I finally decided to try my luck with the reported Hammond’s Flycatcher today. It was first seen and reported on Sunday afternoon 12/9/18. Hoping it was still there, a friend and I made the two hour plus trip out there. When we pulled up, we saw a group of 5, all looking in the same area. As soon as they saw us, they were waving to hurry up and get over there! We grabbed our things and rushed down to the western end house. There it was, sitting in a tree 25′ away! Wow, what a beautiful bird!!! We watched it for about 50 minutes and the entire time, it fed, mostly on flies. It grabbed them off the siding on the house, from the grass and off the balcony railings. It flew about the yard, usually staying within 35′ of the road. My understanding is this is the first recorded sighting for Wisconsin. It was a perfect sunny day for a road trip and it was even better to get such awesome views for an extended time. Here are a few images of the bird from today.
The last week of August has been very good for shorebird migration. We have had a very good variety, along with high numbers of birds, at the various beaches in the county. Last weekend the entire beach at Bender Park was covered in algae, some areas over ten feet wide, hosting over 30 birds. Today, there was no algae and only two birds. It really is quite amazing how it develops and then disappears, in a matter of days. Grant Park, on the other hand, has had a great algae mat for over a week now, but no birds. I’ve been checking it almost daily. On 8/21, Grant Park did however, have two juvenile Dunlin, that created quite the excitement for everyone as they were originally reported as Western Sandpipers. Along with the 2 Dunlin were 4 Sanderlings and 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers. On 8/24, Bender Park had 21 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 5 Sanderling, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Least Sandpipers and 1 Spotted Sandpiper. On 8/25, Lakeshore State Park had 2 Baird’s Sandpipers and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper. On 8/29, Bradford Beach had 2 Piping Plovers, 11 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Ruddy Turnstone and 1 Semipalmated Plover. But depending when you were there, many of the birds might not have been seen, due to the amount of activity for the 115th Harley celebration. I didn’t arrive until about 2:30pm and I only saw the three plovers, missing out on the turnstone for a third time this year. It’s always nice to see Piping Plovers, and this time both birds were not banded. There have been shorebirds on the different beaches every day, but these are from my sightings. Now let’s hope the next few weeks bring in a couple rare ones. There are a few pictures of each bird below, with the links taking you to their individual pages and full galleries.
This afternoon, I thought I might try my luck with the Yellow-breasted Chat at Bender Park. I through on my camo gear, loaded up with bug spray and headed out. I walked back, all the way to the bluff and could hear him singing. I found him not too much long afterward. He was moving about singing, but keeping to a small area. It sure is a beautiful bird! This might be the same bird I found on 5/5, which I think I had two that day, one calling and one eating in the trees. There’s a good chance they are breeding here. I also found a Yellow Warbler nest with three eggs, one of them almost double the size of the other two, surely being a cowbird egg. Oh well, that’s nature I guess. There were also lots of sparrows, Clay-colored, Field, Savannah and Song.
Spring warbler migration is my favorite time of year. This past April/May happened to be one of the best since 2013 and quiet possibly my favorite ever. I ended up with 33 warbler species for the month and I saw them all in Milwaukee County, I even missed 2 rarities that were reported. I took over 38,000 photos this spring. I was able to capture some very cool behavior as well, including singing, eating, sleeping, preening and courtship. Some highlights were, a Connecticut Warbler at Whitnall Park (which I was finally able to get pictures of). Cerulean Warblers at Whitnall and Warnimont Parks, I think I had four this year. Lastly, a Worm-eating Warbler at Whitnall Park, which I thought I had seen days earlier, but just couldn’t confirm. Some of the behavior activities included, watching a Golden-winged Warbler eat a giant flying bug, then get really tired and sleep for about 25 minutes. That all happened within five feet of the ground. Later, I watched him grab spiders out of dried, dead curled leaves, that webs were attached to, and eat them. That was one very smart bird! I had a Canada Warbler go on a singing rampage for about 20 minutes at Whitnall Park, when a second female flew into the “logjam” he was feeding near. Sometimes singing too close for my camera to focus on. On two different occasions, I watched a singing Black-throated Blue Warbler eat bugs from the brush, then go down into the thicket and sleep for a few minutes. He would then “pop up” start singing and eating again. It happened four or five times on each occasion. I saw three different Yellow-breasted Chats, at three different parks, with there being a potential pair at Bender Park. Based on recent reports, it seems likely that there is a pair of them at Bender Park. This was an extremely fun warbler migration. The sheer number of warblers I saw this spring was incredible! I thought I’d share my spring experiences with you through photographs. Below is a list of the warblers that I saw, along with links to each page to view full galleries. After that is a large gallery of photos, males and females of each, in alphabetical order. Take your time to see the differences in the two, along with some of their behavior activities. Enjoy!
This morning, 5/7/18, I chose to photograph warblers along the creek, at Whitnall Park. It started off very slow, and didn’t really start to get active until about 9am. A few hours later, I was told there was a Prothonotary Warbler at “warbler” bridge. I walked half way around the lake and when I got there, I found it immediately. About 30 minutes later, I had a quick look at a warbler, which I was certain was a female Cerulean Warbler, but it was so fast, and lighting was terrible, it cast some doubt. About 20 minutes later she popped out, right into the same tree, next to the bridge. Sure enough, it was a Cerulean Warbler! Throughout the rest of the afternoon, both the Prothonotary and Cerulean provided good, extended looks. Even after the slow start, I ended up with 16 warbler species and 79 total for the day. Here are some images of the two warblers, along with links to their own pages.
I decided to venture out in the winter storm and see if Grant Park was hosting any new birds, or big numbers of birds. There were definitely big numbers of birds and a few new ones. I pretty much just sat by the feeding area for a little over an hour, until it really started snowing and I could barely see. The sparrows were the highlight, with 6 species being present, including 5 Fox Sparrows (which were singing). Dark-eyed Junco numbers are crazy, with over 35 covering the ground. It’s funny, how aggressive they are with each other! On my way out, I stopped at the pond, by the tennis courts, still the same ducks from the last week. Here is a list of the birds seen in the park today as well as a few images.
Canada Goose 8
Blue-winged Teal 2
Mallard 2
Red-breasted Merganser 15
Ring-billed Gull 3
Mourning Dove 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 3
Black-capped Chickadee 12
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 25
American Tree Sparrow 5
Fox Sparrow (Red) 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 35
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 3
House Finch 4
I decided to brave the weather again today. Despite the 30-50mph ENE winds, mid 30’s temperature, and sideways rain/sleet/ice, it was a great day to be out. The birds were all feeding on the ground, just like yesterday! I started off at Pennsylvania Ave, in Oak Creek. I wanted to see if the Wilson’s Snipe would still be in the ditches, along the water. I pulled in, looked down, and there was one right away! It was only about 25′ from my truck. I sat in my truck and watched him feed and forage the water line for about 45 minutes. Also present in the ditches, were 11 rain-soaked Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Golden-crowned Kinglet, feeding along the top of the water. They did not seem too happy with the weather. There was a decent mixed flock of blackbirds, a bunch of robins and a few ducks, as well. I checked the pond behind the dance studio and was rewarded with a great variety of ducks. There was a pair of Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads, 1 Northern Shoveler, 5 Blue-winged teal, 6 Lesser Scaup and 9 Red-breasted Merganser.
My next stop was Bender Park. As soon as I entered, I saw 5 Wild Turkey cross the road. There were a good number of sparrows in the parking lot, with some robins, but nothing unusual. Down by the boat landing, there were a good number of ducks, including 26 Red-breasted Merganser, 9 Bufflehead, and 8 Common Goldeneye. The waves were huge and there wasn’t much beach to be seen. The water was going all the way up to the rocks.
My third stop was Grant Park. The bird feeder area was very good, as you would expect today, although nothing unusual. Highlights were 25+ juncos and 1 singing Fox Sparrow. At the pond, by the tennis courts, there were 2 Belted Kingfisher, 11 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Blue-winged teal and a few kinglets flitting about the edges. By picnic area 5, there were over 70 American Robins, 2 Northern Flickers, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, all feeding in the grass, between the parking lot and pavilion. There were a lot of birds in a small area. Over by the Wil-o-Way area, there were 4 Hermit Thrushes, feeding along and on the road. They were eating worms from the road and berries from the trees. The small pond had 4 Wood Ducks and couple Mallard.
My last stop for the day was Forest Hill Community Gardens. I had never been here before, but heard there was a Vesper Sparrow seen, so I thought I’d check it out. I pulled in the gravel road and went back. I saw several flickers, sparrows and a some of robins fly up to the trees. I stopped and started scanning the area with my binoculars. Instantly, I found an American Woodcock! He was foraging alongside of the gravel drive. I quickly grabbed my camera and took two photos, before it kind of disappeared in the grass. I thought to myself, “just come out in the open”. Just so happens, that’s exactly what it did! Not only that, it walked, or should I say rocked and bobbed, across the drive. They walk very slow, rocking and bobbing, up and down. I’ve never seen one walk, so I had no idea that’s how they move, quite interesting. Normally I only see woodcocks, when they’re scaring the hell out of me, while walking through the woods!
Despite the brutal conditions, I ended with 44 species for the day. Here are some of the images from today, with links to the woodcock and snipe pages.
This morning I decided to try my luck at Samuel Myers Park, a small restored park/beach, on Racine’s lakefront. This park is a great birding spot year round and certain days can be extremely rewarding, especially during migration. Today was one of those days! I was there for a little over two hours and tallied 40 species. The best part of today, was the terrible weather, which forced everything to the ground. There were hundreds of birds feeding about the grassy area on the beach. The highlights were 35+ Golden-crowned Kinglets, 10+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 25+ Dark-eyed Juncos (1 Oregon), 20+ Song Sparrows, and 10+ Yellow-rumped Warblers (1 leucistic), all of which were flitting about the ground. I actually had a Golden-crowned Kinglet fly between my legs and land, using me as cover from the wind! They are so tiny, when you are that close to them. There were 50-75 mixed blackbirds scattered amongst the trees, mostly Red-winged and Common Grackle, but I thought I heard a Rusty or two on several occasions. I couldn’t confirm that though, and didn’t count them, even though some have been reported there. I also had the following FOY’s 3 Barn Swallows flyover, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs flyover, and 1 Northern Shoveler. I’m sure glad I decided to brave the conditions, because it was an exciting couple of hours! I would’ve stayed longer, had it not started raining. This is my checklist from today and some of the images of the kinglets and warblers.
Canada Goose 2
Blue-winged Teal 18
Northern Shoveler 1 FOY
Mallard 8
Greater Scaup 8
Common Goldeneye 4
Red-breasted Merganser 13
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Killdeer 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 1 FOY
Ring-billed Gull 17
Herring Gull 15
Mourning Dove 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
American Crow 1
Barn Swallow 3 FOY
Black-capped Chickadee 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 35
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 13
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 6
European Starling 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 11
American Tree Sparrow 5
Fox Sparrow (Red) 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 22
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
Song Sparrow 24
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Common Grackle (Bronzed) 18
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 4
I enjoyed a beautiful, sunny, cool morning at Grant Park, Sunday April 1st. It was my fourth time trying for the reported Carolina Wren, that has eluded me for a couple weeks. I was not disappointed this time! I got some really good looks at the bird as he moved about the trees singing. I enjoyed him and his wonderful song for about a half hour. My next stop was the feeding area. I had a couple of Fox Sparrows there, late Friday evening, just before sunset and was hoping they would still be around. The feeding area was hopping with birds, when I got there about 9:30! The Fox Sparrows were still there, although they didn’t come out in the open for very long. There must’ve been over 30 Dark-eyed Juncos, including two Oregon (1M & 1F) and one Cassiar subspecies. The amount of Song Sparrows was impressive too! Both nuthatches are still present, along with some siskins, a couple tree sparrows and all the usual backyard feeder birds you would expect. There was so much activity there, I stayed there for a few hours. The crows were being very loud and noisy, early on and kept coming down the to the ground to eat something. It was behind the downed tree though, and I never saw what it was. Towards the end of my day there, a group of crows found a Great Horned Owl in the pine trees and wouldn’t leave him alone. I’m guessing the nest is close by, because he was flying from pine tree to pine tree leading the crows away from the area. The only problem, the crows kept following and harassing him, squawking and circling around the tree tops. Finally, after about fifteen minutes and a half dozen trees, the crows stopped and it was silent. Here are a some of the photos from the great morning out, along with links to specific pages.
I started out St. Patrick’s Day morning at the Wehr Nature Center, in Whitnall Park. I was hoping to hear the Tufted Titmouse, so I could go find it and take pictures. I didn’t hear it, and after about ten minutes waiting, I left. I was sitting in the road at the entrance to Wehr, listening to the birds sing, and I heard a pack of coyotes start sounding off, not too far away. I went to check it out and see if they were anywhere near the road. I turned towards the Botanical Gardens area and about halfway there, I saw one trotting slowly. I stopped my truck, in the road, got out and took some pictures. It stopped and looked at me and waited. As I let the camera down, I saw a second coyote out of the corner of my eye. They both just stood there and looked around, minding their own business. The first one laid down under a tree and the second one walked away, slowly down a path. In the meantime, the amount of bird singing coming from the pine trees was impressive. All of the roads are no parking, so I drove to the gardens parking lot, parked, and walked backed into the pine trees. There was a lot of finches and juncos! I had 27 Pine Siskins, 16 American Goldfinches, 15 House Finches and 12 Dark-eyed Juncos feeding in the trees, flitting around and singing. A few of the siskins were displaying courtship. While taking photos, I heard several “kip” calls come flying in. I knew they had to be Red Crossbills, but I couldn’t find them. After a minute or two, I heard the calls again, and away they went, but this time I saw them fly. They were Red Crossbills (3 male/3 female)! I had a great look at them, flying north through my binoculars. A group of 16 American Crows, was being extremely loud, in one general area. I started walking towards them and saw 10 deer leaving the pine trees and crossing the road, into the garden area. With all the ruckus the crows were making, I thought I’d find an owl, but I didn’t.
After leaving there, I went back to the Wehr Nature center, in hopes of hearing the titmouse. Again, I didn’t hear it, so I left. As I was leaving the Wehr Nature area and crossing 92nd street, I heard the titmouse calling from the north side of the street. I pulled over and located it atop a tree on the side of the road. It flew Across the street and into the woods along the creek. It was constantly calling for the half hour or so I watched it. I got some really good looks at it. While walking out of the woods, I spotted my FOY Turkey Vulture soaring right overhead. I drove around the park for a little longer, and on the way out, I found a Red-tailed Hawk nest. I saw one hawk standing on the nest, and one in a tree behind it. The one flew towards the other, landed next to it, and they mated. Hopefully I get to see that throughout the spring! In the 4.5 hours I was there, I ended with 28 species, 2 coyote and 10 deer. What a great morning to be out, enjoying the beautiful sunny skies! Here are some photos from the morning with links to the specific pages.
