The Great Crested Flycatcher mid flight. They are famous for weaving shed snakeskins, and occasionally crinkly plastic wrappers, into their nests. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
Bender Park’s boat launch reopened yesterday following completion of the sediment abatement project, which removed heavy sediment buildup that has repeatedly blocked boat access over the years. Work on the Oak Leaf Trail extension, along with roadway and drainage improvements, will continue through the summer and fall. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
A male Scarlet Tanager in breeding plumage. These long-distance migrants spend winters in South America and arrive in Wisconsin's mature deciduous forests each spring to breed. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
Before the 55-foot Southport Light Station was built in 1866, Kenosha’s first navigational beacon in 1837 was simply a 10-foot oak stump topped with flat stones, where a fire was lit each night to guide ships along the Lake Michigan shoreline. 📷 Aaron Johnson
Move over, Bronze Fonz. A bronze statue honoring television star and Kenosha native Al Molinaro was unveiled this week outside The Port of Kenosha Beverage House in Downtown Kenosha.
Craig Pias, owner of The Port, spent years raising funds to bring the statue project to life. The sculpture was created by artist Bee Krueger.
Molinaro was best known for playing Al Delvecchio on the TV shows Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi. The Kenosha native passed away in 2015. 📷 Aaron Johnson
What’s so funny?! This eagle is either laughing at its own jokes or just scratching an itch. Cudahy, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
I spent a couple years living near this barn as a child, riding my bike past it. Decades of Wisconsin farm history standing quietly along Kvitek Rd at sunset. Denmark, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
A single dandelion flower head typically contains between 150 and 200 seeds. A mature plant can produce multiple flower heads, resulting in anywhere from 2,000 to more than 5,000 seeds in a single season. WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
This lone Silky Field Ant nibbling on a fresh tree bud reflects the slow start to insect photography along the lakeshore this spring. Cooler temperatures have kept activity limited, but more consistent warm days are hopefully ahead. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
A roofless fieldstone shell sitting quietly in New Berlin, WI. Similar in spirit to the Matz Farmstead ruins in Cross Plains, though very little history seems to be found about this place. 📷 Aaron Johnson
Dad’s in charge of the meals today. Happy Mother’s Day. 📷 Aaron Johnson
“Merganser” comes from the Latin mergus (diver) and anser (goose), meaning “diving goose.” Despite the name, mergansers are ducks. Older bird names often described behavior or shape. Milwaukee, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
Giving Mitchell International Airport the bird. These two persistent bald eagles have now had nests removed twice by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, once in January and again in March, over concerns that their presence near the airfield could increase the risk of bird strikes with aircraft. But the pair appears determined, already building yet another nest nearby. Cudahy, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
Once home to the 41 Twin Outdoor Theatre, then the Northwestern Mutual Franklin campus, this site is set for its next chapter. Ground will be broken this week for Milwaukee County’s first Costco. The 164,000-square-foot store and 12-pump gas station are planned to open in November 2026. Franklin, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
“M” is for Platteville. Measuring 241 feet high and 214 feet wide, it’s widely considered the largest letter M in the world. It stands as a symbol of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, first created in 1937 by students of the Wisconsin Mining School. 📷 Aaron Johnson
Last night’s Full Flower Moon rises over Lake Michigan, the first of two full moons this month. It is classified as a micromoon (or minimoon) because it is at or near its apogee, the farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
A living relic. Sandhill cranes have existed for more than 2 million years, long before most of today’s landscapes took shape.
Brown County, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson
THEY'RE BACK. Non-biting midges are small, mosquito-like flies that don’t bite or spread disease, but can form large swarms near water and around lights at night, sometimes covering homes and cars. The insect on the right is a male, identifiable by its feathery antennae used to detect female wingbeats. Joined abdomen-to-abdomen, this pair is mating. Oak Creek, WI 📷 Aaron Johnson