shinneds, and only in the migration range for merlins, but this is the fourth time one has let me take its picture. The first was January 9, 2021, then again on January 12, 2021, and finally on October 2, 2021.

Oh well. I’m sure we’ll see a sharp-shinned hawk eventually.

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, and just as I put my binoculars down from trying to count them all, the little mink scampered across the ice right before my eyes, from the water to the shore before disappearing into a pile of driftwood. One of these days I’m gonna catch that little rascal on film even if I have to camp out in a blind overnight to do it.

It was still pretty dark, so I left the mallards and a few goldeneyes alone and continued north. Above the falls, I came across an amazing scene. A little tree growing right at the water’s edge was hosting a hairy woodpecker, a red-bellied woodpecker, a couple of downy woodpeckers, a pair of nuthatches, and at least four chickadees. The chickadees and the nuthatches were all speaking at once, and the woodpeckers would chime in from time to time. I’ve never heard such a fun cacophony from such diverse a bunch of birds in the wild before.

There is a hole in the tree trunk, and the chickadees were taking turns hovering in front of it when I arrived. Then the nuthatches moved in for a closer look. I never found out what was in that hole, but the birds seemed equally drawn to it and repelled from it. Here are some pictures I managed to capture of a male nuthatch trying to peak inside without getting too close. I’ve seen both chickadees and nuthatches hop in and out of holes smaller than that, so I can’t imagine why they didn’t just hop into this one. The whole thing was fascinating to watch.

Anyway, the party eventually wound down, and I continued north, where I was alerted by a quartet of gulls calling that something might be afoot. I thought maybe our red-tailed love birds might be about, but that was not the case. Instead, this little cutie was perched high above the northern island.

That, Ladies and Gentlemen, might be a new raptor for us, subject to confirmation by the experts at ebird.com. If they agree, and I sure hope they do, then we’ve got ourselves our first sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), the diminutive cousin of the Cooper’s hawk we often see. Either way, it’s a young one, but it has broad, blurry, brown streaks down its breast and belly instead of “neat brown streaks concentrated on its chest,” so I’ve got my fingers crossed for sharp-shinned.

As I backed away after my first few pictures, it took off, but by the time I climbed back up the riverbank, it was back already and in an even better perch. Then it seemed content just to watch me struggle to capture something presentable of such a small bird so far away. Cooper’s hawks are seldom this accomodating.

Here’s a side view from farther north. It almost looks like our kestrel, doesn’t it?

I eventually moved on, counted the pigeons on the wires over I-43, and on my way back south, of flock of Canada geese flew over. Best of all, 2 landed on the ice. I can hear the conversation they’re probably having, can’t you?

“I thought for sure this would all be melted by now.” “Yes, Dear.” “Seriously. There’s no way I would have made you fly all this way if I knew we’d be walking around on ice.” “It’ll be fine, Dear. It’ll melt soon enough.” I sure hope she’s right!

At the pond, I was treated once again to a flock of cedar waxwings, and here’s one of the beauties.

Finally, back on the river, I found the buffleheads and one goldeneye hen just hanging out amidst all the mallards.

Lastly, I see we got a nice bump in signatures on our petition to continue the active streets program in Estabrook again this summer. Thanks! And, in case you’re worried about accessing your favorite venues, remember that when they closed the parkway last summer, sure you had to use scenic Wilson Dr to get to the beer garden from Capitol, but you could still drive to and park in all three parking lots. So don’t delay! Help us convince the Parks Department to make Estabrook really feel like a park again this summer.

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 morning being about as cuddly as one might expect hawks to be.

When I took the image above, I didn’t see the hawk on the left and was just happy to see a hawk at all. Farther north along the river, I had a different perspective and was all excited to see both of them.

It was only when I got home that I found they were both there all along. Ha! Love is in the air!

By the pond, the bushes were full of house finches, goldfinches, house sparrows, and still a couple of common redpolls from the far north. Yay!

Back on the open river water far south of the falls, the buffleheads were diving without company this morning.

While the goldeneyes were doing the same a couple hundred yards farther south.

Thanks to all of you who have already signed the petition to close the parkway through Estabrook again this summer. With any luck, we’ll get enough to nudge the parks department into giving us a break from traffic through the park this summer.

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 snug in their beds as I hiked through, but a few were hearty enough to brave the weather. The bufflehead pair, two pair of mallards, about a half dozen goldeneyes were enjoying their 32°F water, as usual, but I couldn’t get better pictures than yesterday, so I let them be.

Instead, it was the woodpeckers out against that gorgeous blue sky who made for the prettiest pictures, and here’s a female downy all fluffed up at the north end.

This male downy by the pond must have really hit quite a vein of tasty morsels because he just ignored me being only 10 feet away.

The wind had blown most of the snow off the branches, but not all of it, and this mourning dove found some to frame its portrait for us.

I finally found a nice clump of house finches, and one house sparrow, that I could capture in an image, warming up in the sun over the pond.

Back at the south end, and up on the bluff, a red-bellied woodpecker glanced our way for just a moment before taking off.

This pair of white-breasted nuthatches, however, may have been blinded by young love because they were far more accommodating. Here’s the male with his dashing black cap.

And here he is again, in the upper left, right after he found something and hustled down the tree trunk to give it to the female in her “grayer” cap, in the lower right. You can see she still has it in her beak.

Here she is again, looking quite contented now that it seems she has found such a keeper. We wish them well.

Just as I was crossing the Oak Leaf Trail on my way out of the park, I finally spotted our first furry folks out to soak up some of that fabulous February sun.

What a pair of snuggle buddies.

Lastly, the new petition to close the parkway through Estabrook again this summer appears to be up and running at last. If you agree with this sentiment, and I hope you do, you can sign it here: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/continue-active-streets-program-in-estabrook-park

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.

The second treat of the morning was that the goldeneyes are starting to thicken, and I counted at least a dozen individuals on the river this morning. They were diving like crazy to forage on the bottom, and here’s the most I could get together in one picture.

At the falls, there was not a single bird, not even a gull, but the ice pancakes were back.

At the north end, treat number three was this eastern bluebird looking for a sip of water at a hole in the river ice.

I only spotted one, this time, and here it is again after retiring to this maple tree branch.

Things were pretty quiet at the pond, with the house sparrows all off to someplace else, and perhaps that’s why this house finch let me have this close-up.

By the bridge over a little stream that feeds into the north end of the pond, two gray squirrels rapidly scampered out the top of this old tree trunk and took off, but this third one got stuck in a staring contest with me. Unfortunately, for him or her, my camera lens doesn’t blink because I’m using the electronic shutter.

Back on the river, the sun was now shining down into the valley, the goldeneyes were still all there, and I also noticed our bufflehead pair back again. Here’s a nice set of mixed doubles.

Here’s just the hens.

And here’s just the buffleheads.

Finally, back at the south end, here’s an ice formation I haven’t seen before that looks like some kind of ice monster claw reaching out of the water.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for more of the same, except for more wind, but here’s hoping it abates a bit near dawn.

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, so that was probably a one-time deal.

Second is this handsome pair of red-breasted mergansers from February 17, 2021. We haven’t seen a single one this winter, but we’re in their migration range, so perhaps they’ll grace us with their beauty in the upcoming weeks. We can hope, right?

That’ll have to tide you over until I can visit again tomorrow morning, when the forecast calls for clear skies and calm winds. Woo Hoo!

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 far below the falls. As I was trying to see if there were any pictures to be had, everyone took to the air, and I soon caught a glimpse of a young bald eagle gliding south over the east riverbank. The eagle kept right on gliding, however, so it didn’t take the mallards long to come right back to the river.

Here’s a hen with her flaps and gear down on short final.

Some of the landings were a little dicey with the runway still so icy.

Further north, where the open water ends, a pair of mallards were back at wandering around on the river trail and checking out the seeps coming out of the bluff. I wonder what they are after.

I only saw one lone herring gull at the falls, so I kept going, and about halfway to the north end, three different birds were busy foraging on a big willow tree sticking out over the water. This black-capped chickadee had found something interesting and was clamping it to a branch with its toes so it could work on it, as they do.

A nuthatch struck a pose for us, if just for a moment.

And a downy woodpecker glanced our way before continuing to peck away at the bark.

Between the islands, a quartet of Canada geese made a surprise guest appearance, and these two even caught some of that brief sunlight. Soon enough they’ll be back on the pond and jockeying for prime nesting sights on the island.

Finally, back at the south end, I was surprised to find this gray squirrel uncharacteristically slow to scamper away as I came up the trail.

Perhaps it didn’t want to let anyone else get a chance at swiping the walnut frozen into the ground that it has already invested some time gnawing on.

Our forecast is calling for rain this afternoon, changing to snow overnight, and then temps back in the 20s with some sun tomorrow morning. That might make for some pretty pictures, but it will be interesting to see what we actually get.

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 the pond gave me a wary look.

As did this gray squirrel.

Meanwhile, down on the river, a bunch of mallards were busy sorting out their pecking order and jockeying for position…

While this goldeneye hen stayed out of the fray.

And that’s it for today, I’m afraid. The wind is forecast to be howling through tomorrow morning, but let’s hope most everyone will be up and looking for breakfast anyway.

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.

As I continued north, the only other birds I saw on the water were about a half dozen mallards, and the open water around the falls was completely empty.

Above the falls, I finally found someone willing to lend us some holiday color.

There was nobody notable at the north end nor at the pond (except Brian, but he said “no photos”) so I continued south along the river. There I encountered this interesting spectacle: a crow making the oddest sound. I read

“Most scientists describe it as the “rattle call” (for those who haven’t heard it, it really does sound like the rattling growl of the predator from the 1987 movie). Unfortunately, we don’t know what it means. There is evidence that only female crows utter this sound.“

Anyway, a little further south, back beside the open water, I spotted our old friend, the solo hooded merganser hen.

I was happy to see that she was so put out by my attempts to get her picture, that she settled down onto the ice and tucked her toes up into her feathers. That must feel nice.

Then we both heard a commotion farther south on the river, and it really got her attention. She even stuck her toes back out, just in case.

It turns out to have been another young eagle, but one with a nearly white head whom I don’t believe we’ve seen before, making an unsuccessful try for one of the mallards dabbling on the river. Here it is when I finally located it perched above the water on the east side.

And here’s the goldeneye hen, from earlier in the morning, after she scrambled out of harm’s way to join the merganser hen, and the drake that came with her. As John McClane so famously uttered, “Welcome to the party, Pal.”

Finally, this is as close as our new eagle was willing to let me get before it glided off down the river. Based on the handy chart provided by Alfredo Begazo, Ph.D. on his “Avian Report”, I’d guess this individual is 2½ – 3½ years old.

Lastly, thanks to all of you who listened in on my little presentation yesterday. Our host, Lorraine Jacobs, reported afterwards that “We had more viewers … than any other zoom Forum this church year.” Way to represent, people!

If you missed it, I see that they have already published the recording on their youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_rRlhlknGk

From my breakfast table, it looks like a much nicer morning than forecast, but I’m going to hold off on visiting the park until after my 11am presentation so that I can give both my full attention.

The good news is that my visit yesterday morning was so fruitful, I’ve still got some more pictures left to show you.

Here’s one more of our new favorite masked bandit. I tried to get a shot of it ambling away after it climbed down from the tree, but it was amazingly good at not giving me a clean line of sight. Go figure, right?

Here’s another look at the common redpoll that has the Wisconsin birding world abuzz, and in which it shows off its distinctive red cap from a different angle. I guess they are part of the same irruption that brought us the crossbills last Sunday. Plus, there are still evening grosbeaks and pine siskins to find. Yay!

Here’s another close-up of the Cooper’s hawk by the pond.

Here’s another look at the goldeneye hen up on the ice. It looks like she’s got some pretty good-sized flippers, eh?

And here she is again back with her drake.

Well, I’d better get back to work putting my finishing touches on my presentation for this morning. Maybe I’ll see you there. If not, they say you should be able to find it on youtube later, unless it goes so badly that they have to burn the tape.