Statewide Birding Report 5.31.13 Migration is winding down and breeding activity is in full swing across southern and central Wisconsin, but the late spring in northern Wisconsin has birders there enjoying some excellent warbler watching. Memorial Weekend travelers north of the tension zone reported large fallouts of warblers, tanagers, thrushes and other migrants as trees had not leafed out and cold temperatures had migrants searching the ground for insects. Northern Wisconsin birders should focus on oak forests over the next week, especially on cool rainy days. Shorebird migration should typically be in full swing, but birders are having trouble finding good concentrations of birds or appropriate habitat. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior beaches are producing sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, black-bellied and even a few piping plovers. Door County birders could still expect to see a few whimbrels along the lake over the next week. With the late spring up north, birders are still reporting drumming ruffed grouse and displaying spruce grouse in appropriate conifer swamps. This activity should start to die down over the next two weeks. Lot of waterfowl broods are now being reported in marshes across the state. This next week is peak calling and displaying time for many wetland birds. Public wildlife areas such as Crex Meadows, Horicon Marsh or the Mead would all be excellent birding choices this week. Rare birds reported recently include a worm-eating warbler in Madison, black-necked stilts at Horicon, a little gull in Sheboygan, western kingbird and scissor-tailed flycatcher in Ozaukee County, northern mockingbirds in a few places across the state and a great gray owl near Herbster. As always, please report sightings to Wisconsin eBird (
www.ebird.org/WI exit DNR) to help better track migratory bird populations. - Andy Paulios, wildlife biologists and Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative coordinator
