You read that right, Campers. This is indeed my 1500th post since this little operation got underway back on March 26, 2020. Since then, we’ve cataloged 322 critters in Estabrook Park on this site and about 450 on iNaturalist, where I feel free to post any recognizable picture, no matter how dark or blurry, andContinue reading “Estabrook Park Report #1500!”
Tag Archives: Hooded merganser
Keeping cool by the lake…
While the rest of the country broils under the latest heat dome, Estabrook Park and its surrounding communities is enjoying the cooling effect this morning of its own giant misting system, aka a gentle breeze blowing off of Lake Michigan. With all the mist and heavy cloud cover, I didn’t have high hopes for thisContinue reading “Keeping cool by the lake…”
Just a perfect summer day…
The beautiful weather has returned to Estabrook Park, with cool, dry, and not too breezy air, so we had a gorgeous morning for a wildlife walk. As usual, I stopped by the river on my way to meeting folks at the beer garden, and the air was cool and still enough for a thin blanketContinue reading “Just a perfect summer day…”
Several mid-July surprises…
As forecast, the cool and dry air we’ve enjoyed in Estabrook for the past couple of days has moved on, and it was warmer and rainier in the park today. The air has remained nearly still, however, and with non-holiday, early Saturday traffic, it was wonderfully quiet this morning. My first treat of the dayContinue reading “Several mid-July surprises…”
A few regulars, a few first of the years, and one more first ever…
It rained and then the sun shone; the wind blew and then the air was still. There was no graupel, so it wasn’t April crazy, but the weather was pretty crazy this morning in Estabrook Park nevertheless. I made it to the pond before the first showers started, and our yellow-crowned night heron appeared toContinue reading “A few regulars, a few first of the years, and one more first ever…”
Birds come, and birds go…
The first pleasant surprise this morning in Estabrook Park was finding the yellow-crowned night heron back on the pond. I wasn’t the only one who looked in vain for it yesterday, and we all figured it had finally moved on, but there it was today as if it had never left. The second pleasant surpriseContinue reading “Birds come, and birds go…”
A break in the heat, at last…
Well, the heat wave is starting to break, at least here in Estabrook Park, and it is still only 75°F outside as I write this. The bigger break for me, however, was that the howling wind we’ve had for the past three days has finally subsided, so I can hear myself think out there, forContinue reading “A break in the heat, at last…”
A dark and stormy morning…
The forecast suggested that I had about a two-hour window between sunrise and thunderstorms, so I snuck into Estabrook to see who I could see, but I didn’t even need light for the first observation. There had been a big influx of white-throated sparrows since yesterday morning, and they were singing their songs throughout theContinue reading “A dark and stormy morning…”
A great show, despite the cold…
It was a bit chilly this morning in Estabrook Park, and the flooded area where we’ve been seeing the coot was all frozen over, but the wind was light, and the sky was crystal clear, so it was a good morning for checking on the critters. My first treat was finding this muskrat, whom IContinue reading “A great show, despite the cold…”
A rainy day in March…
Well, just as they predicted, it was quite rainy in Estabrook Park this morning. On the radar, however, it looked as though there would be some gaps in the rain, so I grabbed an umbrella and ventured out. On my way from the river to the pond, I saw the screech-owl in its nook again,Continue reading “A rainy day in March…”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 