Most Great Blue Herons have headed south for the winter but today at Greenfield Park I found this one. This juvenile just perched on a log was just hanging out. I have not seen any lately here at the park so this one could be headed south too, just taking a break here. A small handful hang around all winter only if they have some open water and can find food. It was a cloudy day with mild temps around 45 degrees and light winds. Image was taken on November 22, 2024.
I have been looking for the last few weeks for the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Today I was rewarded finding one in a pine. It is a feeling like no other. When you are digging around in parks etc and you look up and you are looking one, it is like your heart sinks. A lot goes through your mind in split seconds. Then you take a breath, hold the camera up and take a couple of shots. And that is how it went finding this tiny owl about 8″ tall. One of the worlds smallest owl, these owls are nocturnal hunters that are fierce and silent. They hunt mice, small mammals, small birds, and sometimes insects. I will tell anyone, they are out there, sometimes you have to look in the places most people don’t. It was a cloudy day, mild temps around 50 degree, low winds. The images were taken in Southeastern Wisconsin on November 15, 2024.
While out birding I heard some talk of a Western Cattle Egret near Big Bend. I took a drive out there and it was present. It hung around with a couple of cattle eating ticks or flies off the legs of these animals. It seems to be right at home in the little farm yard there. The cattle wanted nothing to do with this bird and on a few occasions they swung their heads at the egret. This is a 1st year bird, it either hatched here or wandered north to Wisconsin after the breeding season. It was a pleasant morning with temps around 65 degrees with good winds with a warm day ahead. Nice for this time of year but a change of weather is coming. This bird was previously named a Cattle Egret, recently it has been changed to Western Cattle Egret. Images were taken on October 30, 2024.
The Western Cattle Egret…
Here just hanging around and looking for ticks or flies…did not sit still much…
Picking a tick or fly off the back of the cattle’s leg…
Waiting for something to eat…an insect…
Blurry photo but catching something here to eat…looks like a stink bug..:)
One of my birding stops this morning was Lakeshore State Park. Greeting me at the entrance of the park when I arrived was a Harris’s Sparrow perched on top of a crab apple tree. Not a rare bird, but a bird you are typically only going to see 1 or 2 a year here in Wisconsin if you are lucky. Their range is more west of Wisconsin. This has been an unusual for them as there have been many seen throughout the state in the last month. It was there for 10 seconds, enough for a photo and then it flew north. I hung around for another 45 minutes as other sparrows were present but it never showed again. It was a beautiful fall morning with nice sun, low winds and mild temps. Image was taken on October 21, 2024.
It was a fun day photographing the beauty of the Wood Ducks in Milwaukee County. The fall colors add an extra dash of color to these beautiful ducks. They were very active at times and sometimes just doing nothing but hanging out. It was mostly sunny with temps at 44 degrees to start. Images were taken on October 17, 2024.
Wood Duck, male
Wood Duck, male
Wood Duck, juvenile female
Wood Duck, juvenile male
Wood Duck, juvenile male, the reflection…
Wood Duck, male with a berry…
Wood Duck, male
Wood Duck, juvenile male with a berry…
Wood Duck, male
Wood Duck, juvenile female
Wood Duck, juvenile male
Wood Duck, juvenile male with a berry…
Wood Duck, male, the colors are stunning!
A couple of stops on the Milwaukee lakefront provided great looks at some migrating shorebirds. Lakeshore State Park had 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers and 3 Black-bellied Plovers. Pebble Beach near McKinley Beach had 5 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 2 Sanderlings. The shorebirds at Lakeshore State Park moved around from the beach to the inland short grass area a couple of times near the beach while I was there. Nice to see these birds stopping along the lake on a beautiful morning with some sun and cool temps around 50 degrees. Images were taken on September 8, 2024.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper…
Buff-breasted Sandpiper…
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, something in the bill…
Black-bellied Plover…
Black-bellied Plover, preening…
Black-bellied Plover, shaking off…
Black-bellied Plover, finding things to eat…
Buff-breasted Sandpiper bathing…
Buff-breasted Sandpiper …
Buff-breasted Sandpiper after bathing…
Semipalmated Sandpiper…
Semipalmated Sandpiper finding things to eat…
Semipalmated Sandpiper, just looking pretty…
Semipalmated Plover…
Sanderling…
Sanderling…
Sanderling…
I was surprised to find a Praying Mantis while looking through some wildflowers. It gave nice looks for enough time to get a couple of photos before letting it go. I can’t remember the last time I found one of these. It was a cloudy day some winds and temps around 78 degrees. Images were taken on August 28, 2024
The Praying Mantis…
Albino Squirrels are not common at all so I took advantage of getting some images of this one I found in Waukesha County. I made one stop a week after initially finding this one on August 16, 2024 and it was still present in the same area just eating an acorn off the path. Weather has been stable with temps in the mid 80’s, some sun, and low winds. Images were taken on the 16th and 23rd of August 2024.
The Albino Squirrel high in a tree appeared to be sleeping on and off while I was there…
A stop a week later, it is sitting here eating an acorn, after that it just disappeared into the woods…
Scientific name: Sciurus carolinensis
Type: Mammal
Albino: Albinism, is a mutation on a gene that codes for pigmentation. Eyes are red in color on albino mammals.
Habitat: They prefer large areas of mature and dense woodlands.
Average life span in the wild: Adults can live to 6 years. Records that have been keep they may survive much longer.
Size: Bodies run 9.1″ to 11.8″ long plus the tail, tails averaging about 8″-10″ long.
Weight: 14-21 oz
Diet: Tree berries, buds, bark, nuts, acorns and seeds. They are also known to eat seeds at bird feeders and vegetables from gardens.
Range: Midwest to the eastern US and southeastern Canada.
I have tried to capture some of the recent beauty of some spring to summer blooming native wildflowers. Wildflower images have been taken in the yard here in Waukesha or Marquette County. Most wildflowers here are native to Wisconsin. The spring started out with nice moisture and has continued well into the summer. I have never seen wildflowers so tall and with so many blooms as this year.
Large-flowered Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum
Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadia
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
Spring Beauty, Clayonia virginica
Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica
Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense
Prairie Phlox, Phlox pilosa
Fire Pink, Silene virginica
Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia
Golden Alaxanders, Zizia aurea
Wild Hyacinth, Camassia scilloides
Yellow Star Grass, Hypoxis hirsuta
Wild Blue Phlox, Phlox divaricata
Pussy Toes, Antennaria neglecta
Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum
Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium reptans
Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaeme triphyllum
Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis
Wild Lupine, Lupinus perennis
Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia australis, IL and south
Bradbury’s Bee Balm, south central US, Monarda bradburiana
Smooth Phlox, Phlox glaberrima interior
Pale Purple Coneflower, Echinacea pallida
Purple Milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens
Tennessee Coneflower, Echinacea tennesseensis, Tennessee native
Prairie Milkweed, Asclepias sullivantii
Wild Petunia, Ruellia humilis
Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum
New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus
Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Wild Iris, Blue Flag, Iris virginica
Rosen Weed, Silphium integrifolium
Royal Catchfly, Silene regia
Compass Plant, Silphium laciniatum
Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana
Michigan Lily, Lilium michiganense
Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum
Yellow Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Meadow Blazing Star, Liatris ligulistylis with a Monarch Butterfly
It was a different subject today photographing a Common Garter Snake. There was one that gave nice views and I did not turn it down for a photo. It was out for about 30 seconds and then back in the rocks it went. It was a beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine, pleasant temps early with little wind. Images were taken on July 7, 2024.
The Common Garter Snake…
When found…
That tongue…
I received a tip on Pileated Woodpeckers feeding their young in a natural cavity at Lapham Peak in the south Kettle Moraine State Forest in Waukesha County. I checked it out and it was an exciting event to witness. There were the two adult birds and 4 young, I only saw 2 young when i was there as some had already left the nest. The adults came in many times in the time I was there to feed the young. The feeding time was about 20-30 seconds long. The feeding took place roughly 3/4 to 1 1/2 hours apart. It was a gorgeous weather with plenty of sunshine, cool temps early on and low winds. The birds had all fledged as of June 14th. Images were taken on June 11-14, 2024.
Pileated Woodpecker adult feeding a young male…
Pileated Woodpecker adult feeding a young male…
Young male waiting for food…
The young, female on top, male below waiting for an adult for food…
Adult Pileated Woodpecker, male just landed on the nest hole tree with young below…
Young male waiting for an adult for food…
Young male top, female bottom waiting for an adult for food…
Here a young male is leaving the nest, just coming out…1 second later it was heading into the woods around me…
While birding the Milwaukee County lakefront I came across a couple of Killdeer chicks. 2 adults were close by with one sitting on a nest. It was a beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine, cool temps early and low winds. Images were taken on June 3, 2024.
Killdeer chick stretching…
Adult Killdeer on the nest close by…
Killdeer adult just in the area…
I got a report that the Crested Caracara was seen a second day at Marengo in Ashland County. This bird is so rare to Wisconsin as this is only the 2nd state record! The bird’s normal range is southern Texas, Mexico and south into South America, it is a long way from home! My wife Deb and I were traveling to central Wisconsin from Waukesha when the report came in. She said, let’s just go try for the Crested Caracara! I’m on board so we continued on the ride for the total 5 1/2 hour trip. Upon arriving at the known location, the bird was in a tree on the other side of a large field. After about 20 minutes it flew to the north to another field and landed as it was onto something. I never saw it pick anything up. After another 25 minutes or so, the Crested Caracara flew farther away and landed in a dead tree on the other side of the field it was in. After a few minutes we decided it was time to head south and continue on our daily plan. It was a beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine, low winds and a pleasant temperature at around 60 degrees. It was so exciting and another Wisconsin life bird #380!
The Crested Caracara…
I went on a hunt for Cicadas this morning an one of the places I heard they might be at is Lyons Wildlife Area in Walworth County. They were there, my first stop. I could hear the sounds of the Cicadas as I open my car door. It was an extreme sound just buzzing in my ears, it never stopped. In fact when one landed on my sleeve or shoulder, it sounded like it was screaming into my ear. It seems like there were millions of them everywhere you looked. Some on the grasses, they were on trees, some were flying around and some were climbing trees. There were old skins scattered around on the ground where I walked. An amazing event to witness. The last time Cicadas emerged in this area was in 2007. It was a pleasant morning with little wind, partly sunny skies and temps around 60. Images were taken on May 28, 2024.
The Cicada…
A Cicada skin…
One of my birding stops this morning gave nice views of a 1st year Laughing Gull. This gull was not in full breeding plumage yet being a 1st year but still a cool gull to find. This location was at the beach at South Shore Park in Bay View. Laughing Gulls come up as a rare bird for this area, typically see a couple every year here in Southeastern Wisconsin. It was a morning with some sun, light breeze, mild temps. Images were taken on May 24, 2024.
The 1st year Laughing Gull…
Preening…
Scratching…
More preening…
And more preening…
I was on the lakefront in Milwaukee birding this morning at Lake Park when I heard that a pair of Blue Grosbeaks were being seen at Warnimont Park. This location was south of the golf course off the Oak Leaf Trail. When I arrived the female Blue Grosbeak was being seen but quickly was out of sight. After a few minutes the male Blue Grosbeak appeared high in a tree but then it moved around for the next 20 minutes, just giving looks. Then the bird perched again with a chance for a photo. Stunning bird!!! A rare bird for the state but it seems like we see them every year now. A big thank you to Greg O for finding this bird and getting the word out! The female was not again while I was there other than it’s first appearance when I arrived. A beautiful day with full sun, light winds and pleasant temps. Images were taken on May 3, 2024.
The Blue Grosbeak, male singing…
Just perched pretty…
I got a report this morning that a Swainson’s Hawk was just found in Oak Creek. The Swainson’s Hawks normal range is the Dakota’s south to Texas and west. A bird I needed for my life list so I had to try my luck to see if it was still there. After the 45 minute drive I arrived at the location. No bird in sight but heard it flew into a wooded area there. After what seemed to be a long wait the bird came out of the wooded area and perched in a dead tree. It gave good looks for a long time. A big thank you to Brad B for finding the awesome rare bird for Wisconsin and getting the word out for others to see it. Wisconsin life bird #378. It was a cloudy morning with stiff winds but warm temps. Image was taken on April 29, 2024.
I have been following a couple of pair of Great Horned Owls with their owlets. Stopping in at a couple of locations and taking a couple of images. For the most part these owlets do nothing other than sit there and look at you if they are not sleeping. They are fed by an adult but I was never around when that took place. An adult Great Horned Owl is always in view of the owlets and the nest if there is an owlet that has not fledged. Images were taken over the last 2-3 weeks. The owlets do move around when your not there so the images are of just a few different birds.
Two owlets still in the nest…
I think it is waiting for food…
Just a fuzz ball…
The adult Great Horned Owl off in a distance within views of the nest and owlets…
Word was out that American Avocets were moving north along the Milwaukee Lakefront. They had made very brief stops, just for moments at Grant Park, South Shore Yacht Club, Pebble Beach and finally taking a rest and doing some feeding at Bradford Beach. It was very cold, 37 degree, windy and cloudy too. I heard 37 birds were present and they all hung out in one area. The gulls were constantly in their faces so for the most part they were a tight group. Images were taken on April 24, 2024.
Some of the group of the American Avocets…
Such beautiful birds!!!
One here with something to eat in the bill…
Finding things to eat…
Some up, some down…
Eastern Screech Owl, red morph catching some sun in Milwaukee County. It was a beautiful day with low winds and sunny skies, but temps only around 37 degrees for a high. It was cold! Image was taken on April 24, 2024.
