An Afternoon with the Goose Island Birds

I took the afternoon off and planned a special photo shoot with my husband. Soon we would be ice skating in the beautiful frosty marsh under a setting sun. One problem. There were big puddles, bumpy patches and lumpy gray slush where there had been a glossy, smooth perfect ice skating rink.  
January 6th and 50 degrees. Sigh. We switched gears. This isn't hard to do in La Crosse. As part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, there are a number of scenic places to
spend an afternoon. We drove along the Great River Road on Highway 35 and landed at Goose Island, a county park that is also an island in the Mississippi River. It is located in the heart of the La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge. Considered one of many birding hot spots in La Crosse County, it could be a nice place to spend an afternoon.

Black-capped Chickadees everywhere (North American songbird)

The Wisconsin Great River Road runs through the center of the Mississippi River Flyway, a superhighway for migrating birds, such as songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.  

Mike is a bird nerd and has this down to a science.  I just like to follow him around with my camera and breathe it all in.  We didn't see any real unusual birds but it's pretty cool to have a variety to look at and watch them come in so close.  

Bird whisperer

Downy Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch, a small North American songbird of the nuthatch family



Northern Cardinal













I did finally tire of the birds for the moment.  Mike had long since gone.  I stood around watching 
the sky.

I thought I'd stalked the sky long enough so I got in my car and drove home through La Crosse.

And then I saw this.  Maybe I didn't need to head home so fast.  
That sky wasn't done with me yet.























Sigh.  And now I can say goodnight.