Odds and ends…

Despite the rosy forecast, the sun turned out to be the little engine that couldn’t get the job done this morning. Sure, the air was nice and still, for a change, but the clouds were pretty thick, and it has taken the sun nearly till noon to clear them out. Oh well. This picture ofContinue reading “Odds and ends…”

A little iffy weather won’t slow them down…

I gotta admit, I felt sorta iffy about visiting Estabrook Park this morning. At sunrise the wind was howling, the clouds were thick, and it was spritzing enough to wet the pavement. But, I always need the walk, and the nature is supposed to be good for my head, so I grabbed my raincoat andContinue reading “A little iffy weather won’t slow them down…”

They just keep on arriving…

Despite the wind and partly cloudy skies, the mild temps made it a very pleasant morning for a stroll through Estabrook Park. Ten folks came out to join me for our weekly wildlife walk, and I recorded us seeing 40 bird species, including a few first-of-the-year tree swallows mixed in with a few bank swallowsContinue reading “They just keep on arriving…”

Not many perfect pictures despite a picture-perfect day.

It was a gorgeous morning in Estabrook Park with seasonably cool temps, crystal-clear skies, and nice-calm air. I was a bit surprised to find that the critters were laying low, however, perhaps in anticipation of the throngs of runners and spectators of the Milwaukee Marathon, but who knows. One critter who was out and aboutContinue reading “Not many perfect pictures despite a picture-perfect day.”

Grebes, grebes, and more grebes…

The sky was crystal clear at dawn this morning in Estabrook Park, and the winds were nearly calm, so I got in nice and early, despite it being cold enough to frost the grass. At the wide and slow part of the river below the falls, I could see both kingfishers at once, which doesn’tContinue reading “Grebes, grebes, and more grebes…”

Even more color on an even grayer day

The clouds were so thick at sunrise this morning, that I could feel a slight mist leaking out of them, and I even put the rain cover over my camera as I entered Estabrook Park. I did not have great expectations for this outing, but I am happy to report that I had set myContinue reading “Even more color on an even grayer day”

A few dashes of color on a gray day…

The clouds were thick, but the winds and the temps weren’t too bad, and the rain hadn’t started yet, so it certainly wasn’t the worst April weather I’ve seen in Estabrook Park. Before I even reached the river, this reddish-brown fox sparrow reminded me that they haven’t all left yet. The ice that may haveContinue reading “A few dashes of color on a gray day…”

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 little luck in Estabrook…

Wow! What a morning! The weather was just as forecast; cold, breezy, cloudy, and snowy; so not great, but the birding was amazing, and eight hearty souls came out to join today’s weekly wildlife walk. All together, we identified 40 bird species, which is a high-water mark for the series. Before we all met up,Continue reading “A little luck in Estabrook…”

One more arrival…

The weather was finally back to being seasonably pleasant in Estabrook Park this morning. The winds were nice and light, and the sky was pretty clear for a while. My first surprise of the morning came as I strolled beside the river on my way to the pond, when I spotted this beaver, the likesContinue reading “One more arrival…”