WI Statewide Birding Report

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WI Statewide Birding Report

Like it or not, it's late summer, and that means nesting season is winding down. Bird song is minimal now, family groups are dispersing more widely, and many adult birds have become more secretive as they initiate feather molt (replacement) in preparation for the migration season. In the north, look for mixed foraging flocks of warblers, vireos, grosbeaks, finches, and other species, often in the company of vocal groups of black-capped chickadees. Farther south birders are noting building congregations of blackbirds, swallows, and chimney swifts. Ruby-throated hummingbirds and their fledged young are ramping up feeder activity, while area wetlands remain active with bitterns, herons, egrets, pelicans, rails, coots, and local waterfowl species like blue-winged teal, wood ducks, and mallards.



Shorebirds continue to dominate migration news, though numbers and diversity have been below average so far this year. Horicon Marsh has sporadically provided some good viewing conditions wherever mudflats occur, as have other flooded fields and drying shallow wetlands in portions of southeast Wisconsin. The Lake Michigan shore is also a place to watch for sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, and other small shorebird species like least, semipalmated, and Baird's sandpipers. Away from the water, some bobolinks, warblers, and flycatchers are on the move now. A notable influx of pine siskins has occurred in northwest Wisconsin as well. Look for common nighthawks to being their migration over the next week, peaking in late August and early September. Rarities spotted this week included a scissor-tailed flycatcher briefly seen in Rock County, adult male rufous hummingbird and female long-tailed duck in Door, up to 38 cattle egrets in Calumet, Franklin's gull in Ashland, blue grosbeak continuing in Sauk, and the season's first buff-breasted sandpipers unexpectedly photographed in Price. As always, report your sightings and find out what others are seeing at www.ebird.org.wi. Good birding! - Ryan Brady, Bureau of Wildlife Management research scientist, Ashland