Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 10.27.11Common Loon migration has begun with birds moving into the bigger lakes in Southern Wisconsin and onto Lake Michigan to stage before they leave for the Gulf Coast for the winter. People can follow the loon migration online at the USGS Loon website
http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/migratory_birds/loons/migrations.html Hawk migration is past peak but the later species are just now moving into the state. Birders should expect to see increases of rough-legged hawk, bald eagle, red-tailed hawks and an occasional golden eagle if they are careful observers. Hawk Ridge has even reported a fair number of northern goshawk moving into Wisconsin this year. Some northern finches have begun to arrive in northern Wisconsin including both species of crossbill, pine siskin and common redpoll. Many of the expected October migrants are present statewide including kinglets, fox sparrow, sapsuckers, rusty blackbirds and many open-country sparrow species. Birders with access to weedy fields or prairie restorations should find productive sparrow searching in these habitats! Diving duck numbers are building to peaks on the Upper Mississippi River and large inland water bodies. The aerial counts for pools 7, 8, and 9 on the Upper Miss exceeded 80,000 canvasbacks early last week.
