Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 8.11.08
Nesting season is quickly winding down here in Wisconsin over the past two weeks. Adult shorebirds have arrived en masse and the first juvenile least sandpipers are already beginning to appear! Swallows and martins are beginning to stage for migration in and around wetlands that have strong insect hatches throughout the day. Rare summer birds have begun to show up around the state. Birders in Sauk County found a black-bellied whistling duck in a flooded farm field along with some shorebirds and local waterfowl. White-faced ibis and black-necked stilts were found at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and continue to be seen along dike road. Birders up north are reporting a good invasion of white-winged crossbills amongst the other resident birds. The next two weeks should see continued shorebird migration and the beginnings of forest bird migration throughout the state. There are still many flooded fields throughout southern Wisconsin that will hold migrant shorebirds throughout the next two months.
Brule River State Forest
Songbirds will be caring for the last of their clutches in the next few weeks before grouping up in preparation for migration next month. Goldfinches should now be caring for their first clutch of the season. They will typically wait until the thistle and native sunflowers begin producing seed for food. They will also use the thistle down to line their nests.
Grant County
Wyalusing State Park
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. Wasps may start showing up at hummingbird and oriole feeders within the next week or so. Put vegetable oil or Vaseline around the nectar ports to keep them away. Other recent sightings in the park include: red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, purple finches, cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, prothonotary warblers, cerulean warblers, 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. Henslow sparrows can be seen (heard) near the astronomy center. Yellow throated warblers may be found near the north loop of Turkey Hollow Trail by Homestead Picnic Shelter and also near the stand of pines before you go up the hill to Green Cloud Picnic Area. Cardinals and goldfinches will feed on sunflower and petunia if you let them go to seed. If you notice cardinals and blue jays at your feeders with a bald head, don’t be too concerned. They are molting and their skin is black so they may look a bit weird. New feathers should be in by the end of September.
compliled from the WDNR outdoor report
