The heat dome is back, with temps well into the 90s this afternoon, and it was already warm enough during our weekly wildlife walk this morning, for this great blue heron on the river to be demonstrating its gular fluttering to keep cool. The recent high water from heavy rains up north, which was justContinue reading “It’s sure starting to feel like peak summer…”
Tag Archives: milwaukee-river-greenway
Back after a day of playing hooky…
I never did manage to write something for you yesterday, as I had promised, and I apologize for that. I had gone to the dragon boat races in the Lakeshore State Park inlet, as part of the Friends of Lakeshore State Park team, “Fishful Thinking”, and it ended up taking up most of the day,Continue reading “Back after a day of playing hooky…”
Several nice surprises…
It was a dark morning in Estabrook Park, but the predicted storms never materialized, though it did sprinkle a bit, and the air stayed pretty still, so it was a nice enough time to look for wildlife. My first surprise was finding this young-looking great blue heron with a crayfish just below the falls, andContinue reading “Several nice surprises…”
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 leftContinue reading “A shorebird bonanza!”
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 toContinue reading “A few holiday surprises…”
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 adultContinue reading “Happy semiquincentennial eve!”
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.Continue reading “Beating the heat…”
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,Continue reading “June finally delivers some real summer weather…”
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 firstContinue reading “A morning of unusual sights…”
Some birds on the wing…
I can see out our dining room window as I write this, that it has clouded up and started to sprinkle, but the weather was picture-perfect this morning. The sky was clear, if a little hazy, temps were about 10 degrees warmer than they’ve been in weeks, and the air was nearly still. As IContinue reading “Some birds on the wing…”
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 