Migration Continues - Another Weekend of Briding

I made it out birding this weekend to continue to document Spring's migration. Duck migration is in full force. Redheads, Hooded Merganzers, Buffleheads, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, and Ringed Neck Ducks. Plover and sandpipers too perhaps: Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, and a Least Sandpiper. And the blackbirds: Red Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Brown Headed Cowbirds.

Sparrows around have changed. I still see Dark Eyed Juncos in my lawn but not so much when I'm out int he parks. However the Song Sparrows are everywhere.

I even saw my first Eastern Bluebirds today while down by the Sugar River.

Here are some of my pictures from the Sugar River and Goose Lake from the weekend.

The Bald Eagle continues to sore above Goose Lake.


Sandhill Crenes by the river. I counted 9 total this morning.


Ringed Neck Ducks in Goose Lake


Killdeer near the Sugar River.

March Weekend of Birding in Wisconsin

This past weekend provided sunshine and a temperature over 40 F. So I knew going into the weekend, that it'd be a good time to get back out into some nearby parks to see what migratory birds were making their way back into the neighborhood.

Certain visitors had already made their way into our yard. On my 2018 species list, I'd already documented: Common Grackles, American Robins, and Red Winged Blackbirds. My goal for the weekend was to find some of the feathered travelers who I didn't necessarily anticipate seeing in my backyard.

The Madison area is full of great places to bird. If you are looking to spy waterfowl, there are a host of lakes and parks with open water. Other birds species can be found in abundance as well: there are nearby state parks, conservancy lands, and the varying habitats at the UW Arboretum. I chose none of above.

To avoid the cold and the dark on Saturday, I opted to go birding in the afternoon rather than in the early morning. An odd time to be sure, and I wasn't certain how much fruit my venture would yield. To my surprise, the Goose Lake area and Quarry Ridge Recreation Area (managed by Dane County and the City of Fitchburg) made for an excellent afternoon of birding.

The first thing to catch my eye was this lone Bald Eagle.

Beyond this, the trip involved a number of the usual suspects: Herring Gull, Ring Billed Gull, Canada Goose, and of course the familiar Mallard.

Amongst the ducks and geese, I spotted one swimming alone. This Northern Shoveler.

I decided on Sunday to bare the cold. It was just below freezing and still some what dark when I headed out into the Sugar River Wetlands State Natural Area (managed by the WI DNR and Upper Sugar River Watershed Asso.) in Verona. This marsh yields regular sitings of Sandhill Crane, Red Winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Song Sparrows, and later in summer: Yellow Warbler, Common Yellow Throat, and even Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.

This chilly March Sunday morning did not disappoint. A number of the usuals were present: Song Sparrows and Red Winged Blackbirds in abundance. A single Eastern Meadowlark I could hear but not spot. 5 Sandhill Cranes wondering the property, two walking down the mucky trail just like me.

As I turned to head back to my car, a large black bird swopped through the stand of oaks at the south of the SNA.

While nonmigratory, this Pileated Woodpecker really made my day.

Regardless of where you live, get out a map. Find some local parks. They don't have to be state parks or designated conservancy lands. Local and county parks, or scrub land along a bike trail. These call can make for unique birding experiences. Get out there and enjoy the early spring weather, after all, winter is only 9 months away.

Rare or Endangered Bird Sightings: What You Can Do

NPR ran an article this past week on the rediscovery of the native Florida Flamingo population which I found fascinating. In short, the bird was believed to be extirpated from the state in the 1800's. In the early 2000's a small population of flamingos was discovered to still be living in Florida year round in Florida Bay.

This got me thinking about what birds might we think no longer live in Wisconsin. It also got me thinking about the value of logging our observations in citizen science databases like eBird.org or by participating events like the Midwest Crane Count.

I did a little digging and came across a Wisconsin DNR listing of rare bird species in Wisconsin. The list is pretty interesting and provides status codes for the species based on how endangered or numerous they are.

For example, a species I've often seen in parks near me, the Eastern Meadowlark, is listed as SGCN as part of the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan. SGCN is "Species of Greatest Conservation Need". I've often logged my Meadowlark sightings in eBird, which is generally a good thing to do. However what I learned by visiting the DNR site is that for some of these species, there is a another database being used to track them.

The Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory is part of the DNR and is responsible tracking the location of rare or endangered species in Wisconsin. A full list of life being tracked and other useful information can be found here.

For birders, the list of rare birds is a good place to start. There were a number of species which I've seen in my birding adventures. Keep these species in mind the next you are out birding and be sure to log them in WI DNR's Natural Heritage Inventory.