Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 10.15.13
What a spectacular time to be out birding across Wisconsin! Great weather, beautiful fall colors, and large numbers of migratory birds made for some great bird watching this week. Friday Oct. 4 saw the first major flight of ducks into the state, including many redheads, both scaup, an initial wave of canvasbacks, common goldeneye, buffleheads, surf scoters, and long-tailed ducks, and various dabblers highlighted by later-than-average blue-winged teal. Numbers of common loons and horned grebes are building on the Great Lakes, along with some red-necked grebes as well. Geese continue to move in modest numbers. Snow geese in particular have been showing unusually well statewide. Few reports on diurnal hawk migration were made this week, though Hawk Ridge in Duluth has noted later-than-average flights of sharp-shinned and broad-winged hawks, American kestrels, and ospreys. Everyone’s favorite little owl, the northern saw-whet, is now moving in good numbers and should peak in the weeks ahead. Late season shorebirds made a nice showing this week, especially off highway 49 at Horicon Marsh, where both yellowlegs, pectoral sandpipers, black-bellied plovers, dunlin, long-billed dowitchers, Hudsonian godwit, and an American avocet were reported. Songbird migration continues to be very strong. Yellow-rumped and palm warblers now heavily dominate the warbler scene across the state. White-throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos made a surge into the southern half of the state, while the first American tree sparrows were reported in the north. Nelson’s and Le Conte’s sparrows continue to lure birders to weedy fields and wetlands across southern Wisconsin wildlife areas. Large numbers of American goldfinches were reported along the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior shores. However, there has been no evidence of any “winter finch” flights yet. Best rarities of the week include the white-tailed kite continuing in Adams County and an arctic tern photographed on Lake Wausau. In the weeks ahead, birders should focus on sunlit forest edges at their favorite parks, weedy shrub lands for sparrows, the Great Lakes shorelines for water birds and overhead raptor flights, and inland lakes and wetlands for waterfowl and other species. As always, help us track the migration by reporting your sightings to Wisconsin eBird (exit DNR). - Ryan Brady, Bureau of Wildlife Management research scientist, Ashland
