Statewide Birding Report 6.1.08
Migration is chugging slowly along and is entering its later stages! Most warblers are now in the state and on territory along with many other Neotropical migrants like vireos, tanagers, and orioles. Flycatchers have been quite late this year but things are starting to speed up as southern Wisconsin has received a recent influx of pewees, yellow-bellied, alder, willow and olive-sided flycatchers. Cuckoos are also finally starting to show up in southern Wisconsin. Shorebird migration has been quite good, if a little late. In the last week good numbers of the expected migrants have been seen, and lots of Wilson's phalaropes are being reported due to the good water levels in fields across much of the state. Rare shorebirds reported include a snowy plover and ruff in Green Lake County, Hudsonian and marbled godwits, willets, and American avocets. Last weekend brought a good push of whimbrels along Lake Michigan with several large flocks sighted making their way to the arctic. Other interesting sightings include many summer tanager reports from across the state and a Bewick's wren from west-central Wisconsin. Early nesters are already attending youngsters including young sandhill cranes, mallards and Canada geese. There's still plenty of migration left despite the heavy leaf cover in southern and central Wisconsin. Birders looking to see good numbers of warblers could still take advantage of leaf-less conditions in many parts of northern Wisconsin. As always, please report sightings to eBird (
www.ebird.org/WI) to help better track bird populations in the state.
