A Cerulean Warbler was singing his little heart out on the morning of May 12th. He was in the treetops, NE of the parking lot. He was moving constantly and chasing other warblers out of the tree he was in. This bird was quite crazy and covering about a 100-yard radius. Cerulean Warblers have nested in this area before and he was acting like he might stick around. However, I stopped by a couple of days later and he was gone. No singing and no sign of him. At any rate, the day he was singing, I had several nice looks even though he was quite high up. Photos below are from the early morning 5/12. Enjoy!
I was walking around the flowering trees at Whitnall Park, in the area leading up to the botanical gardens. For the most part, it was rather quiet. I found a few birds moving around in a pink flowering tree. I setup my camera and waited for them to get to my side. It was a Northern Cardinal, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, and a beautiful male Pine Warbler (PIWA). The Pine Warbler is easily in my top 3 for warblers! I have always loved seeing them and this year, it was my first male. I’ve only seen several females thus far. In previous years, this has been a good area for PIWA. They usually come through earlier in the spring and well before the trees are in full bloom. However, with the early spring, the apple trees are couple weeks early, which made for spectacular views! He was feeding constantly, and I watched him catch and eat several caterpillars and spiders. Just before exiting the tree, he started singing and then flew up into the pine stand and continued to sing for the next 30 minutes or so. I could hear him singing until I was out of range to hear it. Being this late in the spring for PIWA, I would think it is on territory in those trees. I will be keeping an eye out in the coming weeks to see if he is still around singing. Photos below are from the afternoon of 5/7. Enjoy!
Despite having terrible weather conditions in May, to produce huge numbers of warblers, I still ended up with 36 warbler species. I just didn’t have very many big days, like I’m used to. We were stuck with E, NE or N winds for the majority of the warbler migration, thanks to our “great” Lake Michigan! Of the 36 warblers, 35 of them were in Milwaukee County. The lone one outside of Milwaukee County, was a Painted Redstart that showed up in Sauk County. I missed one, a Black-throated Gray Warbler that made an appearance at Wind Point Lighthouse in Racine, and only because I was busy that day. Most of the county parks were just average at best. Warnimont Park was producing rather solid numbers most days, like usual and is still my favorite spring warbler park. One little gem, that was basically the county hotspot, was Shorewood Nature Preserve. This tiny little park, nestled between a couple mansions in Shorewood, hosted some great birds including, Worm-eating Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, multiple Yellow-throated Warblers, Prairie Warbler, multiple Hooded Warblers, and a Louisiana Waterthrush. All of those warblers are great for the county. Lake Park hosted a couple of Connecticut Warblers, like it usually does. Warnimont Park also a had several, however viewing is better a Lake Park for them. This is a very large gallery of photos, but warblers are my favorite and I spend a lot of time with them in the spring. As always, I try for male and female, along with first spring birds, to show the varying plumages between them. It’s tough to get them all though. All of the photos below are from Milwaukee County, with the exception being the Painted Redstart. Enjoy!
American Redstart
Bay-breasted Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Canada Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Connecticut Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Magnolia Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Northern Waterthrush
Orange-crowned Warbler
Ovenbird
Painted Redstart
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Sorry, no photos of these this spring, but I did see and hear them twice.
A Cerulean Warbler was found yesterday 5/10, at the Shorewood Nature Preserve, in Milwaukee County. I was out of town, so I did not have a chance to see it. I had already seen one at Warnimont Park a week earlier, so it didn’t bother me as much. This morning I started my day at Whitnall Park, and just like every other day there so far, it was dead! I heard that the Cerulean Warbler was again singing at SNP, so I figured I would go down there and check it out. I’m glad I did, because it was one of the most cooperative Cerulean Warblers I ever had! I walked over to the amphitheater area where it had been seen, however, I didn’t hear it or see it. Within 5 minutes, I heard it sing one time to the north and then it flew right into the tree above the amphitheater, and right above me. I couldn’t believe it! It moved from that tree to the downed tree/brush pile next to it, with a group of other warblers passing through, and then back into the tree. Several others had joined me, and we watched it sing consistently for the next 30 minutes, only 20′ away. This is a stunning bird with a beautiful song, that is very uncommon. It’s always a treat to get to see one, especially that close. I spent 5.5 hours at SNP today and from what I was hearing, it was the only park in Milwaukee with any birds. A White-eyed Vireo was also there as well. I ended up with 73 species and 21 warblers there, which I think is very impressive considering it’s so small! In the past 4 days, this park has hosted Summer Tanager, Yellow-throated Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, 2 Hooded Warblers, Prothonotary Warbler and White-eyed Vireo! This is crazy, since it might only be 2 acres in size. Every year there is a hot spot in Milwaukee and SNP seems to be the one this year. Photos below are from Thursday 5/11. Enjoy!
The past 3 days have been excellent for Golden-winged, Blue-winged and Blackburnian Warblers at Warnimont Park. The area between archery range and parking lot, the golf course and the woods just south of the golf course have all been productive. The “winged” warblers are spectacular looking and sounding! Their songs are loud and bring a smile to your face, while walking around, trying to locate them. It’s always very exciting to see these birds. Blackburnian Warblers are spectacular looking as well, with their fire orange throat on black and white body. They really stand out in the morning sun! I have had at least 3 of each the past few days. The photos below are from Warnimont Park between 5/6-5/9. Enjoy!
I went to Shorewood Nature Preserve this afternoon/evening to look for the reported Summer Tanager. The rain was supposed to stop by 2pm, then by 5pm and it’s still raining as I type this at 9:30pm. The local meteorologists sure know how to do their job!!! So, I was stuck walking around this park in the rain. Also reported from there this morning, were Yellow-throated, Prothonotary and Hooded Warblers. Of course, I wanted to get photos of those three as well. When I arrived, I walked down the bluff, headed on the north path and made a loop. It was very quiet, and I didn’t see or hear much. I then went towards the lake and found a small pocket of warblers, mostly Palm and Yellow-rumped. I walked the beach north, to the park edge and still nothing. I walked back to the path, and I finally found the Summer Tanager. It was feeding high in the treetops. I watched it for a little while and it never came lower or cooperated for that matter. I gave up on it and focused back on finding the warblers. I headed back north and as soon as I crossed the large fallen tree, a dull warbler jumped up from the ground in the raspberry bushes. I assumed it was an Orange-crowned, since they are usually low in the thicker growth and the color matched. It was very close to me, but there were to many branches to clearly see. I looked through my binoculars, tried to quickly focus and got a fast glimpse of black stripes on the head. I knew right away, Worm-eating Warbler!!! I love finding these guys. Of course, I lost it right away. There is so much thick undergrowth in the park, I wasn’t sure if I would find it again. I continued on the path and ended up circling back around to where I first saw it, no luck. I walked forward again going towards the lake and taking a different path north. I started getting close to the black fence at the park edge and saw a bird fly a short distance. I got it in my binoculars, and it was a Northern Waterthrush. Sigh. Then I saw something right next to the waterthrush move and there it was! A couple of weak chip notes and it was gone again, flying towards the brush pile at the base of the bluff. I didn’t know if it went in there or continued up the bluff. So, I set up shop by the brush pile and waited. After 15 minutes or so, it popped out and provided some pretty short, decent looks. I was shooting in silent mode on my camera, but I think it still heard or maybe just was knew I was there, because it flew up the bluff a short distance. At that point, I figured I wouldn’t see it anymore. By this time, I had already spent almost 3 hours walking around in the rain. I made one more quick loop through the entire park and most singing had already stopped, so I called it a night. I did find Blue-winged and Hooded Warblers though and ended with 18 warbler species. I missed on the Yellow-throated and Prothonotary Warblers. I guess I will need to wait for a later date with those two. Photos below are from this evening, while rain soaked and a chilly east wind. The pin location below is approximately where I last saw it. Good luck! Enjoy!
In addition to the Loggerhead Shrike, I also found a Kentucky Warbler! It was in the same exact spot as the one last year. I stopped right where the trail 3-ways off and was going to check my phone. The bird pops up and I just assumed it was a Common Yellowthroat, since I heard 2 singing in the area. When it did, it was only 10′ from me. It turned and looked right at me, and I said, “woah, a Kentucky Warbler!” It was so close I didn’t need my binoculars. I sent out the pin location and there were already a few people real close by. The next 15 minutes, it was not to be found. The area is only about a 30′ circle, but it is the thickest most thick garbage to look through! I was wondering if it moved further south without us knowing, so I started walking the path. Within a minute, it had popped back up and showed for everyone. I quickly got back, and I spent the next 2 hours standing there watching it feed and then go down and hide, which I’m guessing it was sleeping. I did the same routine the entire time watching it. I was really trying to get photos of it, but it just would not come out into the open. I suppose watching a Kentucky Warbler feed, at times of only 6′ away is a prize worthy enough. The photos below are the best I could manage in the entire time there. I have a feeling it’s still around and the pin location below is where it was seen. Good luck if you try. Enjoy!
A Painted Redstart was found Sunday afternoon at Spring Green Preserve in Sauk County. I heard this was our 3rd state record! I didn’t think I would have time to get out there this week with work, but I finished everything I had to do Monday by 1pm and headed out. I arrived there just after 3pm. According to a pin dropped for a location to the bird, it was just over a mile walk to get there. Once I got to the approximate location, I stopped and listened. Sure enough, there it was, calling from the treetops. It took several minutes to find it after hearing it. The majority of the time, he hung out in the same tree, however he also moved around quite a bit. It was reported that it would disappear at times this morning, so when it took off towards the north, I followed it. I watched it go up the bluff and lost it. I walked back in there and up the bluff and relocated it about 100 yards farther up. From there, he went back to his favorite tree. I stayed up on the bluff and waited to see if he would come back. After 15 minutes or so, he flew back towards the bluff. When he came back towards me, he would feed on the trunks of the trees, sometimes going close to the ground, flash his tail around and flit about as if he was trying to attract attention, which unfortunately there won’t be any around for him. I noticed that he had this pattern, so I just stood up there for over 3 hours waiting from him to go back and forth. I was rewarded with some pretty decent views, although trying to capture photos was very difficult, he was extremely fast. Plus, there were branches everywhere and I was looking into the light, most of the times. Thankfully, clouds came in and cut down on the harsh light. This is an absolutely stunning bird! I’m really glad I was able to get out there this afternoon. I will provide a pin below, to his favorite tree, which is about 100′ off the trail to the east. Good luck if you try for it! He seems perfectly content with where he is. Photos below are from Monday afternoon/evening. Enjoy!
Late Monday evening, a Louisiana Waterthrush was found singing along the creek. It was in the creek that runs northwest from Seven Bridges at Grant Park. On Tuesday, I left work around 1130am, as I wanted to try for it. This is one of my favorite warblers and can be easily missed in spring. They usually pass through our area from middle to late April. As I was walking down the stairs, I saw one of my friends, who had just seen it up the creek. I made my way up and found it all the way towards Lake Dr. It then circled around me and went down creek. It was not very cooperative at first. I spent three hours waiting for it in several spots, before finally getting some close, excellent looks at it. I watched it feed for quite a while and it amazes me how it can grab the teeny tiny worms from a fast moving creek. It happens so fast, and I would not have known it was catching them without capturing it on photo. It was seen again early this morning, but several others failed to relocate it after that. There are a few creeks in that area, so it’s possible it just moved to another one. Seven Bridges has a lot of foot traffic, especially when the weather is nice, like the last few days. The coordinates below are approximately where I watched it for the majority of the time. It also came back to this location several times. Good luck if you try for it. Photos below are from mid-day Tuesday. Enjoy!
Worm-eating Warbler is uncommon in Wisconsin. However, I think Milwaukee County has gotten one the last several years. This year I saw two! One was along a creek at Whitnall Park (5/9), and the other was singing at Warnimont Park (5/15) in the wooded area, east of hole #6. I was able to track down the one at Warnimont and sneak quietly within 25′ of him. I watched him eat spiders, caterpillars and midges, and was also constantly singing. The song is a dry, almost insect-like trill, similar to Chipping Sparrow. It was very hard to get wide open views of him though, as he stayed very low and in patches of thick brush. I still managed decent photos considering the thickets and it was the first time I was able to get one singing, which I love. Northern Waterthrush & Ovenbird are very common in Wisconsin, especially in Milwaukee County during migration. On 5/1, I had 10 Northern Waterthrush and 9 on 5/10, both at Whitnall Park. They can be found anywhere near any kind of water. They are usually singing throughout the entire day. There are many variations of the song, but for the most part it is a loud, ringing, three-part sweet sweet sweet swee wee wee chew chew chew chew. I find that they are very skittish, unless you’re standing still, and they fly and land near you. As soon as you move though, so do they. As for Ovenbird, I had 7 on 5/9 and 6 on 5/10, both at Whitnall Park as well. Ovenbird is found walking the forest floor, picking through leaves and downed branches, looking for insects. They sing a rather loud song, starting quieter and getting louder with each note. It is a rapid, resounding tea-cher, Tea-cher, TEA-cher, TEA-CHER. The photos below were taken in May. Enjoy!
