Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 11.12.12Early November means peak numbers of waterfowl, loon migration and the beginnings of the winter bird season. This past week there were very impressive numbers of waterfowl at larger refuges. Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge reports 160,000-plus ducks and large numbers of geese using the federal refuge areas. Waterfowl numbers along the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge are at peak right now with very impressive numbers of canvasbacks on Pools 5-9. Tundra swan numbers are beginning to build this week and should make for great viewing this upcoming weekend through the freeze-up later in November. Loon migration is now beginning with decent numbers of birds beginning to show up on Lake Michigan and inland lakes in southern Wisconsin. As northern lakes freeze over the next two weeks check large lakes in the Madison area or southeastern Wisconsin for groups of migrating loons. The young whooping cranes released with sandhill cranes at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge left this past weekend and are now almost to their wintering areas! The birds being led by ultralight planes are in Kentucky and plan to be in Tennessee on the next calm day. Birders across the state have begun reporting good numbers of red and white-winged crossbills, redpolls, pine grosbeaks and other winter finches. This seems to be a particularly good year for red crossbills as they are being reported from pine plantings across the southern portion of the state. Evening grosbeaks, a rare bird in southern Wisconsin, have been reported as far south as Brodhead and even into Indiana! Birders should check their local parks, cemeteries, and other public places for tall pines or spruces as these areas are most likely to hold crossbills and siskins. Rare birds reported this week include the first few reports of snowy owls along Lake Michigan and even from downtown Madison. Red phalaropes were reported in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan and a black-legged kittiwake was spotted at Wisconsin Point in Superior. As always, birders are encouraged to report all of their bird sightings at
www.ebird.org/WI to help better track migratory bird populations. - Andy Paulios, wildlife biologists and Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative coordinator
