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      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
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      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
      • Alan Kulwicki Park - Greenfield, WI
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      • Mangan Woods - Franklin, WI
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      • Monarch Trail / County Grounds Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Muskego Boardwalk Nature Trail - Muskego, WI
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    • Nature Preserves >
      • Badertscher Preserve - Muskego, WI
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      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
      • Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary - Saukville, WI
      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
      • Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy - Williams Bay, WI
      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • La Budde State Natural Area - Ice Age Trail Segment - Plymouth, WI
      • Lake Kegonsa State Park - Stoughton, WI
      • Lakeshore State Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Lapham Peak State Park - Delafield, WI
      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
      • Pike Lake State Park - Hartford, WI
      • Point Beach State Forest - Two Rivers, WI
    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
      • Bobrowitz Sculpture Garden - Colgate, WI
      • Boerner Botanical Gardens - Hales Corners, WI
      • Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN
      • James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden - Town of Wilson, WI
      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
      • Nick Engelbert's Grandvi - Hollandale, WI
      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Highland Memorial Park Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • La Belle Cemetery - Oconomowoc, WI
      • New Berlin Center Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • Oak Hill Cemetery - Lake Geneva, WI
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • The Eco-Friendly Lawn
    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI
Picture

out the window

4/29/2020

0 Comments

 
PictureA Northern Flicker visits our backyard birdbath on a gray spring day.



​

Picture
​I stare out the window a lot these days. Particularly on gray, rainy days of late.  The warmth of the sun seems scarce this spring. The days when it shows up are glorious, but, seriously, we need more of them.
Even so, I'm thankful for my room with a view. Our bedroom windows look out on our city backyard, and we are lucky to have habitat that is visited by birds and critters alike. This is our second spring in this house, and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring migrants.  Last week saw the arrival of Chipping Sparrows, and a small flock of White-throated Sparrows. We even had a Wild Turkey visit! The White-throated Sparrows are still here, flitting through the habitat, and singing in the rain.  This is the beginning...

PictureA White-throated Sparrow perches on a tree branch in our backyard habitat.
Last year our biggest migrant day was May 10.  I watched in amazement, through the window, as migrant after migrant, and many feathered residents, arrived.  I counted a total of about 20 different species, in multiples, throughout the day, and in the few days after as well.  Birds I had seen in the wild before, but not  in our city backyard.

There were Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Clay-colored Sparrows, Song Sparrows, a Gray Catbird, Baltimore Orioles, Downey Woodpeckers, Hermit Thrushes, a Common Yellow-throated Warbler, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, along with some of the usual summer residents: American Robins, Common Grackles, Starlings, Cardinals, House Sparrows, Gold Finches, House Finches, and Mourning Doves. Crows, too. I was so overwhelmed, I actually cried. It was incredible.

PictureJust some of the birds that visited our city bird-friendly habitat last spring.
We've added many native plants to the garden since then, several native bushes, a brush pile, and a leaf compost bin. And a couple more birdbaths. I'm hoping these added elements will entice more migrants to visit our avian Airbnb. At the least, I'm hoping visitors from last spring will visit. And bring friends.

The prospect of Spring Migration has been a major balm for me in these Covid-19 times. I try to get out a couple times a week for a walk in local parks and nature trails, but being able to enjoy the comings and goings of wildlife in our backyard habitat has been a welcome distraction as much as a passion.  

I'm looking forward to working on the habitat in the coming months, too.  We started some plants from seed, a first for us.  We shall see how that turns out.  I'm sure we will do some curbside pickup from local garden centers as well. Evenings in the backyard surrounded by flowers and birdsong will be a welcome retreat from the stress of current times. 

I'm aware that bird watching is not everyone's cup of tea, but in times like these, the melody of bird song, and the beauty of nature might help to fill your cup. No matter where you live, there's bound to be some wildlife in view. Just look out the window.

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    A traveler, singer,  novice photographer, humane gardener, and nature lover.
    ​I've been keeping closer to home these days, and truly discovering the beauty that lies in The Park Next Door.

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  • Home
    • Contact
    • Sign up for Updates
  • Blog
  • Migration Song - The Magic of Bird Migration
  • Let's Explore
    • Nature Trails >
      • 116th Street - Oak Leaf Trail - West Allis, WI
      • Bald Bluff Nature Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Emma Carlin Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Ice Age Visitor Center Nature Trail - Campbellsport, WI
      • Kettle Moraine Low Prairie Natural Area - Eagle, WI
      • Kohl Park Hiking Trail - Milwaukee, WI
      • Koshkonong Effigy Mounds - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Paradise Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Seminary Woods - St. Francis, WI
      • Stute Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Washington Avenue Nature Trail - Sheboygan, WI
    • Local Parks >
      • Big Hill Park - Beloit, WI
      • Bratt Woods - Grafton, WI
      • Brown Deer Park - Brown Deer, WI
      • Carver-Roehl County Park - Clinton, WI
      • Cliffside Park - Caledonia, WI
      • Copernicus Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Cudahy Woods - Cudahy, WI
      • Dorothy Carnes Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Elm Grove Village Park - Elm Grove, WI
      • Endicott Park - Brookfield, WI
      • Estabrook Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Falk Park - Oak Creek, WI
      • Franklin Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Glacier Hills County Park - Hubertus, WI
      • Grant Park - South Milwaukee
      • Greenfield Park - West Allis
      • Grobschmidt Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Hales Corners Park, Ben Hunt Prairie and Cabin, Seneca Hale Summer Kitchen, Cobb Park - Hales Corners, WI
      • Harnischfeger Park - Ixonia, WI
      • Hartung Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • High Grove Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
      • Hoyt Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Jacobus Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Korth Park - Lake Mills, WI
      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
      • Alan Kulwicki Park - Greenfield, WI
      • Lime Kiln Park - Menomonee Falls
      • Lincoln Park - Glendale, WI
      • Lion's Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Lizard Mound County Park - Farmington, WI
      • Malone Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Mangan Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Mary Knoll Park - Brookfield, WI
      • McCarty Park - West Allis, WI
      • Monarch Trail / County Grounds Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Muskego Boardwalk Nature Trail - Muskego, WI
      • Muskego Park - Muskego, WI
      • Natureland County Park - Whitewater, WI
      • Nitschke Mounds County Park - Burnett, WI
      • Prairie Springs Park - Pleasant Prairie, WI
      • Richfield Historical Park - Richfield, WI
      • Rivers Edge Park - Menomonee Falls, WI
      • Sandy Knoll County Park - Town of Trenton, WI
      • Scout Lake Park - Greendale, WI
      • Simmons Woods Park - Pewaukee, WI
      • South Shore Park - Bayview, WI
      • Three Bridges Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Turtle Creek Parkway / Tiffany Bridge - Clinton, WI
      • Virmond Park - Mequon, WI
      • Warnimont Park - Cudahy, WI
      • Washington Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • White River County Park - Walworth County
      • Whitnall Park - Franklin, WI
      • Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, WI
    • Nature Preserves >
      • Badertscher Preserve - Muskego, WI
      • Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area - Sauk City, WI
      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
      • Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary - Saukville, WI
      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
      • Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy - Williams Bay, WI
      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • La Budde State Natural Area - Ice Age Trail Segment - Plymouth, WI
      • Lake Kegonsa State Park - Stoughton, WI
      • Lakeshore State Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Lapham Peak State Park - Delafield, WI
      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
      • Pike Lake State Park - Hartford, WI
      • Point Beach State Forest - Two Rivers, WI
    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
      • Bobrowitz Sculpture Garden - Colgate, WI
      • Boerner Botanical Gardens - Hales Corners, WI
      • Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN
      • James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden - Town of Wilson, WI
      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
      • Nick Engelbert's Grandvi - Hollandale, WI
      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Highland Memorial Park Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • La Belle Cemetery - Oconomowoc, WI
      • New Berlin Center Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • Oak Hill Cemetery - Lake Geneva, WI
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • The Eco-Friendly Lawn
    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI