Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 12.11.08
Winter bird patterns have set in across most of the state now snow and ice covered. Open water areas still contain good numbers of geese and ducks with small concentrations of tundra swans lingering in Madison and southeast Wisconsin. This continues to be an excellent year for pine siskins, white-winged crossbills, and common redpolls. Birders can find crossbills almost statewide in areas with mature, cone-bearing conifers. Glaucous, Thayer's, and other migrant/wintering gulls are being found wherever large gull concentrations exist. Check the Lake Michigan harbors or landfills in Madison or Superior for best results. Birders in large grassland areas are reporting some wintering short-eared owls, harriers and rough-legged hawks. Buena Vista Wildlife Area in Portage County appears to have a large number of short-eared owls. This also appears to be a good winter for seeing snowy owls. Check large, open agricultural areas or harbors that have a lot of ducks and other prey items. Rare birds seen this week include a lingering rufous hummingbird in McFarland, an eared grebe in Madison, and Townsend's solitaires in Devil's Lake State Park. As always, please report sightings to Wisconsin eBird (
www.ebird.org/WI) to help better track migratory bird populations. Also a reminder that the Christmas Bird Count season is almost upon us. Check
www.wsobirds.org for more information on a count near you.
