Wisconsin Statewide Birding Report 5.30.14As the end of May draws near so does another exciting season of spring bird migration. Many days of warm, southerly winds accelerated migration this past week, especially across the north. Late migrants such as flycatchers, cuckoos, and nighthawks can now be found statewide, with land-bird migration limited to straggling Neotropical migrants into early June. Cedar waxwings made a strong push through southern and central Wisconsin last week and will peak across the north this week. Shorebird migration also continues and favored mudflats, shorelines, and flooded fields should be checked well into June for dunlins, sanderlings, semipalmated and white-rumped sandpipers, black-bellied plovers, and others species. Overhead, flights of immature raptors persist into early June, a large percentage consisting of broad-winged hawks. These often form small "kettles" (groups soaring together) and show molting (missing) wing feathers in flight. Northbound flights of Canada geese en route to tundra molting grounds are also underway. With the end of migration comes nesting season and many birds should be building nests or already sitting on eggs now. While bird feeding stations are likely to be less active, continuing to offer sunflower seeds, orange halves, sugar water, jelly, and other food sources remains beneficial provided the feeders are resistant to bears/raccoons and kept clean and fresh on a regular basis. Feeders have been especially great for orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, hummingbirds, buntings, finches, and even some warblers so far this spring. And as the temperature warms and natural sources dry up a bit, offering a bird bath, pond, or other water feature is all the more helpful to birds and sure to attract more birds to your backyard. Rarities spotted this week included crested caracara, black vulture, and a lingering snowy owl on Washington Island in Door County, black-bellied whistling ducks in Ashland and Horicon Marsh, little gull and painted bunting in Manitowoc, Eurasian tree sparrow in Vilas, and northern mockingbirds in multiple locations. As always, help us track the migration and find out what others are seeing at
www.ebird.org/wi. - Ryan Brady, Bureau of Wildlife Management research scientist, Ashland
