Ten Minutes

Ten Minutes at Greenfield Park: Wide open sky, Great Blue Heron fishing, Duckling swimming, Goldfinches eating, Osprey on the hunt, and butterflies feeding on thistle.

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Last summer, in the lead-up to my knee replacement surgery, and for several months after, I sought out local parks and preserves with easy paths and trails. And they were always worth the effort. But, this summer I've taken advantage of the stronger knee, and adventured further from home. I've been thoroughly enjoying it. Even so, sometimes I get so caught up in the search for new parks, trails, and preserves to explore, that I neglect to visit the ones nearby. 

This week, en route to run some errands,  I decided to make a quick trip to Greenfield Park in West Allis.  As I pulled over and parked along the lagoon, I immediately spotted a thicket of Milk Thistle in bloom, bustling with butterflies.  I decided to get out of the car and take a closer look. ​​As I got closer I could see several Fritillary and Swallowtail butterflies fluttering about from bloom to bloom.

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Walking along the paved path I saw a male Goldfinch plucking away at the thistle seeds. One by one, he pulled them from the thistle head, plucked out the seed and let the soft white floss float away on the wind. 

​As I watched, another Goldfinch joined him. Milk Thistle is a non-native, invasive species, but that was of no concern to two hungry songbirds.

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When the Goldfinches moved on, I did, too. Just a short ways down the path to an opening on the lagoon where I could see a Great Blue Heron doing a little fishing by the small island out there. A woman and her young son, and an older gentleman with camera in-hand, were sitting on a bench watching the heron, and a family of ducklings preening on a log.  

Their conversation turned to talk of an Osprey that has been seen at the park throughout the summer. The woman mentioned she saw it earlier. When I pulled up I saw a large bird fly over the trees of the little island. I had assumed it was a hawk. Turns out I was wrong, and it was an Osprey.  How do I know?
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​As I walked just a short distance further, I could see it perched on a large tree branch on the other side of the lagoon. I asked the gentleman if that was it. He quickly popped up and came over to look. Sure enough, it was. He snapped some photos and headed off on his way.  I took a photo with my phone, just for proof, but even that would be a stretch.  The best thing was that I had seen it.  

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Had I not taken just a few minutes from my day to absorb a little nature, I would have missed all of these little joys.  It's amazing how just a bit of fresh air and greenery, some sunshine, and signs of life can improve our day. Help to temper the stress and worry that comes with being human on this planet of ours.  It was a good reminder to me, to appreciate what's out there, on my doorstep, and at The Park Next Door.