A falcon, an Osprey, and just-hatched bluebirds at Estabrook Park

Posted Sat, Jun 20 2009 5:51 PM by Chuck Hagner

Location: Estabrook Park, Milwaukee Co.
Observation date: 6/20/09, 7:30-11 am
Weather: 73°F rising to 82°F, clear, wind W @ 10 mph, beautiful morning after a night of heavy rain
Number of species: 40

Considering how many times I've walked through Estabrook and seen dozens of Canada Geese and not one Peregrine Falcon, it didn't even occur to me this morning I might find a Peregrine and not one goose. Yet that's what happened.

I had just started walking south on the bike trail shortly after 7:30 when I saw it. It was pretty high but unmistakable, with its triangular wings; thick, long body; white breast; and black face markings. It was flying due south, and like many other falcons I've seen, it looked like it was flapping only its wingtips. I've watched the falcons that nest on the Engineering and Math Sciences Building on the UWM campus many times (once during a women's soccer game at nearby Engelmann Field), but the last time I'd seen one in or over Estabrook was more than two years ago -- March 17, 2007. By contrast, I had seen Canada Geese in the park throughout March, April, and May. On June 6, I counted 20. The week before (May 30), I counted 156. Today, there wasn't a one.

And the Peregrine wasn't the only unusual raptor I got to see this morning. Around 11, I spotted an Osprey high over the bike trail turning circles on long, narrow, outstretched, black-and-white wings. The Osprey is a fish-eating species that nests mostly in the northern half of the state (although it is taking to artificial nest platforms in the south). I had seen the bird in or over Estabrook just three times last year -- once in May and twice in September.

I did have another surprise -- a late Chestnut-sided Warbler. It was singing loudly (pleased, pleased, pleased to MEETCHA) and had the black facial markings of a male, but it lacked chestnut streaks on its sides. Interesting.

The morning, though, belonged to the young of the year. Recently fledged speckle-backed American Robins seemed to be everywhere. I saw three young brown Common Grackles sitting in a row next to their iridescent blue-black parent and young Black-capped Chickadees shaking their wings as they begged for food from a harried dad. On the river path north of the falls, I saw a streaky Brown-headed Cowbird, fresh out of some host bird's nest, and in the oak tree south of the playground, I watched a pretty blue Eastern Bluebird feed insect larvae to a streaky black and white fledgling. (Yes, Gina, I finally found the bluebirds. It took me this long. They were right where you said they'd be.)

Here's today's complete list:

Mallard     9
Great Blue Heron     1
Turkey Vulture     3
Osprey     1
Peregrine Falcon     1
Ring-billed Gull     4
Rock Pigeon     9
Mourning Dove     3
Chimney Swift     8
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Downy Woodpecker     5
Hairy Woodpecker     3
Eastern Wood-Pewee     2
Great Crested Flycatcher     2
Red-eyed Vireo     8
Blue Jay     4
American Crow     1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     1
Barn Swallow     1
Black-capped Chickadee     20
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
House Wren     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     7
Eastern Bluebird     4
American Robin     26
Gray Catbird     11
Cedar Waxwing     5
Chestnut-sided Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     2
Chipping Sparrow     1
Song Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal     9
Indigo Bunting     7
Red-winged Blackbird     5
Common Grackle     37
Brown-headed Cowbird     4
Baltimore Oriole     4
House Finch     1
American Goldfinch     8
House Sparrow     5

Please feel free to leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you. -- C.H.

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