Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 4.15.11Statewide Birding Report
The warm temperatures of last week and southerly flow kickstarted the next round of bird migrations. Most of the state saw a rapid influx of new forest migrants including sapsuckers, fox sparrows, purple finch, both kinglet species and winter wrens. Waterfowl migration is now past peak in most of southern Wisconsin and large numbers of diving ducks are moving into recently opened water in the north. Loon numbers are building in central Wisconsin as lakes open for the year. Southern Wisconsin marshes have seen their first influx of birds including American bittern, Virginia rail, swamp sparrow and yellow-headed blackbirds. In addition, the first shorebirds are arriving including both yellowlegs and pectoral sandpipers. Thousands of waterfowl on Chequamegon Bay, which is now ice-free. Migration of Dark-eyed Juncos peaking up north. Raptor migration hitting its peak of diversity, with the first broad-winged Hawks having arrived now from their Central and South American wintering grounds. Lingering winter birds include small numbers of common redpolls and large flocks of Bohemian waxwings, both about to vacate the state any day now. Rare birds reported this week include a surf scoter in Oneida County, red-necked grebes in Columbia county and Ashland, large numbers of both crossbills in the Eagle River area, and displaying spruce grouse near Eagle River. This next week looks like it will be poor for migration, but birders should expect an influx of grassland-shrubland birds on the next calm night. As always please report your sightings to Wisconsin eBird (
www.ebird.org/WI) so that we can better track our migrant bird populations.
