* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 30 December 2009
* WIMA0912.30
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
Brown Creeper
Eastern Screech Owl
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Williams Street, Sauk City
Picnic Point
This is the hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for
Wednesday, December 30, 2009.
During the Sauk City CBC which covers Arena, birders talked to a
resident on Williams Street who had YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS for about
two weeks prior to 12/26. It was not refound on the 26th, but may
still be in the area.
As of December 29th there have been multiple reports of the BARROWS
GOLDENEYE off the tip of Picnic Point. Lake Mendota was freezing,
and there was little open water when reported Tuesday.
Also on Picnic Point, BROWN CREEPERS and an EASTERN SCREECH OWL were
reported. The latter was perched in the entrance of a Wood Duck Box
that is near the bathrooms and beach area on Picnic Point.
*********************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trip is: Friday, January 1: New Year's
Sunrise at Faville Grove Marsh
Our annual New Year's Day sunrise field trip at Faville Grove
Sanctuary will meet at Buddy's Place, the old farmstead at N7710 Hwy
89, at 6:55 am. If there is good snow and you have snowshoes, bring
them along. Otherwise, sturdy boots for uneven terrain will do. From
I-94, take the Lake Mills/Waterloo exit and go north on Hwy 89 about
2.5 miles. The driveway is on the right immediately past North Shore
Road, which intersects from the left. We will meander through the
prairie in the pre-dawn light to arrive at the marsh overlook in time
for sunrise, and then spend the early morning exploring the Faville
Grove Marsh and surrounding uplands. Volunteer sanctuary managers
David Musolf and Roger Packard will lead the trip.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 28 November 2009
* WIMA0911.28
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Sandhill Crane
Tundra Swan
Mallard
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
Canada Goose
CACKLING GOOSE
Ring-billed Gull
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Horned Grebe
Common Loon
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Goose Pond, Columbia County
Prairie du Sac VFW Park
Governor Nelson State Park boat ramp
This is the birding hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society
for Saturday, November 28, 2009.
There were numerous reports during the past week of large migrating
flocks of SANDHILL CRANES and TUNDRA SWANS overhead, both in Dane and
surrounding counties.
On Monday, November 23 birders reported numerous waterfowl at Goose
Pond. Other than MALLARDS (which numbered over 850), the duck numbers
are declining – 5 GADWALLS, 2 AMERICAN WIGEON, 9 BLACK DUCKS, 11
GREEN-WING TEAL, 1 REDHEAD, 114 RING-NECKED DUCK, 9 BUFFLEHEAD and 14
RUDDY DUCKS, plus one AMERICAN COOT. CANADA GEESE numbers were
estimated at 1631 plus 3 definite CACKLING GEESE. There were also 33
RING-BILLED GULLS.
On Thursday, November 26 a birder in Prairie Du Sac VFW Park reported
a female BLACK SCOTER near the shore and a bit up the Wisconsin River
Friday, November 27 – A birder reported a female LONG-TAILED DUCK
while scoping from the Gov. Nelson SP boat Launch. Also in the area
were 30-40 TUNDRA SWANS, 4 HORNED GREBES, BUFFLEHEAD and a few COMMON
LOONS.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 20 November 2009
* WIMA0911.20
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Black Duck
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wild Turkey
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Horned Grebe
Great Horned Owl
American Crow
Common Loon
Brown Creeper
WHOOPING CRANE
Rough-legged Hawk
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Goose Pond Sanctuary, Columbia County
DM & I ponds, Dane County
Schoeneberg Marsh, Columbia County
Madison
Walworth County
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Friday, November 20th. The reports this week center on waterfowl.
Two birders went to Goose Pond Sanctuary in Columbia County on Monday
the 16th. They found 14 species, including 2 BLACK DUCKS, 7 CACKLING
GEESE among the 3000 or so CANADA GEESE, and 32 TUNDRA SWANS. They
went next to the DM & I ponds in northern Dane County, and there found
120 TUNDRA SWANS among others.
Another birder at Goose Pond and Schoeneberg Marsh, today, the 20th,
found WILD TURKEY among a number of waterfowl including RING-NECKED
DUCK and BUFFLEHEAD. He then went to Madison where he found, among
others, a HORNED GREBE, a GREAT HORNED OWL being mobbed by AMERICAN
CROWS, one COMMON LOON, a BROWN CREEPER and 3 WHOOPING CRANES. The
specific locations in Madison were not mentioned.
Also today, the 20th, another observer found a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in
Walworth County.
**********************************
The next Madison Audubon field trip is Saturday, December 5th –
Madison Lakes Birding.
The group will carpool and leave at 7:30 AM
from the middle of the UW-Madison parking lot 60 at the north end of
Walnut Street. The trip will last about 4 hours. Bring a scope if
you have one and dress warmly. If you have questions, please call Al
Shea at 608-825-6232.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 10 November 2009
* WIMA0911.10
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
SNOWY OWL
Rough-legged Hawk
GOLDEN EAGLE
TRUMPETER SWAN
Sandhill Crane
Northern Shrike
EVENING GROSBEAK
Tundra Swan
WHOOPING CRANE
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Crex Meadows
Vilas County
9 Springs Natural Area
Horicon Marsh
Goose Pond, Columbia County
Harvey Road, just south of County DM
Lake Michigan – Ozaukee County
French Island, LaCrosse
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for Tuesday, November 10th.
Two SNOWY OWLS have been reported recently in the state – one in Crex Meadows and the other in Vilas County. Also counted at Crex were 30 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 2 GOLDEN EAGLES, 50 TRUMPETER SWANS and more than 15,000 SANDHILL CRANES.
9 Springs Natural Area in Madison hosted a NORTHERN SHRIKE this morning. It or a different Shrike had been reported one to two weeks before. It appeared off the east-west road just before the parking area. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was also spotted Monday off Dike Road in Horicon Marsh.
Near the end of last week EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen on Dike Road picking up gravel from the road. EVENING GROSBEAKS were also reported in Door County. Note that there have been no reports of the Grosbeaks at Horicon since last week.
Closer to home, 6 TUNDRA SWANS were present at Goose pond, and about 30 in the large ponds on Harvey Road just south of Columbia County DM. Over 200 SANDHILL CRANES and 3 WHOOPING CRANES were also spending time at the ponds. The Whoopers were most closely observed off County DM just east of Harvey Road.
All 3 SCOTER species were seen in from the Ozaukee County shore of Lake Michigan.
About 100 yards north of the west spillway on French Island in LaCrosse were about 1000 TUNDRA SWANS.
************************************
The last Madison Audubon field trip of the year will be December 5th – Madison Lakes.
Details coming up in a future post, or contact Madison Audubon at madisonaudubon.org and click on field trips in December.
Happy Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 21 October 2009
* WIMA0910.21
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Chimney Swift
Kinglet (sp.)
Tree Swallow
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow (probable)
Clay-colored Sparrow (probable)
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin, Long-Billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Pine Warbler
European Starling
Blackbird (sp.)
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Downtown Madison
UW-Madison campus
Eagle Heights Gardens
Columbia County ponds
Yards on Madison’s east side
Lake Farm Park
This is the hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009.
There have been numerous reports of large flocks of CHIMNEY SWIFTS in downtown Madison and the UW campus area through the week.
On October 16th, reports for the community gardens near Picnic Point noted KINGLETS, TREE SWALLOWS, and CHIPPING, SONG, SWAMP, VESPER, WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. Also present were a probable LINCOLN’S SPARROW, a probable CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and DARK-EYED JUNCOS.
The following shorebirds were found on October 19th at Columbia County ponds: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and WILSON'S SNIPE.
Also a PINE WARBLER was spotted near the Eagle Heights Gardens in Madison on the 19th.
Yards on east side of Madison on October 20th noted significant increase in numbers of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS.
At Lake Farm Park on the 20th, large flocks of EUROPEAN STARLINGS and BLACKBIRDS (sp.) were noted.
******************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trip is: Sunday, Oct. 25: Scope Day at Goose Pond.
Spotting scopes will be set up along Prairie Lane for visitor use on Sunday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Members will be on hand to help visitors locate and identify waterfowl on the pond. If the weather is inclement, the scopes will not be set up. Check the website for a map to Goose Pond. If you have questions, call Dorothy Haines at (608) 221-1948 or the MAS office (255-2473).
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 16 October 2009
* WIMA0910.16
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Chipping Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow (probable)
Vesper Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow (probable)
Fox Sparrow
CAROLINA WREN
Red-shouldered Hawk
Barred Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Eagle Heights Gardens, UW-Madison
Odana Ponds, Madison
Pardeeville
Cruson Slough, Richland County
McFarland
The action this past week tends to be largely around sparrows plus a number of somewhat hard-to-find species.
Visitors to Eagle Heights Gardens today had 120 CHIPPING SPARROWS, probable LINCOLN’S SPARROW, a VESPER SPARROW, and a probable CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. A birder at Odana Ponds today found a FOX SPARROW in addition to other species.
A CAROLINA WREN was reported Tuesday in the dam area of Park Lake, on Pondview Drive in Pardeeville.
The Richland County Bird and Nature Club had a big sit at Cruson Slough on October 12th. Among the 43 species they observed were: RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, BARRED OWL, PILEATED WOODPECKER and CAROLINA WREN.
A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, finally, was seen on Card Avenue in McFarland – the date is unclear, but probably was October 9th.
******************************************************
The Next Madison Audubon field trip is Sunday, Oct. 18: Mississippi Waterfowl
The trip will meet at the Home Depot on Verona Rd. just south of the Beltline at 5:00 a.m., where we will carpool and then head out. Our first stop will be Bagley Bottoms and then a quick stop at Wyalusing State Park. Then we will probably drive to Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien before heading north along the river. At some point, we will probably cross over to the west side of the river since the viewing is better in spots. Otherwise, we will stay primarily on the WI side. The trip will possibly go as far north as La Crosse.
Please be aware that it is at least an hour and a half drive from Madison to Prairie Du Chien and that this travel time increases the farther north you go. La Crosse is two solid hours of driving to get back to Madison. The trip will last until late afternoon. Please bring appropriate gear for the weather. We will be driving during most of the trip but may spend some time at certain locations if the birding is good. Also, please bring binoculars, spotting scopes, walkie-talkies (two-way radios). We will probably stop for lunch in Lansing, IA, but you may wish to bring snacks along as well. Hope to see you there. If you have any questions about the trip, contact Chris West at either: (608) 647-6403, (608) 475-9016 or Chris.W.Birder@gmail.com
Good birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 11 September 2009
* WIMA0909.11
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
American White Pelican
Great Egret
Dunlin
Black-bellied Plover
White-rumped Sandpiper
SNOWY EGRET
WHOOPING CRANE
Golden-winged Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Canada Warbler
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Magnolia Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Hooded Mergansers.
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Flooded fields off Harvey and Wangsness Roads, Columbia County
Picnic Point area, Madison
Flooded field off Kroncke Road, Columbia County
Odana Ponds, Madison
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for Friday, September 11th. The flood of southbound migrants seen in a week ago seems now to have paused, and there have not been many warbler sightings in the past 2 days.
On Sunday afternoon, Sept 6th birders at the Harvey Road flooded fields between Columbia County DM and Wangsness Road saw 23 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS and at least 20 GREAT EGRETS in addition to many shorebirds. The shorebirds, unfortunately, were not all identifiable due to the sun’s blocking good viewing. There were, however, DUNLIN, and at least one BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER there. At the back end of the east pond, accessed by going east on Wangsness, they also spotted one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER among other shorebirds. Be aware that these fields are currently being pumped dry and there may be a lot less shorebird habitat left.
Birders who checked out Picnic Point, Frautschi Point, and the Eagle Heights Gardens on the morning of the 7th had great luck. They saw 16 warbler species including GOLDEN-WINGED, CAPE MAY, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACKPOLL, and CANADA WARBLERS. They had 63 species in all.
On the 8th a birder driving past a flooded on Kroncke Road about a half mile north of Columbia County DM spotted 53 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 67 GREAT EGRETS, a SNOWY EGRET and 3 WHOOPING CRANES.
Today, the 11th a visitor to the Odana Ponds, had only 24 species, but among there were BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, and 3 HOODED MERGANSERS.
***************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips will be tomorrow, Saturday, September 12th.
--- Bird Banding at Picnic Point with Mara McDonald's crew (be aware that there is a home football game at Camp Randall at 11:00 a.m., so traffic may be heavy that morning). This easy fall field trip near Picnic Point runs from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Come early or later in the morning, stay the full time or just a few minutes. See how birds are netted, banded, measured and released, and discuss how important information is gathered for management and conservation purposes. Bring insect repellent. To get to the banding station, take Lake Mendota Dr. and park at Frautschi Point. Walk south through the woods, keeping Lake Mendota on your left, onto the Biocore Prairie. At the prairie, follow the trail to your right, then left. The banding station (aka picnic table) is at the top of the prairie. Visitors not able to walk are asked to contact the trip leader ahead of time for permission to drive you to the site. Contact: Mara McDonald, mamcdona@wisc.edu
--- Peter Gorman & Peter Fissel will be leading a bird hike at the Madison School Forest south of Verona at 8:00 a.m. To get to the Madison School Forest: We'll meet at 8:00 a.m. at the School Forest parking lot on Fritz Rd. From the intersection of Hwys 151 and 69 south of Verona, go south on 69 about a mile and turn right (west) on Riverside Rd. (there is a small sign for the School Forest at the intersection.) Go west about 2 miles and turn left (south) on Fritz Rd. (another small sign here.) The parking lot is about a mile south at the "S" curve on Fritz. Trip will last 2-3 hours, depending on how much we're seeing. Walking will be on good trails with a couple of moderate slopes. Bring water, insect repellent, etc.
--- Additionally, there is a "Monarchs & Fall Flowers" trip at the county portion of Pheasant Branch at noon, Directions: Meet in Middleton at noon. The trip will last until 3:00 p.m. At the west end of Lake Mendota take Allen Blvd. north, then turn left on Century Ave. (CTH M). Track your mileage as you turn right onto Old Creek Rd. and then right on Pheasant Branch Rd. going north 1.2 miles to the small county parking lot at the beginning of the gated road.
--- Tuesday, Sept 15th will see the first fall program of the Madison Audubon Society, on the outlook for Black Terns. The meeting will be at the Capital Lakes Retirement Community at 333 W Main St in Madison. Please consult madisonaudubon.org for further details.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 02 September 2009
* WIMA0909.03
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Common Nighthawk
Tennessee Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Yellow-throated Vireo
Cuckoo (species)
Magnolia Warbler
American Redstart
Canada Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Indigo Bunting
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Cooper’s Hawk
Swainson’s Thrush
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
American White Pelican
Yellow-headed Blackbird
SNOWY EGRET
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Pileated Woodpecker
TRUMPETER SWAN
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-billed Gull
FRANKLIN’S GULL
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Middleton
Olin Park
Nakoma Duck Pond and Honeeum
Picnic Point
Lalor Road, Dane County
Wangsness Road ponds, Columbia County
Harvey Road and County DM ponds, Columbia County
Goose Pond
Harvey Road, east of Hwy 51
Schoeneberg Marsh
Fort Atkinson
Devil’s Lake State Park
Horicon Marsh
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for Thursday, September 3rd.
An enormous migration of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS has been passing through our area; a flock of about 215, for example, was spotted over Middleton a week ago.
Warblers and vireos are also migrating through. On last Monday, many TENNESSEE WARBLERS of every variation were spotted at Olin Park. BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS, YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS, and CUCKOOS were spotted at the Nakoma Duck Pond and the Honeeum area of the UW-Arboretum in Madison. At Picnic Point, mainly in the marsh area, were seen MAGNOLIA WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, CANADA WARBLER, and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. Also present were INDIGO BUNTING and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
COOPER’S HAWKS and buteos are starting to move south, and SWAINSON’S THRUSHES were flying overhead at night last Sunday.
Last Saturday, a caller reported finding a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD on Lalor Road off County B at the first curve, south of Madison.
Just north of Dane County in Columbia County, the Harvey Road areas was showing a good number of migrating shorebirds. On Wangsness Road, heading east from Harvey Road, spotters found PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. East of Highway 51 on Harvey Road were 1-2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, and another was present on the west side of Harvey Road just off Highway 60. At the Harvey Road and County DM ponds (on Harvey between DM and Wangsness) were found BAIRD’S SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. North of Highway 60 on Harvey Road were about 80 AMERICAN WHITE-PELICANS at Schoeneberg Marsh. Wangsness Road was also host to PEREGRINE FALCON, and there were large number of RING-BILLED GULLS on Harvey Road with a single FRANKLIN’S GULL among them.
Goose Pond this past weekend played host to an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON. It apparently stayed for 1-2 days in the area, and has not been reported since. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were also seen at Goose Pond. If you go, also check the ponds off KAMPEN ROAD for shorebirds, both east and west of Goose Pond Road.
A SNOWY EGRET was reported wetlands at Fort Atkinson, in addition to GREAT EGRETS and GREAT BLUE HERONS. The area was on the far south end of the wetlands on the east side of Highway 26, about 1.2 miles south of Highway 12.
Now is a good time to check for PILEATED WOODPECKER at Devil’s Lake SP’s group camp.
At Horicon Marsh on Wednesday there was lots of water (thus reduced shorebird habitat), but there still remained 150 plus GREAT EGRETS and a family of TUMPETER SWANS.
***************************************
Tuesday, Sept 15th will see the first fall program of the Madison Audubon Society, on the outlook for Black Terns. The meeting will be at the Capital Lakes Retirement Community at 333 W Main St in Madison.
Please consult madisonaudubon.org for further details.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 14 August 2009
* WIMA0908.14
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
AMERICAN AVOCET
Pectoral Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
MOTTLED DUCK (possible)
LITTLE BLUE HERON
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Yahara River mudflats, edge of Stoughton
Dane County V ponds (south side of V between Schumacher and Patton Roads)
Pond west of Harvey Rd & DM
This is the birding hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for
Friday, August 14, 2009
On August 9th AVOCETS were seen on the Yahara River mudflats along the
north side of Hwy B. This is on the north edge of Stoughton.
Also present were numerous PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and a RUDDY TURNSTONE.
The possible MOTTLED DUCK has continued to be observed northeast of
Waunakee (in Dane County) during the past week. It is south of Hwy V
on ponds between Schumacher and Patton Roads.
Also seen at this location is an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON, reported
on both August 10 and 11. More recently, it has been reported
southwest of Harvey and DM.
**************************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trip is Saturday, Aug. 22: Canoe
Cherokee Marsh Ecological Restoration.
Learn about the fascinating
history and restoration story of Cherokee Marsh, the wetland at the
mouth of Lake Mendota. The first of a series of dams was installed in
1849, at what would become Tenney Park. This caused the water level of
Lake Mendota to rise five feet, backing up water into Cherokee Marsh.
As a result, the peat layer “delaminated” and rose to the surface
forming a floating bog. But erosion over the decades has destroyed
more than one square mile of wetland. Russ Hefty will show us how the
shoreline of this floating bog is being stabilized by plantings to
form a vegetation breakwater and silt fence. This should be peak bloom
for the thousands of American Lotus Water Lilies used as a buffer! We
hope to see a number of Great Egrets and other wetland birds. Bring
your canoe or kayak and meet at 8:30 a.m. at the School Rd. boat
landing. Take School Rd. north from Northport Dr. until the road
starts turning east. Instead turn left onto the gravel road and
proceed to the pier and parking lot. You will see the sign for
Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park.
Contact the leader, Russ Hefty at
(608) 233-8513 or rhefty@ ci.madison.wi.us only if you have a question
about the trip.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 02 August 2009
* WIMA0908.02
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
MOTTLED DUCK (probable)
Mallard
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
SWAINSON’S HAWK
Stilt Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Dane County V ponds
Schumacher Road just north of Easy St, Dane County
9 Springs Natural Area
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Sunday, August 2nd.
The most excitement has been caused by the appearance of a probable
MOTTLED DUCK at the County V ponds in Dane County, just off Schumacher
Road. It has been mixing with a number of MALLARDS, and has been seen
the last few days. Depending on sun and the position of the duck,
it’s recommended that you try viewing from both Schumacher Road and
County V. It tends to stay somewhat distant.
On the way to see the Mottled Duck, 2 birders spotted a NORTHERN
MOCKINGBIRD on August 1st just north of Easy Street on Schumacher Road
in northern Dane County.
Also on Saturday morning, August 1st, another birder reported two
immature SWAINSON’S HAWKS at 9 Springs. An observer going in late
afternoon failed to find the Swainson’s, but did find a good number of
shorebirds, STILT SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
PECTORAL SANDPIPER and SPOTTED SANDPIPER among them
*************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trip is:
Saturday, Aug. 8: Butterflies
of the Avoca/ Blue River Area.
This trip will highlight several areas
in the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, including Avoca Prairie and
Savanna State Natural Area in Iowa Co. and the Muscoda and Blue River
units in Grant Co. Leader will be Mike Reese. We expect to see late
butterflies and several southern immigrants. A hat and long pants are
recommended. Bring a lunch and binoculars (the closer they focus the
better). A few extra binoculars are available. This is a joint trip
with the Southern Wis. Butterfly Assn. Meet at 10:30 a.m. The trip may
last until 5:00 p.m. Allow 1-1/4 hour travel time from Madison. Take
Hwy. 14 east to Lone Rock, south on Hwy. 130, then turn right on Hwy
133. Go west about 5-1/2 miles, turn right on Hay Rd. and drive north
to the parking lot just before the creek. Call Mike at (920) 787-2341
if you have a question about the trip.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 12 June 2009
* WIMA0906.12
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW
BLACK-NECKED STILT
American White Pelican
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Caspian Tern
Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Killdeer
Blue-winged Teal
Sandhill Crane
Willow Flycatcher
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Flicker
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Olin-Turville Park, Madison
9 Springs Natural Area, Madison
Sam Mills Road in Dunkirk Twp, Dane County
This is the birding hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for
Friday, June 12, 2009
A caller on Wednesday evening, June 10th, reported hearing a
CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW in Olin Turville Park in Madison.
Also on June 10th no previously reported BLACK-NECKED STILTS were
found at 9 Springs in Madison, but present were:
9 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS
25+ GREAT EGRETS
1 GREEN HERON
1 GREAT BLUE HERON
6 CASPIAN TERNS
5 DUNLINS
8 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS
2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS
KILLDEER PLOVERS
5 BLUE-WINGED TEALS
4 SANDHILL CRANES
1 WILLOW FLYCATCHER
2 YELLOW WARBLERS
COMMON YELLOWTHROATS
1 NORTHERN FLICKER
On Thursday, June 11th a BLACK NECKED STILT was reported near Sam
Mills Rd which is in Dunkirk Township (5N/R11E) of Dane Co. The
caller said that the bird was moving from the flooded field on the
south side of the road to the wetland on the north side of the road.
Also on June 11th a birder at 9 Springs reported finding 35 AMERICAN
WHITE PELICANS in addition to many of the birds reported earlier for
that location.
*******************************
Good birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 8 June 2009
* WIMA0906.08
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
BLUE GROSBEAK
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Orchard Oriole
Lark Sparrow
Acadian Flycatcher
Pileated Woodpecker
Mourning Warbler
Canada Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
American White Pelican
Great Egret
Semipalmated Plover
Dunlin
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Spring Green Preserve
Devil’s Lake State Park
Nine Springs Natural Area
This is the Madison Audubon birding hotline report for Monday, June
8th.
Highlights this past week have focused mainly on the Spring
Green Preserve (TNC). The BLUE GROSBEAK found over a week ago was
seen as recently as last Friday, in the area just north of the parking
area. A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE has been seen around the sand-blows to the
NW of the entrance. At least one NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD remains there,
usually found by walking north to the gate, then going right (east)
about 2/3 of the way to where the path enters a treed area. The
Madison Audubon (MAS) field trip last Saturday saw the bird at about
that point as it flew around us and then headed west. The bird may be
resting out of sight, so be patient. As if those weren’t enough, a
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT has been heard at the base of the bluff to the
north. The MAS group heard it to the north about half-way to the
Mockingbird watch area. It was rather quiet for a Chat, its
vocalizations being limited and somewhat softer than expected, so only
a few people in the group heard it. Earlier that day, however, there
was a report that it was being easily heard – and that was in early
morning. In addition to the unusual birds, also resident are ORCHARD
ORIOLE, LARK SPARROW, and others. If you go, please remember to use
the foot brush at the kiosk to clean your shoes both on entering and
leaving. And, because the habitat is fragile, please remember to stay
on the paths.
The MAS field trip to Devil’s Lake this past Saturday, June 6th, found
over 70 species between the state park and Spring Green Preserve. The
group decided to go to Spring Green instead of Baxter’s Hollow.
Highlights at Devil’s Lake State Park were ACADIAN FLYCATCHER,
PILEATED WOODPECKER, MOURNING WARBLER, and CANADA WARBLER in addition
to great looks at a BLUE-WINGER WARBLER, a male SCARLET TANAGER, and a
male INDIGO BUNTING that also lit on gravel about 20 feet from the
group.
At Nine Springs, the shorebirds have been somewhat limited, but as
recently as June 3rd, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was present along with
17 GREAT EGRETS. There was also a number of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and
DUNLIN along with other shorebirds. On Sunday, June 7th, a caller
reported seeing a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK near the 4th pond.
**************************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are:
Thursday, June 11: Evening at Owen Park Wildlife Ponds
Leader Russ Hefty will show us the three new storm water and wildlife
ponds and discuss what wildlife is there currently and what we might
hope to attract in the future, such as Wood Ducks. Gourds have been
put out to attract Purple Martins. Meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Owen Park
parking lot on the south side of 621 Old Sauk Rd. The trip will last
until 8:00 p.m. or so. Russ Hefty (608) 233-8513; rhefty@
ci.madison.wi.us (only if you have questions).
Saturday, June 13: Geology of the Baraboo Hills
Please see the
latest edition of the CAWS for more information.
Good birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 25 May 2009
* WIMA0905.25
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Alder Flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Connecticut Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Lark Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
Hooded Warbler
Clay-colored Sparrow
Great Egret
SNOWY EGRET
Dunlin
Semipalmated Plover
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Baxter’s Hollow, Sauk County
Spring Green Preserve, Sauk County
UW Arboretum – Lost City area & Wingra Springs area
Pheasant Branch, County portion, Middleton
Nine Springs Natural Area
Schumacher Road Ponds
Brooklyn Wildlife Area
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Monday, May 25th.
The Madison Audubon field trip to Baxter’s Hollow this past weekend
yielded both BLACK-BILLED and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, both ALDER and
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, and CONNECTICUT, MOURNING, CERULEAN,
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACKPOLL, BLUE-WINGED,
BLACK-AND-WHITE, and CANADA WARBLERS among others. There were also a
good number of SCARLET TANAGERS present.
Birders at the Spring Green Preserve in Sauk County have recently
seen/heard good numbers of LARK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, ORCHARD
ORIOLES, and a remaining NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD. The last was seen most
recently on Sunday and was northeast of the parking area.
There were three singing HOODED WARBLERS in the Lost City area of the
UW-Madison Arboretum. In the Wingra Springs portion of the arboretum
were both MOURNING and CONNECTICUT WARBLERS.
Observers at the county portion of Middleton’s Pheasant Branch
Conservancy have recently seen CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, ORCHARD ORIOLES,
and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS.
At Nine Springs Natural Area birders have seen up to 24 GREAT EGRETS,
a SNOWY EGRET, plus a number of shorebirds, including DUNLIN,
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and other sandpipers.
Schumacher Road, north of Waunakee, has also had some shorebirds present.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT has been seen/heard this year at the Brooklyn
Wildlife area. It’s been seen in the area east of the north-most
parking area.
*****************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are:
Thursday, May 28: Evening at Pheasant Branch
Enjoy an evening warbler walk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy,
Middleton, on the Dane County parcel. Migrating spring warblers,
vireos and thrushes will be the focus of our search, but we’ll
probably find other interesting birds. To reach the Dane County
parcel, drive one and a half miles north on Pheasant Branch Rd. from
Century Ave. Go to the third conservancy parking lot on the right
after you pass the Conservancy Condominiums. Meet at 6:00 p.m. Mike
McDowell (608) 850-4122 or mmcdowell@tds.net.
Saturday, May 30: Janesville’s Cook Arboretum
Cook Arboretum, one of the premier birding spots in Rock County,
offers a variety of habitats, including bottomland forest, riparian
forest, scrub, field, and conifers. Several forest interior species
are found there. Warbler diversity is excellent with over 20 species
expected in late May. The trails are well-groomed, but the terrain is
rugged. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the parking lot at the end of the drive.
From Madison take Hwy. 14 south through Evansville. Before Janesville,
take CTH H south (right) 1 mi. to CTH A. Take CTH A east (left) about
3 mi. The arboretum is on the left, at Austin Rd., 1 mi. before
Janesville. Travel time is approx. 40 min. from the Madison Beltline.
From I-90 and through Janesville: Take I-90 to Hwy. 26 (Milton Ave.)
interchange. Take Hwy. 26 into Janesville to Hwy. 14. Take Hwy 14 west
(right) 5 mi. to Hwy. 51. Take Hwy. 51 south (left) 4 mi. to Memorial
Dr. Take Memorial Dr. west (right) to the edge of town. Memorial Dr.
becomes CTH A. The arboretum is on the right, just outside the city
limits. Tom Klubertanz, tklubert@uwc.edu or (608) 758- 6553.
Sunday, May 31: Birding Governor Dodge State Park
Come join us when we bird in the 5,000 acre Governor Dodge State Park
in the driftless area of southwest Wisconsin near Dodgeville. Bird
species seen on some recent field trips to Governor Dodge include
Bell’s Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Hooded Warbler, Acadian
Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Henslow’s and Clay-Colored Sparrow. Trip
Leader John Romano has birded extensively here and conducted the
Breeding Bird Atlas work in Governor Dodge. Meet to carpool and leave
at 6:00 a.m. in front of the Home Depot located one-quarter mile south
of the Beltline off Verona Rd. A Wisconsin (day) state park sticker is
necessary to enter the park. We should return around noon. John Romano
(608) 238- 6039.
Sunday, May 31: Canoeing the Sugar River
Enjoy this unique opportunity to see the inside of one of the premier
birding areas of southern Wisconsin. We will canoe the Sugar River,
with leader Quentin Yoerger, in the Avon Bottoms State Wildlife area
to find birds of the flood-plain forest. Expect to see Prothonotary
Warblers, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Red-shouldered Hawk and other unusual
birds. This trip is for experienced canoeists as we will need to get
around obstacles and so will be getting in and out of our canoes. (The
water is relatively shallow.) Bring your own canoe, insect repellant,
a lunch, water and binoculars. The trip will take us across the border
into Illinois and last about 5 hrs. (Those who would like a shorter 2
hour trip can take out at the Nelson Road landing.) Meet at the Beloit
Newark Rd. boat landing at 7:30 a.m. Directions: From Madison take
Hwy. 14 south to the intersection with Hwy. 138 near Oregon. Exit to
the right and go west about 1/5 mile. Turn left (south) onto CTH MM.
Follow this road straight south as it becomes Hwy. 104/ CTH T, past
Brodhead until Hwy. 81 is crossed, then continue south on CTH T
another 2 miles and turn left onto Beloit Newark Rd. Travel east for 1
mile and stop at the boat landing and parking lot. (Allow at least 45
min. for travel.) A limited number of people and canoes can go on this
trip so call or e-mail the leader, Quentin Yoerger, at (608) 882-6078
or harrierqman@ gmail.com to reserve space.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 1 May 2009
* WIMA0905.01
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
American White Pelican
Yellow Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Flicker
ROSS’S GOOSE
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Phoebe
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
White-throated Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink (flyover)
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Siskin
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Lake Mendota
Odana Ponds, Madison
Vilas Park, Madison
Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Middleton
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Friday, May 1st. Spring migration has started to heat up despite the
weather, and a number of returnees have been making appearances.
A caller on Thursday, April 30th reported several AMERICAN WHITE
PELICANS first soaring over Lake Mendota around noon, and then
floating in the lake.
An observer at the Odana Ponds in Madison found his first-of-year
YELLOW and BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS along with a first-of-year BLUE-HEADED
VIREO. In addition, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was present, and A
COOPER’S HAWK chased one of a pair of NORTHERN FLICKERS, only to be
frustrated.
A ROSS’S GOOSE found yesterday was found feeding again today with a
pair of CANADA GEESE on the lawn near the lake at Henry Vilas Park.
Pheasant Branch Conservancy continues to a hot spot. A birder today
reported GREAT BLUE HERON, GREEN HERON, BELTED KINGFISHER, EASTERN
PHOEBE, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, HOUSE WREN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET,
SWAINSON'S THRUSH, WOOD THRUSH, GRAY CATBIRD, BROWN THRASHER,
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, PALM WARBLER,
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, a flyover BOBOLINK, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and PINE
SISKIN.
Keep your eyes and ears on your favorite spots. They are filling up
with birds, and we are
just starting the heavy part of spring migration.
***************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are:
Monthly Jefferson/Dodge County Birdwalks April-May-June-July-Aug-Sept
April is here and we are starting the second season of the Jefferson
and Dodge County Birdwalks. As in 2008, the walks will be led by
experienced birders. Leaders include Nolan Kollath, lifelong birder
and former instructor at Madison Area Technical College, Watertown;
Karen Etter Hale, Executive Secretary, Madison Audubon Society; and
Brad and Royan Webb, members of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. The walks
are affiliated with the Madison Audubon Society. Jefferson and Dodge
counties have thousands of acres of prime bird watching habitat. We
manage our walks under the rule “go where the birds are” so we choose
walk sites close to the scheduled date. As we firm up the schedule, we
will post the information on our website,
http://www.theropod.org/walks.html. We will again be holding our walks
on the third weekend of the month, April through September. You can
join our mailing list at the website and be notified of all upcoming
walks as soon as they are planned. We will not give out any
information you provide and only use the list to keep people informed
about the walks. We had a lot of fun with good birds, good company and
pleasant walks last year. We’d be happy to have you join us this year
for more of the same. All experience levels are welcome.
Saturday, May 2: Birding at Wyalusing State Park
Quentin Yoerger and Charles Naeseth will lead this trip to Wyalusing
State Park, which overlooks the confluence of the Wisconsin and
Mississippi Rivers. The Mississippi is a major migration route for
numerous bird and the rugged bluffs make this breathtaking scenery a
beautiful spot for a spring adventure. Observe hawks, warblers
(including Yellow-throated), lots of other birds and a few spring
wildflowers. Bring a lunch as this trip will last until mid-afternoon.
Carpool at 5 a.m. from the Home Depot parking lot on Verona Rd. by the
recently closed Cub Foods (just south of the Beltline). If you have
questions, contact Quentin at (608) 882-6078 or harrierqman@ gmail.com
Sunday, May 3: Wisconsin River Bottoms
The trip will meet at 6:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Mazomanie
Bottoms (located about 3 miles north of Mazomanie on CTH Y & Laws Dr.)
The trip will visit several locations west of Mazomanie along the
Wisconsin River bottoms including Arena Boat Landing, Spring Green
Preserve, Bakken’s Pond and Blue River Sand Barrens. Depending on the
amount of rain we get this spring, we may also stop along CTH G and
CTH JJ in Spring Green for shorebirds. Probable passerines include
many warblers, Lark Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, meadowlarks, some
water birds including Pied-billed Grebe, Sora, Black Tern, and
probably some shorebirds such as Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers,
various plovers, etc. The trip should last until early afternoon. It
may be helpful to bring FRS radios along if you have them. If you have
questions, contact trip leader Chris West at little_blue_birdie@
msn.com
And, if you’re even vaguely inclined, please consider signing up for
Madison Audubon’s Big Birding Day on Saturday, May 9th. For more
information please look at May field trips on the Madison Audubon web
page – madisonaudubon.org, or call Chuck or Delia at 274-4043 or
206-0324.
Good birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 23 April 2009
* WIMA0904.23
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
CATTLE EGRET
Black-and-white Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Golden-crowed Kinglet
Swamp Sparrow
Brown Thrasher
Herit Thrush
Cliff Swallow
Bank Swallow
Forster’s Tern
American Bittern
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Wilson’s Phalarope
Bonaparte’s Gull
BLACK-NECKED STILT
Wilson’s Snipe
Sora
Virginia Rail
HARRIS’S SPARROW
Red-shouldered Hawk
GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN
Short-eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
SNOWY OWL
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Brewer’s Blackbird
Vesper Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Upland Sandpiper
American Golden Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
MERLIN
Rusty Blackbird
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Schumacher Road Ponds, Dane County
Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton
Lake Farm County Park, Dane County
Nine Springs Natural Area
Horicon Marsh, Hwy 49, Ledge Road, and Main Dike
Avon Store Road, Rock County
Buena Vista Grasslands
Goose Pond Preserve
Harvey Road, Columbia County
Schoeneberg’s Marsh, Columbia County
Wangsness Road, Columbia County
Mud Lake, Columbia County
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Thursday, April 23rd.
CATTLE EGRETS were spotted on the east side of Schumacher Road in the
big pond just north of Cuba Valley Road. This was on the weekend of
April 18-19.
At Pheasant Branch Conservancy at Middleton, birders have reported
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, PNE WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
Lake Farms County Park has also been good. Observers there have seen
a BLACK-CROWNED NGHT-HERON (again on the weekend of April 18-19), both
RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, SWAMP SPARROWS, BROWN
THRASHERS, & HERMIT THRUSH.
At Nine Springs Natural Area, a birder found 5 swallow species, CLIFF
SWALLOW and BANK SWALLOW in particular.
At Horicon Marsh on Highway 49, reporters have seen FORSTER’S TERNS,
AMERICAN BITTERN, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, WILSON’S PHALAROPE, and
large flocks of BONAPARTE’S GULLS. Then on the main dike, there have
been reports of BLACK-NECKED STILTS, along with WILSON’S SNIPE and
SORA. On Ledge Road have been observed both SWAMP SPARROWS and a
calling VIRGINIA RAIL.
Further south, on Avon Store Road in western Rock County have been
reports of a HARRIS’ SPARROW about half way between Avon and the
cemetery. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was also seen soaring in the area.
GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS are been viewed at blinds in the Buena Vista
Grasslands. In addition to the chickens, observers have seen
SHORT-EARED OWL, GREAT HORNED OWLS, and an unusually late SNOWY OWL,
the last on the north side of County W near the Elk Farm. Also viewed
have been both EASTERN and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, BREWER’S BLACKBIRDS,
VESPER SPARROWS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and UPLAND SANDPIPERS.
Goose Pond Preserve in Columbia County was recently host to a flock of
about 600 BONAPARTE’S GULLS along with 6 AMERICAN PLOVERS.
BONAPARTE’S GULLS have been showing up also in the nearby area, in
ponds along Harvey Road, Schoeneberg’s Marsh, and Wangsness Road. On
Wangsness, there were also both LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS and
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
A
t Mud Lake in Columbia County, finally, there have been reports of
AMERCAN BITTERNS, GREAT EGRETS, a MERLIN, WILSON’S SNIPE, and RUSTY
BLACKBIRDS.
***************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are:
Thursday, April 30: Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch
Join us for the first of the MAS early morning warbler walks. We will
be looking for migrating warblers as well as vireos, thrushes,
tanagers and whatever else flies by. Meet at 6 a.m. and park at the
dead-end that leads up to Parisi Park near where Park Lawn St. meets
Park St., Middleton. Mike McDowell (800) 289-1132 or
mike@birddigiscoping.com.
Monthly Jefferson/Dodge County Birdwalks April-May-June-July-Aug-Sept
April is here and we are starting the second season of the Jefferson
and Dodge County Birdwalks. As in 2008, the walks will be led by
experienced birders. Leaders include Nolan Kollath, lifelong birder
and former instructor at Madison Area Technical College, Watertown;
Karen Etter Hale, Executive Secretary, Madison Audubon Society; and
Brad and Royan Webb, members of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. The walks
are affiliated with the Madison Audubon Society. Jefferson and Dodge
counties have thousands of acres of prime bird watching habitat. We
manage our walks under the rule “go where the birds are” so we choose
walk sites close to the scheduled date. As we firm up the schedule, we
will post the information on our website,
http://www.theropod.org/walks.html. We will again be holding our walks
on the third weekend of the month, April through September. You can
join our mailing list at the website and be notified of all upcoming
walks as soon as they are planned. We will not give out any
information you provide and only use the list to keep people informed
about the walks. We had a lot of fun with good birds, good company and
pleasant walks last year. We’d be happy to have you join us this year
for more of the same. All experience levels are welcome.
Saturday, May 2: Birding at Wyalusing State Park
Quentin Yoerger and Charles Naeseth will lead this trip to Wyalusing
State Park, which overlooks the confluence of the Wisconsin and
Mississippi Rivers. The Mississippi is a major migration route for
numerous bird and the rugged bluffs make this breathtaking scenery a
beautiful spot for a spring adventure. Observe hawks, warblers
(including Yellow-throated), lots of other birds and a few spring
wildflowers. Bring a lunch as this trip will last until mid-afternoon.
Carpool at 5 a.m. from the Home Depot parking lot on Verona Rd. by the
recently closed Cub Foods (just south of the Beltline). If you have
questions, contact Quentin at (608) 882-6078 or harrierqman@ gmail.com
Sunday, May 3: Wisconsin River Bottoms
The trip will meet at 6:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Mazomanie
Bottoms (located about 3 miles north of Mazomanie on CTH Y & Laws Dr.)
The trip will visit several locations west of Mazomanie along the
Wisconsin River bottoms including Arena Boat Landing, Spring Green
Preserve, Bakken’s Pond and Blue River Sand Barrens. Depending on the
amount of rain we get this spring, we may also stop along CTH G and
CTH JJ in Spring Green for shorebirds. Probable passerines include
many warblers, Lark Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, meadowlarks, some
water birds including Pied-billed Grebe, Sora, Black Tern, and
probably some shorebirds such as Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers,
various plovers, etc. The trip should last until early afternoon. It
may be helpful to bring FRS radios along if you have them. If you have
questions, contact trip leader Chris West at little_blue_birdie@
msn.com
And, if you’re even vaguely inclined, please consider signing up for
Madison Audubon’s Big Birding Day on Saturday, May 9th. For more
information please look at May field trips on the Madison Audubon web
page – madisonaudubon.org, or call Chuck or Delia at 274-4043 or
206-0324.
Good birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 06 April 2009
* WIMA0904.06
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Fox Sparrow
Hermit Thrush
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Waterthrush
Winter Wren
CAROLINA WREN
Brown Thrasher
American White Pelican
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Lake Monona, Madison – Monona Terrace
Lake Wingra, Madison
UW-Madison Arboretum
Pheasant Branch Conservancy
Lake Farm Park
Cherokee Marsh
Monona Bay
Libby Road near entrance to Lake Farm Park
This is the hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for the
week ending , April 6, 2009. Migrants continue to be reported around
Madison and Dane County. Many first reported a week or so ago, are
now seen very frequently. Lake Monona and other area lakes still have
many COMMON LOONS. Often several are easily seen in front of the
Monona Terrace.
A HORNED GREBE has been reported on both Wingra and Monona Lakes in
the past two days. On Lake Monona, it was near the Monona Terrace.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS have been reported in several locations:
UW-Madison Arboretum, Pheasant Branch, Lake Farm Park and Cherokee
Marsh. Also seen have been FOX SPARROWS and HERMIT THRUSH.
EASTERN PHOEBES are being reported in numerous yards and parks in Madison.
April 5 – A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was reported at Pheasant Branch.
April 4 – WINTER WRENS were reported in Pheasant Branch Conservancy
corridor. CAROLINA WRENS had already been observed there for several
days.
April 3 – AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were reported on Monona Bay.
March 30 - There was a BROWN THRASHER in a bush next to Libby Road
near the Lake Farm Park entrance.
**********************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are:
Thursday, April 9: Frogs Night Out
Bring a sense of adventure on this trip, Co-sponsored by Wisconsin
Wetlands Association. Emphasis will be on sounds. Besides listening
for a variety of frog calls, participants will learn about frog
lifestyles and wetlands ecology. Meet at the Mazomanie Wildlife Area
at 6:45 p.m. From Hwy. 14 in Mazomanie, drive north on County Hwy. Y
for about four miles. Just before the highway bends to the east
(right), turn left on Law’s Dr. Travel on the access road about a
quarter mile and turn left onto the first gravel road. Follow this
about one and a half miles until it dead ends at a parking lot. Bring
a flashlight and dress for wet conditions. The trip will be canceled
if the daytime high temperature is below 45°F or in the event of very
strong winds or heavy rain. The rain date is April 16. Call trip
leader Bob Hay only if you have questions. (608) 829-3123.
Saturday, April 11: Spring Migrants
This field trip focuses on birding the Lake Farm County Park area and
nearby open water. Lake Waubesa and Upper Mud Lake should have a
variety of ducks. On the trails we may find Yellow-rumped Warblers,
phoebes, thrushes and a variety of sparrows. Bring a scope for viewing
the lake. This trip will be from 9 -11 a.m. Meet at the No. 1 shelter
parking lot. Take South Town Rd. south from the Beltline to Moorland
Rd. and turn left. Continue to Libby Rd. and turn left again. The
shelter lot is a few blocks up on your left. Call Pat Ready at (608)
873-1703 for more info.
Saturday, April 11: Beginning Birding.
Each spring, MAS sponsors many birding field trips, and though the
leaders attempt to help new birders, it is not always possible to
answer all of their questions. Picnic Point will be the site for
beginners to get their questions answered. This area, at the west end
of the UW campus, offers varied habitats and a good opportunity to
observe a variety of waterfowl and small birds. We will meet next to
the bus shelter in the parking lot by the 1918 Marsh (across from the
entrance to Picnic Point) at 7:30 a.m. Questions? Call Allen
Holzhueter at (608) 238-0546. Also offered April 11 and April 25.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 29 March 2009
* WIMA0903.29
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (deliachuck@gmail.com)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Northern Shoveler
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Sandhill Crane
Ring-necked Pheasant
Song Sparrow
Tundra Swan
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canvasback
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Wood Duck
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pied-billed Grebe
Snow Goose
Hooded Merganser
Northern Pintail
American Pipit
Lapland Longspur
Eastern Meadowlark
Snow Bunting
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Eastern Bluebird
Wild Turkey
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Common Merganser
Common Loon
American White Pelican
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
Cedar Waxwing
GLAUCOUS GULL
ICELAND GULL
THAYER’S GULL
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
Rusty Blackbird
ROSS’S GOOSE
Brewer’s Blackbird
White-throated Sparrow
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Bald Eagle
Tree Swallow
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Hermit Thrush
Golden-crowned Kinglet
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Goose Pond, Columbia County
Harvey Road and County DM ponds
Harvey Road ponds just north of Hwy 60
Arlington
WIBU Road ponds
Hagen road, south of Mud Lake WLA
Lake Wisconsin
Rowen Creek Fishery, west of Poynette
Okee Bay, Lake Wisconsin
Schumacher Road, Dane County
Wangsness Road, east of Harvey Road, Columbia County
Hoyt Park, Madison
Madison, west side
Odana Ponds, Madison
Zeloski Marsh, Jefferson County
Spring is here despite the lingering tendency to snow, and migrants
are pouring in.
On Saturday March 28th, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology field
trip to Columbia County yielded a good number of species. At Goose
Pond they had NORTHERN SHOVELER, REDHEAD, LESSER SCAUP, and RUDDY
DUCKS. They also found SANDHILL CRANES, a RING-NECKED PHEASANT, a few
SONG SPARROWS and a flock of 6 TUNDRA SWANS.
Then, at Harvey Road and County DM, they found 19 species including
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a few CACKLING GEESE, CANVASBACK, both
GREEN-WINGED AND BLUED-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and WOOD
DUCK, in addition to 3 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and a few PIED-BILLED GREBES.
They next stopped at the Harvey Road ponds just north of Highway 60,
and got, among other species, 5 SNOW GEESE, a possible ROSS'S GOOSE,
more CACKLING GEESE, HOODED MERGANSERS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, 3-4 AMERICAN
PIPITS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. North on WIBU Road
they had several TUNDRA SWANS, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED and CACKLING
GEESE and a single SNOW GOOSE, LAPLAND LONGSPURS and a flock of SNOW
BUNTINGS. Hagen Road yielded more LONGSPURS and EASTERN MEADOWLARKS,
a TURKEY VULTURE, SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER'S HAWKS, NORTHERN HARRIER,
a NORTHERN FLICKER, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD.
At Lake Wisconsin they spotted a pair of WILD TURKEYS in a field, and
at the causeway BONAPARTE'S GULLS, MUTE SWAN, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK,
COMMON MERGANSERS, COMMON LOON (4-5), and flying AMERICAN WHITE
PELICANS. Finally at the Rowan Creek Fishery area west of Poynette
they had Purple Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskin, Tufted
Titmouse, Cedar Waxwings, and an unidentified owl.
One of attendees then went to Okee Bay to see what gulls he could
find. His efforts yielded an immature GLAUCOUS GULL, an immature
ICELAND GULL, an adult THAYER’S GULL, and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL.
He also found both LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS in Sauk County in the
evening and 11 TRUMPETER SWANS on Hwy 14 just went of Eagle Optics in
Middleton.
On a scouting trip to the Dane/Columbia ponds prior to the WSO field
trip, a birder spotted TUNDRA SWANS at the Schumacher Road ponds in
Dane County along with RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. He also had several species
including numerous CANVASBACKS at the DM and Harvey Road ponds in
Columbia County and had a ROSS’S GOOSE west of Harvey Road on
Wangsness along with GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. The pond on Hagen
Road north of County CS had many GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 20
SNOW GEESE, and then a BALD EAGLE flew over, scattering the geese.
Another birder had a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at Hoyt Park on the 27th.
Also on the 27th yet another observer went to Zeloski Marsh west of
Lake Mills, and found, among other PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, NORTHERN
PINTAIL, both species of TEAL, CANVASBACK, RING-NECKED DUCK, a BALD
EAGLE and a NORTHERN HARRIER, TREE SWALLOW, and both AMERICAN TREE and
FOX SPARROWS, along with a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
An observer today at the Odana Ponds in Madison had 3 first-of-year
HERMIT THRUSHES, and a few days before a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in his
backyard.
******************************
The next Madison Audubon field trips are
1) Saturday, April 4: Spring Birds of Columbia County.
This is a car
birding trip following much the same route of the WSO trip reported
above. Meet to carpool at 8 a.m. in the parking lot where Copp’s
supermarket used to be at the intersection of Allen Blvd and Century
Ave in Middleton. Meet at the east end of the lot near Century Ave,
or you can join the group at 9:30 a.m. at Goose Pond. Bring your
binoculars, a scope if you have one, and a snack, as the trip may last
to early afternoon. Call Tony and Carol at (608) 249-8836 for
questions
2) Sunday, April 5: Scope Day at Goose Pond.
Scopes are provided from
1-4 p.m. for spring bird migration. Directions: Goose Pond Sanctuary
is 15 minutes north of Madison near Arlington. Take Hwy. 51 to Leeds,
turn west on County K, north on Goose Pond Road, and west at the Goose
Pond sign onto Prairie Lane.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 22 January 2009
* WIMA0901.22
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen ((email address filtered))
BIRDS MENTIONED-
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS
Sharp-shinned Hawk
HERMIT THRUSH
Pileated Woodpecker
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Belted Kingfisher
Gadwall
Brown Creeper
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-winged Blackbird
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Lapland Longspur
Horned Lark
Pine Siskin
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
TRUMPETER SWAN
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE
Common Redpoll
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Roselawn Cemetery, Monona
UW-Madison Arboretum
Bergum Road, west of Mt Horeb
Stewart Park, Mt Horeb
McFarland
Devil's Lake State Park
This is the birding hotline report for the Madison Audubon Society for
Thursday, January 22, 2009.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS continue to be seen in Madison at various locations,
including Roselawn Cemetery and in the Arboretum.
On January 17th, birds found in the UW-Madison Arboretum or nearby included:
1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, 40 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 1 HERMIT THRUSH at the
intersection of Carver & Martin Street, 1 PILEATED WOODPECKER at Skunk
Cabbage Bridge, 30 AMERICAN ROBINS (several at every spring in Wingra
Woods), 100 CEDAR WAXWINGS (3 large flocks at multiple locations), 1 BELTED
KINGFISHER and 5 GADWALL at Big Spring, 1 BROWN CREEPER, 2 RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES, 1 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD visiting the feeders, 1 FOX SPARROW, and
5+ WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS.
Also on the 17th, SNOW BUNTINGS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS were
reported on Bergum Road, west of Mt Horeb. PINE SISKINS were seen in
Stewart Park in Mt Horeb.
A birder on Monday, the 19th, reported seeing MUTE, TUNDRA and TRUMPETER
SWANS in McFarland. Some were seen on the river from Jaeger Street and
others from Lewis Park. The WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was present also.
At Devil's Lake State Park, near Baraboo on January 20th, birders reported
finding a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and COMMON REDPOLLS,
On the 21st, finally, a COMMON REDPOLL was seen at a feeder on the west side
of Madison, along with several PINE SISKINS.
Good Birding!
* Wisconsin
* Madison
* 05 January 2009
* WIMA0901.05
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen ((email address filtered))
BIRDS MENTIONED-
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
TRUMPETER SWAN
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Roselawn Cemetery, Monona
McFarland – Jaeger Road off Exchange St
McFarland – Yahara River
McFarland – Lewis Park
This is the birding hotline report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Monday, January 5th. The highlight this report is the group of
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS found in Roselawn Cemetery in Monona. The
cemetery roads are quite icy, so park your car at the bottom of the
hill and walk up carefully. The birds were seen in the pines behind
the mausoleum, and have provided excellent views.
Other birds reported this week have been in McFarland. The reports
are several days old, and the birds may or may not have lingered. A
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen on Jaeger Road at the end of Exchange St.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was spotted in the Yahara River. All 3
SWANS - MUTE, TUNDRA, and TRUMPETER were noted in Lewis Park.
Good birding!
