Signs of Life in Estabrook Park

A shorebird bonanza!

The day has gotten pretty warm out by now, but conditions were quite pleasant in Estabrook Park right after sunrise.

We still have a few broods of ducklings on the river, although they mostly look like teenagers these days, and here’s a sextet of mallards just above the falls. The second one from the left looks like it’s telling its siblings to “just be cool.”

The big surprise for today was the plethora of shorebirds on the river between the islands. There were at least two killdeer, which has become pretty common lately.

There were eight spotted sandpipers, which I could all see at the same time, and which is certainly the highest count I’ve ever had.

Best of all, merely because this is only their fifth visit, least sandpipers were back, and I was thrilled to see these four (the fourth one is hunkered down a bit on the right side of the image), but when they all decided to take off, it turns out that there were ten of them! That makes twenty shorebirds in all, which is just fantastic!

Even this great blue heron was amazed!

Our weed meadow at the north end remains unmowed, and I counted five butterfly species, but the best pictures didn’t come until the weeds beside the soccer fields, where there are still Halloween pennant dragonflies hanging out.

And the monarchs are still sipping nectar from thistle blossoms.

It looks like we’re in for some precipitation overnight, but that should dry up by morning, and I can’t wait to see who’s on the river tomorrow.

Point Beach State Forest!

We did break camp today and safely delivered the grandson to his mom early this afternoon, with only a few “mystery” bites under his shirt. We speculated at length about who might have caused them, but Anne was sure that it was none of my suggestions, and the best we could surmise is that it probably wasn’t anybody too dangerous.

On to the more-photogenic wildlife! After I returned from the library yesterday afternoon, where I had gone to tell you about my morning, Anne told me she had found a pollinator garden not too far from our site, so I went to check it out. The garden was nice, but I wasn’t seeing anyone new until this cutie caught my eye at the edge of the woods just beyond the garden. That’s a hooded warbler, and long-time readers may recall that I was able to show you one from Belize last fall, and I’ve heard them in Estabrook, but they have evaded my camera there so far. “I’ll catch you there someday, you little rascal!”

This morning, I paid another visit to the impoundment, and my first surprise was finding that the least sandpiper had been replaced by this lesser yellowlegs. Ha!

The wigeon had been replaced by this green-winged teal. It was quite the game of switcheroo.

The canvasback drake was still there and had been joined by a hen, but their pictures were even worse than yesterday’s. Instead, the best picture I managed at the impoundment this morning was this ruddy duck drake. I’ve seen them in Connecticut, Port Washington, and Horicon Marsh, but they’ve made like the hooded warbler and have kept me waiting in Estabrook.

On my way back to our campsite, I stopped at the Little Manitowoc Slough again, and this time it was an eastern kingbird that posed like a pro.

This barn swallow didn’t do to bad either, but I could tell that my proximity was starting to make it nervous, so I backed off and left it alone after this picture.

Finally, after I got back to our site, and we had everything packed up, there was plenty of time for another visit to the pollinator garden, and the star of the show today was this male ruby-throated hummingbird.

Then it was time to head home. The end.

Manitowoc!

Yes, that’s the same Manitowoc as in Charlie Berens’ “Manitowoc Minute”. Ya see, Anne promised the grandson an overnight camping trip, she opted to host it this week at Point Beach State Forest, in Two Rivers, and I got to go with. Then, when I was looking for where I might find some interesting wildlife to show you, I learned about the Manitowoc Impoundment. Please note that I wrote “impoundment” not “impound lot”, and that’s because it is a Confined Disposal Facility for sediment dredged from Manitowoc harbor and not a lot for towed cars. Phew! Right? Anyway, when they were done dredging, they finished it off with a nice little pond and wetland that appears to attract birds from miles around, and that’s where I went first thing this morning.

The first bird I noticed, because how could I miss it, was the American white pelican, and not only was there a bunch of them, but they kept coming and going like jumbo jets at JFK. Here’s one on short final with flaps and gear already down.

The star of the show, for me at least, was this canvasback drake (Aythya valisineria). As with Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee, the lighting can be a challenge early in the morning, but this is the very first canvasback I’ve ever seen, so I was thrilled just to get a picture good enough for a positive ID, and I’ll leave the portrait for another day.

There were plenty of mallards there, which should come as no surprise, and one hen even had a trio of fresh ducklings, but what I didn’t expect was watching her catch and gulp down a nice little fish. I’ve seen wood ducks do that plenty of times in Estabrook, but I’ve never caught a mallard doing that, until now. Live and learn, right?

The next big surprise was spotting this American wigeon drake. We’ve seen them in Estabrook, but not in the middle of the summer, so eBird considers this one to be “rare” for this location on this date. Ha!

I thought he had a pair of hens with him, but my editor pointed out that, while those are indeed hens, they are gadwall hens, and not wigeons at all. Sheesh! It was turning into quite the menagerie.

I eventually had to tear myself away and get back to the campsite before Anne reported me missing, and on my way back to the mainland, I checked the gulls on the beach, as one does. Well, one of them did not look like all the others, and that’s because it’s our first Bonaparte’s gull since last summer in Oak Creek.

Finally, there were a couple of martin houses there, but they appeared to be unoccupied. On my drive back to Two Rivers, however, I noticed another one at the Little Manitowoc Slough, and look at the gorgeous creature I found perched there with a bunch of its housemates.

We’re camping one more night and then driving back to Milwaukee tomorrow. I’m sure I will be able to get out in the morning, but I don’t know when I’ll get to show and tell you what I saw, so tomorrow’s post might be delayed a bit. Don’t worry, though, I’ll get to it eventually.

Starting off our next half-century in style!

Estabrook Park was cool, cloudy, and quiet this morning. The first two are simply weather conditions, of course, and quite welcome after the week we’ve had, but the third is perhaps due to folks celebrating our 250th anniversary a lot harder that I thought they would.

In any case, now that the celebration is over, the fawn, whom we haven’t seen in a while, took the opportunity to step out into the open for a change.

Mom ventured out soon after, and she spotted me right away, but seemed comfortable with the distance I was at. “Don’t worry, Sweetie. I’ll be cool.”

The fawn seemed oblivious, or simply couldn’t help itself, and proceeded to scamper around on the exposed river bottom.

After a bit, the youngster appeared to ask Mom if she wanted to join in the fun, …

and it turned out she was game. Excellent!

She seemed to really get into it, too.

Then the fawn seemed beside itself with glee and raced around for a bit more on its own.

Good job, Mom.

Oh, before I forget, I won’t be able to make the wildlife walk tomorrow morning, but please don’t let my absence stop you from getting out to take a look for yourself. I’ll be back for next Monday.

A few holiday surprises…

The first fun surprise today was finding a quartet of least sandpipers on the exposed river bottom around the upstream island. We haven’t seen them since last spring, and they must have been quite hungry because they were hustling around much more than the spotted sandpipers or killdeer usually do. Luckily, I was able to catch this one standing still for a moment.

The rough-winged swallows were in the same tree but on a different branch today, , which enabled me to get a closer look.

I didn’t see a single goose yesterday, so I was glad to find this nice gaggle on my way back downstream today, but I was even gladder to spot a few wood duck ducklings trying to take a nap right in the middle of them. If you don’t see them, look closer. They’re right in the middle of the picture.

This image is actually from yesterday, but I wanted to confirm my identification before I showed you. Today, however, I’m thrilled to announce that this really is our very first black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) and our eighth bumble bee species in Estabrook. Woo hoo!

Finally, if I had to guess, the first brood of monarch butterflies that hatched in Wisconsin this year is just now emerging from their chrysalises because, after I have failed to capture a single one on film yet this year, there were suddenly three shiny, new individuals leisurely sipping nectar from the thistle blossoms beside the southern soccer fields. At last!

I see that the heat wave must really be over, at least in Estabrook Park, because it’s supposed to be in the 60s tomorrow morning and then only in the 70s later in the day, and I can’t wait to see who that brings out.

Happy semiquincentennial eve!

Our recent heat wave continues to wane, but slowly, and the critters in Estabrook Park just keep going about their business as usual.

A great blue heron was looking fierce as it fished in the river just above the falls, and this one appears to be in its second summer with a hint of adult plumage but also the bi-colored bill of a youngster.

There was a trio of killdeer foraging on the exposed river bottom around the upstream island, and this one had the best pensive look.

A new sight for the season was this quintet of northern rough-winged swallows together on a branch over our riverbank, and I believe the second from the right is feeding the third from the right. In all, I counted ten of them in that tree, if only for an instant. I read that they only have one brood per year, with 4-8 eggs, so some in this picture are likely fledglings, and they could even all be from a single nest.

Speaking of fledglings, I suspect this kestrel, perched atop a contraption in the guywire system for one of the towers across the river, has also recently left the nest based on the way it was crying to be fed. I haven’t been able to show you one since the start of May.

Mallard ducklings, on the other hand, are precocial, so they hatch ready to find their own food. All Mom has to do is lead them to it.

Spotted sandpipers are also supposed to be precocial, but I have yet to see a chick, as I did once with killdeer and again just recently with piping plovers, so I don’t know if the ones we see regularly even nest along our stretch of the river. In any case, here’s a mature adult at the far south end striking a very nice pose that doesn’t look pensive at all.

Finally, dragonflies don’t exactly “fledge”, of course, but they do transition from living in the water as larvae to taking flight as adults, and eastern pondhawks are supposed to have done that in mid-June, but here’s the first one of the year that I’ve managed to capture on film.

Lastly, I expect that things will get loud for the next couple of days, and I hope you keep safe if you’re participating in any of that.

A little rain ushers in a heat reprieve…

After a brief rain delay right after sunrise, today turned out to be a pretty nice day. The air was a bit cooler, drier, and even calmer than it’s been for the past couple of days, at least for this morning.

My first treat came at the falls when I checked the exposed rocks in the middle and the far shore for shorebirds. There were a couple of spotted sandpipers, along with a few mallards, but the surprise was finding this turkey checking to see how the new landscaping is holding up during its first summer.

Around the islands farther upstream, I didn’t see much new, but back on shore I did find this beauty, a very fresh-looking painted lady, in the meadow, which remains blissfully unmowed.

On my way back downstream, I heard a second green heron calling to the one I had already spotted fishing below, and it didn’t take me long to find it perched up nice and high against a refreshingly blue sky.

Most everyone else was keeping out of sight, perhaps because their feathers were all still wet from the rain, but by the time I reached the weeds beside the soccer fields, I found our first spot-winged glider of the year all dried out.

We haven’t seen much of the red-tailed hawks lately, perhaps because the gulls are keeping them away, but today I found this one in a decidedly more relaxed pose at the far south end.

Finally, the black raspberries are coming in quickly, and here’s one that needs just about one more day of this sunshine to be ready for eatin’.

The forecast for tomorrow morning looks like a repeat of today, but let’s hope the critters change up their performance a bit.

Beating the heat…

Our heatwave continues, and it was in the double 80s (°F and %RH) at sunrise again, which is not my favorite way to start the day, but there’s plenty of nice shade to be had in Estabrook Park, and we even have water features, so I can’t think of a better place to hide out.

After being absent for a few days, at least one of the green herons was back on the river and fishing around the islands. There were also great blue herons, but I just featured one yesterday, so I left them alone today.

Your flyby of the day was provided by this mature bald eagle coming down the river nice, low, and slow, just the way I like it. I haven’t been able to spot jewelry on an eagle since the winter before last. You might have to click on the image so you can see the original on flickr and zoom in to see it on this one.

I saw the wood duck ducklings again today, but they’re so grown up now that they don’t keep together, and this trio of mallards farther downstream and maintaining a tight formation made a nicer picture.

Finally, for today that is, the American white waterlily has started to blossom on the river, and a pair of damselflies are using it to make like the green darners on Monday.

Since I’ve come up a little short today, here’s another red-bellied woodpecker, a male this time, at another nesting cavity yesterday.

Here’s a male twelve-spotted skimmer, from last Tuesday, with his extra eight white spots nestled between his namesake twelve dark spots.

Lastly, here’s a sulphur butterfly, probably a clouded sulphur, on another one of those firewheel blossoms at the pollinator garden just yesterday.

It appears that today is hump day for the heatwave, as well as the week, and we’re supposed to be back in the mid-70s tomorrow morning, so I can’t wait to see who the reprieve brings out.

June finally delivers some real summer weather…

The heat and humidity that had been promised for days have finally arrived, and it was 80°F and 80% humidity at 6:00 this morning. Jeepers! Given the breathless warnings on the evening news, I expected the weather, but I did not expect to spot this raccoon trotting across the parkway near the pollinator garden. “Sweetie, if I’d known you were going to be there, I would have had my camera set up better. Sorry!”

There was a nice lineup of wood ducks on this log in the pond, and I tried to catch them all looking our way at the same time, but it was like class picture day for kindergarteners.

The mallard hen and her sleepy ducklings on the river were a little better, but not by much.

By the islands in the river, I was surveying the geese, mallards, sandpipers, and killdeer in vain hopes of finding someone new, and I glanced up in time to see a few gulls lazily flying upstream, when I noticed one looked slightly different. By the time I took a look with my binoculars, realized that it was a black-crowned night heron, and tried to prepare my camera for birds in flight, however, the darn thing had gone around the bend and took my chances for a picture with it. My only consolation is that, when this young great blue heron gave me a low pass soon afterwards and and in the other direction, I was all set to go.

Anywho, a couple of squirrels were crying up on the bluff, and sometimes that means they see a hawk, so I hiked up to investigate, but all I could find was this female red-bellied woodpecker with a beakful of breakfast for its nestlings inside that tree trunk.

Farther downstream, as I approached the skate park, I could see a rabbit sprawled out on the pavement, which would have been a fun way to visualize the weather, but before I could line up a picture, this little cutie came scampering up the path and chased the rabbit away. “Okay, Buddy, you know the rules. If you wreck the shot, you become the shot.”

Finally, this is sure not the prettiest butterfly picture I’ve ever taken, especially on top of the cloth put down to kill the grass so the pollinator garden can expand, but it is our first hackberry emperor of the year, and that’s where it like to perch this morning.

Welp, it’s time to wrap this up, and I see the temperature has climbed to 95°F outside, which is supposed to feel like 107°F when you add in the humidity, so I hope you’re staying cool out there.

A morning of unusual sights…

The heat and humidity we’re in for did start to arrive by sunrise this morning, but the critters aren’t taking selfies yet, so I headed out to give them a hand.

My first treat of the day was this mallard hen with a fresh-looking batch of ducklings on the river. This might be her first rodeo because she seemed unsure about what to do after spotting me. Instead of ignoring me or simply easing away, as most mallards do, she paddled in a lazy circle in the middle of the river, and her brood dutifully followed. The bright side, at least for me, is that I had a lot of angles to choose from, but I didn’t want to cause undue stress, so after I realized what was going on, I got out of there so they could resume their regularly scheduled program.

The next treat came on the water around the islands where these youngish-looking great blue herons got into a little altercation. I didn’t see any contact, so perhaps they are nestmates, and this was just a little sibling rivalry.

Then it was time to go collect the wildlife walkers at the beer garden parking lot, and we had a skeleton crew today, perhaps due to the weather, with one at 7am and two more at 8, but it made for a well-focused outing.

As we made our way from the river to the pond, someone noticed a small ruckus above, and it turned out to be a tiny blue-gray gnatcatcher trying to chase away a pair of brown-headed cowbirds. If you thought, as I sure did, that gnatcatchers make nests far too small for cowbirds to parasitize, check out the images Dave Bowman posted of a gnatcatcher feeding a cowbird chick more than twice its size. Wow! No wonder the gnatcatcher was so feisty!

The next big treat of the morning came soon after, when I spotted my very first ruby-throated hummingbird of the year in Estabrook. I was beginning to wonder if I would see any at all, but there he sat, right out in the open for at least 20 seconds.

After visits to the river, the pond, and the river again, one participant ended up logging 34 birds, which is a nice haul for this late in the year. Then we all parted ways, and that’s when this rose-breasted grosbeak knew it was safe to show his face. The little stinker.

Back at the pond, it’s time for common green darners, the “Lords of June“, to start making more, and here’s a pair doing just that. At this point, her eggs are fertilized, and she is in the rear and laying them, while he maintains his grip and is believed to be “prevent[ing] other males from mating with her [in an operation called] “contact guarding”.” Sheesh! Royals can be weird, right?

Finally, here’s one of Wisconsin’s smallest butterflies, a least skipper, sipping nectar from a fleabane blossom, and doing nothing weird at all.