I see it has clouded up now and may even rain later, but earlier this morning we had nearly perfect weather in Estabrook Park, with clear skies, mild temps, and still air.

When I arrived at the pond, I was thrilled to spot our first wood duck hen of the season and a second drake, but they disappeared before I could get a picture. Instead, the drake who has already been there for days was happy to oblige.

The red-breasted merganser drake soon dropped in again, and instead of fishing right away, spent some time just relaxing.

Meanwhile, there was a quintet of blue jays making a ruckus overhead, …

and one eventually perched in the clear for a moment.

Red squirrels were active all through the park, and here’s one by the river in the middle of a heated argument with a compatriot.

I spotted a pair of Cooper’s hawks on my short walk yesterday, but I failed to get a picture for you. Happily, here’s one from this morning, instead.

Sure, it’s buried deep in the sticks, so it’s not a great shot, but what makes it picture-worthy, in my opinion, is that it appears to have caught itself a good sized mammal to work on, and I don’t see that every day.

Finally, I also met this white-breasted nuthatch yesterday, and it seemed to be so enthralled by this hole in a tree that it let me take this portrait.

Here it even seems to be inviting me inside for a tour.

Our recent string of beautiful weather seems to have run its course, and it is cloudy and windy this morning in Estabrook Park. Oh, sure, I’ll go take a look, but I don’t have high expectations, so let me show you a couple more images from Zion National Park.

First, there were several canyon wrens about, and here’s one that had caught a nice big fly and was hopping around and calling in apparent hopes that someone, probably not me, would notice.

The one hermit thrush I saw seemed to be searching for something or someone, and after posing on the branch I already showed you, it hopped up to a higher perch for a better look. The pink background is caused by the colorful sandstone of the canyon wall.

Finally, here’s one more canyon wren who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

If I do see anything today, I’ll be sure to show you tomorrow.

As nice as yesterday was, today is on track to be even nicer. Temps started out about the same, but the wind was lighter, and highway noise is usually noticeably quieter early on weekend mornings. Thus, it was a fabulous morning for a walk in Estabrook Park.

I thought I’d change things up a bit and visit the pond before the north end, in case I’ve been missing something by waiting until a bit later. So, as I approached the pond, I could hear a bird calling loudly, but I didn’t recognize it right away, and it took me a moment to spot the source, this Cooper’s hawk, who seemed to be searching for something or someone.

Here it is making the call and letting me sneak an unobstructed view through the branches.

I eventually did move on to the north end, where I didn’t see more than mallards and geese, as has been the norm lately, so I stopped back by the pond. As I sat on the bench searching in vain for the wood duck or the red-breasted merganser we saw yesterday, the merganser suddenly flew in for a landing.

Then he quickly set to fishing, …

and it only took him a few minutes to catch something tasty looking.

Finally, he relaxed for a bit, and I headed home.

The clear skies continue, the temps are starting to warm, and the breeze has picked up just a bit, so it was another beautiful morning in Estabrook Park.

The big surprise for me today was finding this pair of Canada geese atop the abandoned bridge abutment at the far riverbank and a bit below the falls, as though they are Egyptian geese in South Holland or something. They seemed to be conversing with another pair on the water in the blue hole right behind them, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

Just a little farther upstream, this white breasted nuthatch was busily foraging for breakfast, and I was happy that one in a dozen pictures was presentable.

As usual lately, there was not much to report from the north end, so I proceeded to the pond, where I found our wood duck drake still waiting for the hens to arrive.

Instead of hooded mergansers, he was joined this morning by a solo red-breasted merganser drake, who also managed to catch a fish, but not a goldfish this time.

Once he succeeded in choking it down, he enjoyed a quick, celebratory bath.

Finally, the dark-eyed juncos may have begun moving north because I didn’t see a single one at the pond, and only stumbled upon this single bird on my way home. According to ebird, we usually see them well into April, but with the red-winged blackbirds and common grackles showing up nearly a month early, perhaps the juncos are also changing their schedule.

I hope you’re able to make the most out of your bonus day. In Estabrook Park, the recent cold snap lasted through the night, and it was even colder this morning than yesterday, but the sky was still clear as a bell, and the wind is even lighter, so it was very nice. I was able to count a lot of birds, but most seemed too busy for pictures today. Perhaps they are all trying to make the most of their bonus day, too.

There were a few outliers, thankfully, and this cardinal by the pond was one. He parked so close that I had to zoom out to fit him all in the frame. Plus, he stayed put for a beat even after looking me right in the eye. Maybe it was an “I meant to do that” moment for him.

The grackles were still at the pond, as well, and this one put on quite a show with his splayed tail feathers and iridescent blue head feathers.

The solo wood duck drake was still there, too, and his head feathers were popping a nice iridescent green with just a splash of pink behind the eye.

Finally, the cold wasn’t enough to form much ice on the pond nor keep this muskrat in its burrow, and here it is showing just how waterproof its fur is. Notice the little pool of water on its back.

See you in March!

Holy Moly, what a weather roller coaster we are on! Temps reached the high 60s yesterday afternoon, or even setting a record high of 74°F at the airport, then we had lightning and thunder last evening, snow overnight, and temps are in the low 20s this morning. Yikes! The sun is peeking through the clouds now, and the temps don’t bother me, but the 20+ mph wind will keep most critters hunkered down, so I’m staying home for now.

Luckily, I went out for a bike ride yesterday afternoon and stopped by the pond on my way home, where I found two young nature enthusiasts taking pictures, one with binoculars, acting as the spotter, and the other with a camera nearly as big as he is. Good for them!

Anyway, when I asked them what they were seeing, they told me that there was a pair of hooded mergansers and even a turtle out enjoying the warm sun, so I hustled home to get my own camera, and this is what I managed to capture.

First the turtle, a red-eared slider, and surely setting the record for earliest Chelonian emergence in Estabrook.

Then the pair of hooded mergansers. You may recall we had a female/immature on the pond for a while late last fall, but I’m not sure when was the last time I saw a drake there.

They were snoozing against the east show when I returned with my gear, so I started with the turtle, but they soon headed out for some fishing, and it didn’t take the hen long to land a nice big goldfish.

It took her a couple of tries, but she eventually got it lined up just right and into her belly.

Meanwhile, the drake was diving, but coming up empty, as far as I saw, but he did make a nice swim-by with the wood duck, whom we had already seen earlier in the day.

Finally, the pair docked off the tip of the island and appeared to settle in for another nap.

As I reluctantly headed back home to do the work work that I had been putting off, I couldn’t help but notice that the big patch of snowdrops on the north side of the maintenance building was in full bloom. Better yet, as I tried to line up my best artsy shot, they even had a customer come visit. Yay!

Wowzah, it was warm in Estabrook Park this morning! Skies were crystal clear, so I got out well before sunrise, at 6:20 am, and it was already 52°F and on its way to a forecast 67°F this afternoon.

One critter that was out taking advantage of the unusual weather was this beaver, busily hauling a long, slender stick back to its burrow. Long-time readers may recall that just three years ago during the last week of February, there was still enough ice on the river for a pair of beaver to climb up on it and cuddle.

Another critter trying to capitalize on the early warmth is this grackle, perched high over the river, …

and five of its best friends.

I didn’t see anybody besides mallards and geese at the north end, so I headed to the pond, where I found the wood duck drake whom we first saw on Sunday, but still no hens yet. “Hang in there, Buddy! They’ll get here soon enough.”

The cardinals were quite active at the pond, and here’s one munching on some sumac seeds.

Finally, the dark-eyed juncos have changed their tune recently and are becoming less plentiful. Here’s one who hasn’t left yet and instead has found a prominent perch from which it can sing its new song.

It is a little hazy and breezy now, but earlier this morning, the sky was clear, and the air was still in Estabrook Park. Temps were in the high 30s already by sunrise, but there was enough radiant cooling overnight to frost the grass and firm up some of the river trail mud.

I suspect it was the still air and subsequent quiet that enabled me to find in short order the winter wren that the Milwaukee Birders and I searched for in vain along the river yesterday.

At the north end, all the goldeneyes and mergansers we saw yesterday have moved on already, but I finally was able to get my camera on this handsome kingfisher, for the first time since January. The Milwaukee Birders heard him yesterday, but none of us could spot it, and I glimpsed one earlier in the week as it rocketed past, but I need more time than that.

At the pond, the wood duck has also moved on already, but this white-throated sparrow was kind enough to sit still for a moment.

Another first for the season was this eastern chipmunk by the pond and glowing in the morning sun.

Finally, on my way back south, I could hear squirrels crying overhead as I walked by the entrance to the underpass, and a quick scan of the trees soon found this beautiful Cooper’s hawk on the hunt.

Donna’s Sunday morning birding group came to visit Estabrook Park this morning, and I showed them where I have seen the winter wren recently, but it didn’t want to come out and play today. Instead, we saw a bald eagle glide over the north end, and there was a goldeneye hen on the water, but I didn’t manage to get any pictures.

Well, the group eventually had enough birding for one morning, we parted ways by the beer garden, and as I walked past the pond on my way home, look who I found floating in the sun. It’s our first wood duck of the season. Woo Hoo! He was quite shy and after I grabbed this picture from up by the parkway, he hid under the bushes that overhang the water from the island and refused to come out. Oh well. I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty more of him soon enough.

Anyway, while I was sitting on the park bench and enjoying the sun that had come out, the mallards mostly ignored me, and this drake really put on a light show with his iridescent head feathers. First, they glowed green, …

then blue, …

and finally, both blue and green at the same time!

Lastly, the goose couple were up on the lawn right in front of me, and I wonder if the female is bracing herself for the arduous 28 days of incubating she’s got in her near future.

Wow! What a difference 24 hours can make. We went from high 30s with blue skies yesterday morning in Estabrook Park to low 20s with grey skies and snow on the ground this morning. It sure seemed to wake up the critters, too.

I had just gotten on the, now nicely frozen, river trail at the far south end, when this red-tailed hawk swooped in looking for squirrels. It must have been quite hungry because it nearly ignored me. I’m pretty sure it was the one with the almost all-white belly we’ve been seeing recently.

At about half-way to the north end, near where the stream from the pond empties into the river, this red squirrel was busy with its own breakfast.

As I approached the north end, I was thrilled to find this handsome pair of common goldeneyes diving in the shallow water between the islands. We haven’t seen the likes of them since the last cold snap, about two weeks ago.

There was also a female common merganser floating with the Canada geese near the northern island.

A little ice was forming on the pond, but that wasn’t enough to daunt this intrepid muskrat, and I don’t believe I’ve been able to show you one from the pond since back in December.

There was also a sextet of male red-winged blackbirds, and they were perched together and calling in a tree over the north end. They were making quite a racket, and I don’t believe I’ve seen them behave this way before.

Back on the water, a half dozen mallards were paddling around with the pair of geese, and this one hen took a moment to spread preen oil all over her feathers.

Finally, back at the south end, there is a big old tree on the lawn of the Benjamin Church House that is still full of fruit, and it was attracting a few starlings, including this non-breeding adult or youngster, …

And a slew of hungry robins.