It was much warmer in Estabrook Park this morning, and there was no hint of frost. Plus, the skies were still clear, so I was able to start nice and early, before the wind came up. My first surprise came at the pond, where I spotted our first eastern kingbird of the year. Below theContinue reading “More new faces, and a shorebird trifecta, hurray!”
Tag Archives: birds
The wind takes a breather…
The skies stayed clear, and the air stayed cold, but the wind almost stopped, so it was a very nice morning in Estabrook Park, despite the hoar frost on the grass in places. My first big surprise came at the far northwest end, where I had gone to check on the pigeon chicks and seeContinue reading “The wind takes a breather…”
Spring hits pause…
There was a stiff breeze out of the northeast this morning, which reminded me, and anyone else out in it, just how cold the waters of Lake Michigan still are. The windchill temperature was supposed to be 31°F at sunrise. Yikes! Luckily for our resident eastern screech-owl, the opening of its nook faces the southwest,Continue reading “Spring hits pause…”
Some highs and lows…
It has gotten cool and breezy now, but earlier today the weather was as nice in Estabrook as yesterday, so I was crossing the Oak Leaf Trail into the park just after 5:30 a.m. There’s a guy who likes to let his German shepherd run loose on the soccer fields, and some days I getContinue reading “Some highs and lows…”
It finally feels like summer might be right around the corner…
What a difference 24 hours can make. Yesterday morning, I wore a poofy coat for warmth, and I was glad I did. This morning, I wore only a windbreaker over a thin fleece, and I had to strip it off before I got home. The critters in Estabrook Park really seemed to respond to theContinue reading “It finally feels like summer might be right around the corner…”
I finally make it back into Estabrook…
Despite being back in Milwaukee yesterday, I had one more stop to make before going back to Estabrook Park this morning. The Milwaukee Birders were visiting the Shorewood Nature Preserve yesterday morning, and I couldn’t really let them bird my back yard without saying “hi”, now could I? Plus, it gave me a chance toContinue reading “I finally make it back into Estabrook…”
Utah and Florida wrap-up…
Before I wound up in Florida, my sister and I had one more opportunity to look for wildlife in Utah, at the Sullivan Virgin River Park in Washington City, but I haven’t had a chance to tell you about it until now, and “yes,” that’s the same Virgin River into which we saw the dipperContinue reading “Utah and Florida wrap-up…”
Utah 2025, Day 3
Zion was the most crowded park we visited on this trip, based on the ratio of cars to parking spaces, but we had the luck we needed where it counted, thankfully. The weather was nice, the scenery was beautiful, and the critters were bountiful. The first little cutie who would pose for me was thisContinue reading “Utah 2025, Day 3”
Utah 2025, Day 2
After Arches National Park yesterday, we stayed overnight in the tiny town of Loa, Utah, and this morning, before the kids got up, my sister and I went out to see who might be around. It was below freezing, for the first time this trip, at sunrise, and it took a while for the localContinue reading “Utah 2025, Day 2”
Utah 2025, Day 1
After Antelope Canyon yesterday, my sister said “we’ve come all this way, we might as well see Utah, too,” so we drove up to Monticello yesterday afternoon to stay on the outskirts of town in a geodesic dome under a very dark and very stary sky. Not surprisingly, it was quite cold this morning, butContinue reading “Utah 2025, Day 1”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 