Close Encounters

5/30/2025

An American red squirrel spotted on the Root River Parkway in West Allis.

Seeking out nature in the city is one of my favorite things. Years ago I believed that to experience the wild and wonderful natural world, I would have to visit the wilderness of state parks, trails, nature preserves, and remote rural areas.

But as I began to explore our city parks, and urban green spaces, I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of trees, gardens, birds and other wildlife, close to home.

I've heard from more than a few visitors to Wisconsin that they are impressed with the amount of trees and green spaces we have throughout the state.

Our parks, whether they be state, county, or local and neighborhood parks, should be a source of pride for Wisconsin residents.

It's plenty green on the parkway these days.

A hummingbird sighting never fails to thrill.

I am often amazed by the amount of wildlife living among us here in the city. Of course, birds and squirrels are front and center. If you're not a bird nerd (which I am), you might not notice the wide variety of birds that reside here in the city. Or who pass through during migration season on their way up north to nesting grounds.

Many of these birds might even stop off in your backyard, or at your neighborhood park, looking for food (bugs, seeds, flower nectar, caterpillars), and water (streams, creeks, birdbaths, puddles).

But beyond the smaller birds like chickadees,
hummingbirds, and sparrows, for example, there are robins, common grackles, starlings, crows, blue jays, cardinals, and even larger birds like cooper's and redwing hawks, to name a few.

A pair of northern flickers competing for nesting space at Forest Exploration Center.

A selection of spring migrants that have visited my city backyard over the past few years.

Nesting great horned owls and owlets at a local forest.

There are other wild creatures among us, too. Just last week I was driving along the Root River Parkway and spotted a very large snapping turtle heading into the road, and oncoming traffic.

I had not seen a turtle on this portion of the parkway, and hadn't seen one locally that was anywhere near as big. From the tip of his tail to the top of his head was maybe two feet long. I didn't actually measure. But there was no way I was going to be able to pick him up to help him across the road.

I pulled over and stood in front of him, hoping to get him to turn back towards the wetland area, but he knew where he wanted to go. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too busy, but I did direct a few cars around him. Another passerby pulled over, and together we stood on either side of him and walked along as he worked his way across to the other side of the road, up over the curb, and into the tall grasses that led to the creek.

To be so close to this amazing creature was an unexpected experience. And so exciting!

A turtle busy laying eggs near the pond at Greenfield Park last summer.

Last summer I witnessed a turtle laying eggs in the grassy area next to the pond at Greenfield Park. The turtle digs a hole and lays the eggs in it. A group of park visitors watched in awe as it went to work. Someone contacted the parks office so they could place a barrier around the area to keep people from stepping on the nest of eggs.

Many of our county parks and nature centers have ponds, and where there are ponds, there are also turtles. It's common to spot a turtle or three sunbathing on a log in the pond on a nice summer day.

Turtles sunbathing in the pond at Greenfield Park

In recent years I've noticed wild turkeys have become more commonplace in our parks and green spaces. I've seen them along the parkway in West Allis, crossing the road in New Berlin and Brookfield, and they are often spotted in Wauwatosa.

Color me surprised when, last spring, a pair of them stopped by our West Allis backyard for the day. I was shocked when I looked out the window onto our city backyard and saw two turkeys pecking at the grass and lounging beneath our big colorado spruce trees. I got excited, thinking they might be looking for nesting space, but, alas, they did not stay. When I looked out a few hours later they had moved on. I'm sure they found someplace more suitable.

A pair of turkeys visited our city backyard last spring.

A selection of everyday urban wildlife.

The placement of native plants, shrubs, and trees, along with a simple birdbath, has brought many visitors to our little habitat.

A juvenile cooper's hawk visits our simple backyard birdbath.

Whether you run, walk, bike, or drive along the Root River or Honeycreek Parkway, there's a good chance you will spot deer. Sometimes even a few at a time. They are often seen coming from the wooded areas of the parks, too. A week ago I watched as five of them, one after the other, crossed the road on the parkway in West Allis. I didn't have my camera at the time (of course!). But I did have it with me another day when I caught a glimpse of a deer near the banks of the river near the same spot.

Wherever your favorite local nature spot is, whether your backyard, your neighborhood park, or one of our local nature preserves or state parks, encounters with our wild residents can bring a sense of wonder to your world. They've certainly brought plenty of it to mine.

Shown Below: A selection of some of the wildlife I've been lucky to encounter.