9 Spgs NSTSP and LeConte's Sparrow!!!! Finally!!

I stopped by 9 spgs around 4:00pm this evening and stayed about an hour. I found the following species:

1 LE CONTE'S SPARROW (A lifer for me)
2 Nelson's sharp-tailed Sparrows (A State bird)
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
N shoveler
Am Coot
Wood Duck
12-15 Pied-billed Grebe
Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Canada Goose
Sora
Song Sparrow
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning dove

I didn't even know you could find Le Conte's at 9 spgs. Even during migration. I dropped by for a state bird and got a lifer. Nice.

I also saw about 50+/- Sandhill Cranes in a corn field West of Arena.

Pics are coming.

More Mango pics

GB Mango pics

Down the hill.


Back up the hill.

Green-Breasted Mango, Beloit WI. YES!!!!!!

The GB Mango was present when I arrived around 2:30 this afternoon. Mom and I walked up the drive and met Joan who told us where the bird was being seen and showed us where to go. At the time, it had been seen at the house down the hill. We walked down keeping an eye out for the bird. As usual, Mom spotted it first. Almost exactly 5 mins after arriving. It was sitting in it's favorite apple tree on the right side of the path about 20 yards directly across from the maple in the neighbor's yard. It then flew too the maple and perched there for a couple minutes before flying back to it's origanal perch. it stayed only a minute or two before disapearing to the ESE. Suspecting that it might have returned to Joan's yard, I headed up that way and was rewarded with a very nice view of it's purple hued tail.
It hung around Joan's feeder for the next hour appearing and disappearing about every 15-20 minutes. staying only about 6-7 minutes each time. I got some good pics (okay, good for me. nothing like what you photographers get.) and got some great views. I stayed for about an hour and a half before heading out. My pics will be up shortly at http://swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com

Thanks a million to Joan and her neighbor for tolerating all the visitors. It's a great bird and a great chance to see a tropical species.
While there, we also spotted a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-rumped, Palm and Tennesee Warblers and a flyover Cooper's Hawk.

After leaving, We headed up 213 to Evansville and checked out Peter Fissel's shorebird pond.
Arriving around 5:00, I found the following birds:
6-8 L Yellowlegs
12+/- SemiP Sandpipers
3 Least sandpipers
12 or so Mallards
12-16 Green-winged Teal
6+/- N Shoveler
1 Pied-billed Grebe

Either I'm really bad at telling the difference between Baird's and SemiP or there wasn't one present today.


P.S. Good luck Daryl! and everyone else that goes for in the next week.

more pics from the Millpond.

They took about 2 feet off the dam.


You can see where the water used to overflow


The pond from a couple more angles




A Green-winged Teal.

Millpond (Richland County) 9/20

Barb Duerksen and I ran down to the Millpond yesterday morning (AKA. the only permanant shorebird habitat in the county). (for those of you that attended the convention, it's where we went to look for shorebirds.) Unfortunately, the dam that holds the water is slowly being torn down so the habitat won't be around much longer.

The folowing shorebirds were present on the now growing mudflats:
12 +/- S-B Dowitcher
SemiP Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
2 Solitary Sandpiper
2 L Yellowlegs
Wilson's Snipe
40+ Killdeer
1 unIDEd sandpiper spp.
20 or so unIDEd shorebird spp that were too far away to ID.

This L Yellowlegs showed up and sat still just long enough for me to digiscope him. I wish the light was better.


One of the 40+ Killdeer out on the mudflats.



There was one Sora out in the open (that I didn't get a pic of, it was too foggy).

The following ducks were also present:
Mallard
14 +/- Green-winged Teal
2 N Shoveler

in the area, we also found:
Yellow-rumped, Palm, Nashville and Tennesee Warblers
Lincoln's Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Cooper's Hawk
B Kingfisher
Green Heron
Swainson's thrush

In my valley here at home, I spotted our resident Gr Blue Heron and an unIDed hawk (probable broad-wing)

more warblers

only 15 species of warblers crossed my field of view this morning.
They are as follows:
Tennesee
Nashville
Black-throated Green
Chestnut-sided
Magnolia
C Yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Bay-breasted
Cape May
Pine
Blackpoll
Wilson's (got a really nice look at this one.)
Canada
Black&White
Blackburnian

This Nashville warbler posed nicely:




37 species total. It got pretty quiet around 0815.
I also had a singing Scarlet Tanager,
Blue-headed Vireo
5 Barred Owls
White-throated Sparrow
Swainson's Thrush

I hope the warblers stick around a little longer. I haven't seen an Oprornis yet. come to think of it, I haven't seen any Ceruleans either. I wonder where they went?

some warblers dropped in for tea.

Brian H got his wish, the warblers dropped by Lake park one more time before heading S.
However, I didn't send all of them over to Milwaukee.

Despite the fact that it was cloudy and 48 degrees at 0700, 17 species literally dropped in my lap this morning. It was one of those days that warblers were dripping from the trees.

Warbler count is as follows:
Ovenbird
Magnolia
Black-throated Green
Bay-Breasted
Golden-winged
C Yellowthroat
Pine
Cape May
N Parula
Blackburnian
Black&White
Chestnut-sided
Redstart
Blackpoll
Orange-crowned
Nashville
Wilson's

I also found:
Scarlet Tanager
White-throated Sparrow
Blue-headed Vireo
Br Thrasher
Swainson's Thrush
Gr Blue Heron
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Pileated Woodpecker

That gives me a total of 42 species for the morning including the common ones.
Judging by Ryan Brady's report, we'll be seeing double digit warblers for a little bit longer yet.

Bakken's pond and Lone Rock LWSRSWA

I swung down to Bakken's pond this evening in SW Sauk County (litterally 30 feet E of the Richland County line). I found most of the usual birds including a Pied-billed Grebe and some Wood Ducks. Only two species of warblers appeared. 1 Tennesee and a small flock of Yellow-rumps. Cedar Waxwings were quite abundant as were Tree and Barn Swallows. A flock of migrant Rose-breasted Grosbeaks also showed up. The highlight was a pair of Sandhill Cranes that flew over.





They were fun to see.
Sora rails were also impossible to miss. There were about a dozen or so calling throughout the marsh.
In all it was a good evening.
I also took time to swing by Lone Rock unit LWSRSWA where I found a further four Pied-billed Grebes. Otherwise it was pretty quiet.
It's amazing that the entire day was quiet. even this morning. although, it was cloudy this morning. At least it was a little warmer than it's been. The temp this morning was in the low 40s rather than in the low 20s.

Thoughts on "The unusual & the unexpected".

Isn't that what they say in the birding world, "expect the unexpected"? Well, I guess we got that.

As long as we're talking about missing birds, does anybody have any idea how the Tree Swallow population will fare next year? They took a little bit of a hit this spring with that cold spell. I would imagine their numbers would be down a bit.

As for Skeeters, I haven't seen one since Tues when that cold spell hit. I think the pewees and warblers put a dent in the population too. I'm having to sort through Pewees to find warblers in the morning. Then, finding 16-20 warblers a day, it's a wonder the skeeters have anywhere to hide.
Come to think of it, except for dragonflies, the odd grasshopper, katydid and Hornet, I haven't seen any insects since Tues.


>From: "Wayne & Susie"
>To: "Wisconsin Birding Network"
>Subject: [wisb] The Unusual & The Unexpected
>Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:38:51 -0500
>
>Wow! What a collection of wisbirdn posts lately!
>
>From the unusual (hummingbird deaths and woodpecker deaths) to the
>unexpected (night sounds)...
>
>From missing robins to hummingbird magnets...
>
>From group names for birds to questions about taxonomic order...
>
>Yes, and even from "skeeters" to "hummers"...
>
>What unusual and unexpected subjects will wisbirdn birders think of
>next?
>
>(And who says birding isn't interesting?)
>
>Happy fall birding to everyone! (Hurry up, frost, pop those
>skeeters!)
>
>Wayne Rohde
>Walworth, WI

Olive-sided Flycatcher

If Milwaukee has all the hummers, I have all the Pewees. I had to sort through Pewees to find warblers this morning. I also have the only Robin in the state.
I found 43 species and 18 warblers this morning. The highlight was an Olive-sided Flycatcher.

Warblers:
CANADA
Cape May
Bay-breasted
N Parula
C Yellowthroat
Blackpoll
Redstart
Orange-crowned
Chestnut-sided
Nashville
Blackburnian
Magnolia
Tennesee
Black-throated Green
Wilson's
Black&White
Pine
Golden-winged

I also found the following species:
Red-headed Woodpecker
Gr Blue Heron
Cedar Waxwing
only 3 Ruby-throated Hummers
E Pewee
3 female Scarlet Tanagers
Swainson's Thrush (no Gray-cheeked thie morning)
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
White-throated Sparrow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Br Thrasher

The temp in my valley was hovering around 33 degrees this morning. The birds were up and foraging well before sunrise.
I put my down comforter on yesterday and today, I didn't even take off my PJs. Don't you just love fall weather?
there were three Yellow-throated vireos this morning that rather closely resembled small yellow and white feather balls. I also found a flock of chickadees that looked rather like a flock of flying marshmallows. Anything to keep warm eh?

i went birding again this evening after class and came up with 5 more species.

E Bluebird
E Meadowlark
TV
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
PALM WARBLER!! Yes!

My Barred Owl didn't call before I got home so i couldn't add him.
The pair of Palm warblers makes 20 species of warblers for the day. I'm thinking that's a new high for my valley.
BTW, all of the species I posted today, both in this post and the previous one, were all found within the boundaries of my valley. The Barred Owl is out there, it's just a question of freezing until I hear it. (no, I'm not sitting out there for one bird.) I might sit out if it was a Barn Owl or a Pygmy Owl but not for a common Owl like a Barred.

Tomorrow, i have to find all those warblers and more for a high of 26. i kind of winder if a Kirtland's warbler night appear one day....

A birdy morning.

This beautiful Broad-winged Hawk cooperated nicely this morning.

I had 54 species and 19 species of warblers showed up in my valley this morning.

Warblers:
C Yellowthroat
Magnolia
Redstart
Blackburnian
Bay-breasted
Tennesee
Wilson's
Black&White
Chestnut-sided
Cape May
Blue-Winged
Golden-winged
Blackpoll
Pine
Black-throated Green
Nashville
Ovenbird
N Waterthrush
N Parula

Also found the following species this morning:
White-throated Sparrow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wood, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes
Scarlet Tanager
30 Canada Geese heading South
Blue-headed, Red-eyed, Yellow-throated and Philidelphia Vireos
E Towhee
Br Thrasher
Gr Blue Heron
1 Red-tailed and 1 Broad-winged Hawks


Isn't it a little early for WT Sparrow and RC Kinglet? I don't recall ever seeing these two and Scarlet Tanager at the same time.
It's a beautiful day here in RC although, the temp this morning was about 33 degrees which made for a chilly morning. Anyway, later today, I'm going out to find Orange-crowned and Yellow warblers. That'll make 21. Maybe I'll find a Canada too.

What a morning! 18 species of warblers!

There was excellent fallout this morning.
51 species and 18 warblers showed up in my valley within a 3 hour period this morning.

The warblers were:
Redstart
Ovenbird
C Yellowthroat
Magnolia
Tennesee
Blackpoll
Pine
Chestnut-sided
Bay-breasted
Blackburnian
Black&White
Black-throated Green
N Parula
Nashville
Wilson's
Orange-crowned
Golden-winged
N Waterthrush

The following migrants and interesting species also turned up:
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes
Cedar Waxwing
Scarlet Tanager
Red-headed Woodpecker
GB Heron
Br Thrasher
Ruby-throated Hummer
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue-headed Vireo
E Bluebird


I hope at least some of you got out or will get out today. not only was the morning fallout excellent, but (as noted earlier) Hawk migration today should be good.
Stay tuned.

sunset last night

The sunset last night in Spring Green on the way home from Madison was spectacular.

more fall warblers

11 species of warblers graced my yard early this morning. Even before the sun appeared, there was movement in the walnut tree.

There were:
Tennesee
Nashville
Chestnut-sided
Blackburnian
Bay-breasted
Magnolia
Wilson's
Redstart
C Yellowthroat
L Waterthrush
Golden-winged

Also found this morning were:
Wood thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Probable Gray-cheeked Thrush
Cedar Waxwing

OC Warblers this morning.

I woke up this morning and it was pouring rain. I went back to sleep.
I finally got out around 10:00 and wandered down the road to the Richland county version of the Magic hedge (it's about 100yds of road with trees and shrubs on both sides, close to the road and very thick underneath.) which is usually good for migrants during inclement weather.

there were only three migrants today.
2 Orange-crowned warblers
several Redstarts
3 Magnolias

I'm not sure if the Redstarts were migrants or not.
The 2 Orange crowns were though. They were fun to watch. That makes only the second and third Orange-crowns that I've ever seen. (My lifer was this spring at the other end of the road.)

I woke up this morning to cloudy, cool and threatening rain. I went birding anyway.
The trick to birding in inclement weather is rather than sit by your favorite birding spot and let the birds come to you (what I usually do on sunny days), you have to go find the birds. So I did.

I came up with 32 species for the morning and 10 warblers.
The warblers were as follows:
Blue-winged
Redstart
Magnolia
Bay-breasted
Black&White
Tennesee
Chestnut-sided
Blackburnian
C Yellowthroat
Wilson's

Once again, the following warblers failed to appear(apparently these aren't party birds) :
Nashville
Golden-winged
Cerulean
L Waterthrush
Yellow
Ovenbird
Black-throated Green
Connecticut
Mourning
Canada
(these are all warblers that have been reported in S WI in the past week)

I also found the following interesting species:
Wood Thrush
Blue-headed Vireo

The rest were a mix of summer and winter residents.

13 warblers and a flyover Red-headed Woodpecker

I spent about 3 hours early this morning birding my yard.

I found 13 species of warblers:
C Yellowthroat
L Waterthrush
Blackburnian
Black&White
Ovenbird
Chestnut-sided
Magnolia
Redstart
Nashville
Blue-winged
Tennesee
Wilson's
Bay-breasted

I missed black-throated green, connecticut, golden-winged and Yellow.

Other interesting birds found this morning include:
a flyover Red-headed Woopecker
Brown thrasher
a female Scarlet Tanager
Blue-headed Vireo
Swainson's Thrush
B Kingfisher

I found 42 species total.
One of these days, I'll find time to do a county big day. I would guess that during peak migration, it's quite possible to break 120 in a day.

Jason Vidas and I spent 3 hours this morning and found a total of 48 species between my house and Ash creek county forest.

Included were 13 species of warblers:
BTGWA
redstart
B&W
BLKBNWA
BWWA
GWWA
CSWA
WIWA
L WATH
NAWA
Maggie
CYETHR
YEWA

We also found:
a probable least sandpiper (by the time we got our scopes out it was gone.)
Brown Thrasher
Traill's flycatcher spp
Blue-headed Vireo (and 3 other spp of vireos)
Sandhill cranes
E Towhee
Gr blue heron
5 spp of woodpeckers including 2 pileateds

A very nice young female Blackburnian afforded us some great views and a Yellow-throated Vireo sat out in the open for us. It was a fun morning.

a 13 warbler spp morning.

13 species of warblers graced my woods this morning including a very nice L Waterthrush.
They were:
CSWA (about a hundred or so)
Maggie
Redstart
Blackburnian
BAYBWA
L Waterthrush
Ovenbird
CYET
BWWA
GWWA
NAWA
ConnWA
WIWA (this one took some doing to pick out)

Also had a Brown Thrasher, Swainson's Thrush, a Gnatcatcher and a Kingfisher. Somehow, I missed Black&white warbler. There must have been at least one. Just, where?
Anyway, the grand total was 38 species in 3 hours. (0630-0930)

Warbler Migration is certainly picking up. Over the next few weeks, I should be able to add several more species to the fall list. I hope I get at least one 20+ warbler day!!
Happy Birding!

bird thoughts and warbler fallout

The shorebird pond on 80 has been slow this last week. The last time I checked (the other day) there were only two SemiP Sands. If we don't get any more rain, it will dry up completely.
I went warblering this morning and came up with double digits. Just. 10 species graced my front yard. Maggie, BWWA, GWWA, BLBURWA, B&WWA, WIWA, CSWA, NAWA, REST and CYTH.
In all, 34 species showed up for this morning's party. The morning was topped off with a beautiful Cooper's hawk.