The Black-throated Blue Warbler that has been at Whitnall Park for the last week, finally decided to put on a show in front of several people! He was singing away in the white flowering tree just east of the bridge. Singing and eating, dropping all the way down to the water, before continuing to the other side. He went in the downed tree overhanging the creek. He even took a little break, right in front of everyone, closing his eyes for a minute or so. After the short break, he continued singing and up creek he went. Up until then, he had been relatively elusive. Perfect timing to enjoy a beautiful bird! He was still being seen as of today (5/10).
Golden-winged Warblers and more… at Whitnall Park 5/5/21
For the last week a couple Golden-winged Warblers, a Blue-winged Warbler and a Black-throated Blue have been hanging around the flowering trees at Whitnall Park. There have been other warblers too, but these three are not as common and are more sought after warblers. With the leaf out happening a few weeks early this spring, I knew getting photos of warblers, in general would be more challenging. I didn’t realize though that the flowering apple trees would be in bloom for the warblers. They usually don’t flower out until after peak migration. The colors sure make for an amazing background! The GWWA and BWWA warblers along with a Northern Parula and several Yellow Warblers were in the flowering trees as of this morning (5/7) and the Black-throated Blue was seen tonight, by the bridge. Pictures below are from this week (5/3 – 5/7). Good luck if you try for them. Enjoy!
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Oak Creek 5/5/21
A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Showed up yesterday at a private residence in Oak Creek. The homeowner Eric, posted to the Wild Birds of Wisconsin Facebook page about it. He invited people to come check it out. I just happened to be at Grant Park at the time, so I was only five minutes away. I got over there quickly, and we walked around into the backyard. There was a nice little hidden sanctuary back there, with a decent sized pond and plenty of wildlife. I located it right away, three houses to the south, so we walked around to the west side of the pond, to get a better look at it. It was just hanging out on the grass, near two mallards, close to the water. The three of them, would go up to the bird feeders, at a neighboring house and eat fallen seed. It seemed rather content, considering the neighbors were outside playing baseball in the next yard over. I guess it was there all day, but the ID wasn’t confirmed until later in the evening. Since the normal range for this duck is Florida and Texas, It was a real treat to see it in Wisconsin. A big thank you to the Eric and his family for making it all possible! Photos below are from the evening there. Enjoy!
Lark Sparrows at Veteran’s Park 5/3
Two Lark Sparrows have been in the grassy area of Veteran’s Park/McKinley Marina the last couple of days. I was able to find them yesterday after work. They move around quite a bit and frequently. They even sit up in the trees, in the parking lots and sing. I watched them fly around the entire area twice, in the hour I was there. It’s a rather large area of grass with gravel patches mixed in. They seem to prefer these gravel patches versus the actual grass. It’s always a nice treat to get to see these birds in Milwaukee County. Photos below are from the afternoon. Enjoy!
Prothonotary Warbler at Grant Park 5/2
A Prothonotary Warbler was found early Sunday morning at the Mill Pond in Grant Park. On my way home, after an excellent morning out, I thought I would stop and see if it was still around. I pulled up to the pond, on the north end, and immediately found it along the edge. I sat in the grass and waited for it to work its way towards me. Every time it did though, a Red-winged Blackbird would chase it away. After a few times of this, I lost it. I waited for about 15 minutes and it never came back out. I walked around the pond and down the creek and relocated it back there, enjoying peace and quiet. I stood and watched it feed for at least 30 minutes. I was right across the creek from it and he did not mind me one bit. It’s always nice to be able to see these stunning birds at such a close range! Photos are from the afternoon there. Enjoy!
