Here are some of the wildlife you can see from our Deck:

American White Pelican: AKA: Big Boi

One of North America's largest birds, American White Pelicans have a wingspan up to 9 feet. They're pretty hard to miss being the biggest birds on the river.

Breeding adult pelicans develop a large ridge on top of their bills known as "nuptial tubercles" which look kind of gross to us but must be sexy because they only develop during mating season. Once chick feeding begins, the ridges fall off and they develop black feathers on the back of the head. Their eye color also changes from dark to light as their breeding status changes. Wow, how handy! Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy for humans to know each other's "breeding status"?

FUN FACT: a group of pelicans is called a squad.

Double-Crested Cormorant: The Goth Clique

The Double-crested Cormorant is named for the small, often hard-to-see crests on either side of its head that develop during the breeding season. These crests are either white, black, or a mix and are located above the eyes.

Unlike most waterbirds, Double-crested cormorants lack waterproof feathers. This allows them to dive and chase fish underwater with remarkable agility. They can dive to a depth between 5 feet and 24 feet for 30–70 seconds. They spend long periods standing with outstretched wings to allow them to dry, looking like a bunch of vampires.

In addition to wearing all black, Double Crested Cormorants are bored by nearly everything, roll their eyes a lot, and they think they are cooler than the other birds.

Mallard Duck: Yawn

Your basic ducks. Nothing to see here.

Great Blue Heron: Pretty Boi

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to four and a half feet tall with a wingspan of nearly seven feet. They will eat whatever they can stab with their sharp bill including fish, frogs, small mammals, and birds ...especially ducklings. Hear that Mallards? Keep your ducklings close to you!

Sometimes you will see them hanging out together with the Great Egrets. They just stand together looking like super models. If you listen closely, you might hear the Cormorants saying "pfft...they think they're so cool...".

Great Egret: Surprisingly Vicious

Great egrets migrate in the spring after spending winter in the south, Mexico, and South America. They are listed as threatened. Conservation actions are currently in place to address threats to their habitats. Great egrets eat primarily fish, but will also feed on frogs, reptiles, and other birds. Wait...other BIRDS?! Who knew that peaceful, flimsy looking bird could be so vicious? Not us, that's for sure.

In many cultures, people consider seeing a white egret as good luck symbolizing prosperity and success. We're guessing the frogs, reptiles, and other birds beg to differ.

Canada Goose: Double Yawn

What bird is even less remarkable than Mallard Ducks? The Canada Goose of course! They’re pretty much everywhere and poop on everything. They’ll hiss at you if you walk by them but weirdly, don’t seem to be scared of cars at all.

PLEASE NOTE: We are in no way advocating hitting animals with your car, even the hissy ones. It’s just mean.

Gulls: AKA: River Pigeon

Another yawn-inducing bird on the river is the gull. Apparently, there are 2 kinds of gulls that are common in Wisconsin: Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gulls. Which one are these? Not sure but probably Ring-billed since they are common in summer while Herring Gulls are more common in the winter.

The Ring-billed Gull has a yellow bill with what looks like a black magic marker ring around it, giving them their name.

River Otter: Does it Actually Exist?

Ok, otters aren’t actually birds, we’ve never actually seen one so maybe they are? (also, birds aren’t real) The Fox Valley version of the Loch Ness Monster, some folks around here claim to have seen otters right here in Appleton. Otters are objectively the cutest animals in existence. That's not opinion, it's science!

Otters eat fish, frogs, birds, and some plants. Their thick fur is dense to trap air and protect them from the cold. If you should be lucky enough to spot the elusive river otter, take pics or it didn't happen!

Red-Winged Blackbird: A-holes with Wings

This is Russell. He nests in the evergreen on the corner of the building. Russell is a jerk. Don't engage him.