Wisconsin Statewide Birding report 9.21.08
Late summer and early fall are good times to do some bird watching. Fall warblers can challenge even the most observant birdwatcher, making for difficult but rewarding identification lessons. Shorebird activity is picking up across southern Wisconsin. Small numbers of blue-winged teal, green- winged teal and coots have arrived along the Mississippi River in the La Crosse area.
Wyalusing State Park.........
Park bird feeders have been removed for the season due to raccoon destructiveness. Swarms of hummingbirds at the park office feeders continue to delight park visitors. The heyday of the hummingbirds is certainly here now. Hummingbirds are most active right before dark and on cloudy or rainy days. Recent sightings in the park include: red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, purple finches, cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, gold finches, mourning doves, tree sparrows, crows, flickers, bluebirds, robins, meadowlarks, orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings, Henslow Sparrows, eagles, wild turkeys, turkey vultures, indigo buntings, and red winged blackbirds. Indigo buntings are seen daily near the intersection of Turkey Hollow Trail and State Park Lane. On Monday evening, dozens of cliff swallows feasted on insects near the park office. After an extremely successful bluebird nesting season in 2007, (1st brood – 46, 2nd brood – 32) this year’s nesting season proved to be just the opposite. One box had eggs destroyed, with wrens being the likely problem. Another box had eggs abandoned. Ten boxes had young bird mortality, all at about the half grown stage. Three of the ten nests were tree swallows, so the problem also affected other bires. This year’s totals: first brood – 23, second brood – seven. There were 30 new bluebirds enjoying the park.
La Crosse
Late summer and early fall are good times to do some bird watching. Oftentimes fall migrants do not move through an area as rapidly as they do during the spring migration. Therefore, birdwatchers may have a little more time to actually "watch" the birds. Fall warblers can challenge even the most observant birdwatcher, making for difficult but rewarding identification lessons. Remember that most birds do not sing in the fall to the extent that they do in the spring. That means birdwatchers need to rely more on keen eyesight and less on their hearing to locate and identify birds. Currently shorebird activity is picking up across southern Wisconsin. Keep an eye on shorelines, mudflats, and flooded fields for these birds.
Mississippi River -
Small numbers of blue-winged teal, green- winged teal and coots have arrived in the La Crosse area. Rails have also begun to migrate.
Brunet Island State Park -
Species of birds seen or heard include: turkey vultures, rose-breasted grosbeaks, belted kingfishers, ruby throated hummingbirds, scarlet tanagers, a variety of wrens, red polls, bluebirds, lake gulls, golden finches, mallard ducks, common loons, great blue herons, red winged blackbirds, phoebes, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, robins, mourning doves, nuthatches, ravens, black capped chickadees, piliated woodpeckers, great horned owls, barred owls, and bald eagles.
compiled from the WDNR outdoor report and private sources
