I spent much of the day today on a field trip with the Arboretum to tour agricultural sites that impact the Yahara River Watershed (which includes the four lakes). We visited a dairy farm and saw cows of all sizes and ages. I also noticed a massive flock of starlings swarming around an old oak tree, and a few cranes flew overhead as we heard about the complicated process of gathering, transporting, and taking the phosphorous out of 600 cows' worth of manure. Then we stopped at Troy Gardens and toured the community gardens and the CSA farm. This is when I spotted a male eastern bluebird (
Sialia sialis) in a patch of tall grasses. Later at the Arboretum I followed a male and female, watching them swoop to the ground, grab what I believe were tiny worms, ants, or other invertebrates, and hurry back to an oak branch. This is the female, and I am impressed by how well her colors blend in with everything else in the photo.
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