Always something new

This morning, during the snow showers, I set out to find a Brown Creeper and a Peregrine Falcon. I failed at both. However, I did see something very unusual. After walking through UEC, UWM, and Downer Woods, I was wandering through the Shorewood Nature Preserve looking vainly for some ducks. The snow was falling so thickly at this point that I could barely see the lake beyond the ice. I did spot something moving at the very tip of a branch of a thin, 15 or so foot tree. Putting my glasses on it, I realized it was a deer mouse bravely going out to the very end of the thin branches to get the seed pods. I watched it for a while feeling quite peaceful with the snow falling all around us. Suddenly, to my horror, it slipped and plunged 15 feet to the ground below.

I raced to the spot, thinking about Mouse first aid, only to see it climb up onto the fluffy snow surface, shake its head in some amazement and then shoot under a nearby log.

The only new Bigby was a Blue Jay perched at the end of my property. So one new Bigby for 6.9 miles of walking! I also think I inadvertently gave a lot of you a Blue Jay when I tried to enter the sighting on my iPad. The Google document doesn't really cooperate on an iPad so apologies to all who just gained a bird. (I don't think I gave it to Tim, which is all that matters).