A slow, slow Tuesday in September…

It was a little warmer and a lot cloudier than yesterday in Estabrook Park this morning, but still plenty nice enough for a visit. The most exciting show came early, on my first visit to the pond, when this belted kingfisher made its usual loud rattle as it moved to a different perch, and aContinue reading “A slow, slow Tuesday in September…”

They called a committee meeting…

It was a dark and stormy morning in Estabrook, but there was a gap between the showers, so I snuck into the park to see who I could see. Things got off to a nice start when I caught a glimpse of this darling young Cooper’s hawk gliding into this tree for a landing. AsContinue reading “They called a committee meeting…”

Thank goodness for old friends…

It was a beautiful morning in Estabrook Park, with temps in the mid-sixties, a light breeze, and clear skies, and the Badgerland Striders could not have chosen a better time for their half marathon. With sunrise at 6:06 am and a start time of 7:00 am, perhaps you can imagine how the park was alreadyContinue reading “Thank goodness for old friends…”

A slow mid-August Monday…

There has indeed been a break in the weather, and I saw real blue sky this morning for the first time in a week or so. Yay! As I was waiting for the 7am wildlife walkers to arrive, there was one crow on the parking lot and one on a pole beside it. Then twoContinue reading “A slow mid-August Monday…”

Meteorological summer gets off to a fine start…

Meteorological summer kicked off this morning in Estabrook Park with cloudy skies, mild temps, and nearly still air. I sure could have used a bluer sky, but as a wise man once opined, two out of three ain’t bad. I had a little time before our 7am meet-up at the beer garden parking lot, soContinue reading “Meteorological summer gets off to a fine start…”

Spring reminds us that it’s not over yet…

Our recent string of pretty days continued in Estabrook Park this morning, but someone must have panicked about the warmth and flipped on the giant AC unit parked just a mile to our east, because we’ve had quite the cooldown compared to earlier in the week. The good news is that the sun is overContinue reading “Spring reminds us that it’s not over yet…”

Some nice sights, despite the fog…

It was a cool and foggy morning in Estabrook Park, but there wasn’t any rain for a change, so it was a fine time to see who has arrived lately. The first newcomer I spotted was this very shy green heron at the river. I actually glimpsed it already yesterday, but it wouldn’t let meContinue reading “Some nice sights, despite the fog…”

Some rainy-day sights for sore eyes…

Well, one of you must not have been squeezing your thumbs hard enough because it’s been raining all morning and looks like it’s gonna rain all day. Worse, I’ve already milked the heck out of the sapsucker sighting on Monday and the warbler sighting on Sunday, so my back pocket is empty. Thus, I haveContinue reading “Some rainy-day sights for sore eyes…”

Another sure sign of spring…

We had a nearly perfect March morning in Estabrook Park today. The sky was clear, the air was still, and it froze overnight but temps were quickly on their way to the 40s, which I hear is good for making the sap flow. Anyway, sorry about missing yesterday. I had a string of non-park activitiesContinue reading “Another sure sign of spring…”

Estabrook Park still surprises…

The rain did roll through during the wee hours of the morning, as advertised, and we even had a few claps of thunder before sunrise. The good news is that it kept right on rolling, and skies were nearly clear by the time the sun actually rose. It was quite windy, but it was alsoContinue reading “Estabrook Park still surprises…”