Chequamegon Bird Club Blog

So far this spring I have returning Fox Sparrows and Song Sparrows in the yard, a pair of Bluebirds checking out the nestbox, many Robins foraging and a pair of Killdeer that I hope will nest nearby.  The Sandhill Cranes have been circling and calling overhead and flocks of Canada Geese have been flying through.  While out checking my Bluebird trail, I spotted a female Northern Harrier, a couple of E. Meadowlarks and many Red-winged Blackbirds.  Today we found a butterfly on the deck, sunning itself, I think it was a Painted Lady.  Hopefully, one of these days we’ll get a nice day with southerly breezes that will push more migrants our way.  Reporting from the Town of Halsey, Marathon Co., March 28th.

Claire Romanak

Guess I’ll be the first one to post my observations for the birds moving through our area (Taylor County Wis.). Probably others wanting to list their migration observations can click on the “Comments” link below.

A week or so ago, we began seeing red-winged blackbirds, Canada geese and sandhilll cranes. But today during my walk in the Chaquamegon National Forest, I added three new species that I think were brought in by today’s southerly winds.

My first observation today was a red-shouldered hawk. According to my phenology records it is just slightly earlier than average.

Next I saw a small group of golden-crowned kinglets - the earliest observation for my phenology list.

Finally as I returned to my yard and neared the bird feeder, I heard and saw evening grosbeaks. Generally we have them during the winter months, but we had none this year so this was a pleasant surprise.

Ok, I’ve started the 2009 migration observations. Anyone else have any that they would care to report?

experimenting more than reporting I guess - Mourning Doves and starlings have been taking such vigorous baths in the waterer it is over 1/2 emptied every day - still no birds frozen to the feeders - sure hope that doesn’t happen - how does one get that plastic stuff put on the feeders to prevent stick-on birds??

no sign of Siskins for quite some time - lots of Goldfinches, Chickadees, woodpeckers, and, the starlings have come from the neighbors to enjoy the numerous carcasses I have hanging - if that’s all they bother with, I can live with it - they are often amusing - no sights or sounds of the Barred Owls lately - hope they are still around - did see a dead shrew on top of the snow today out in the field - odd - and the remains of a rabbit and a mourning dove - flushed quite a few grouse out of the snow in the woods -and that would be it for now!    Gayle

Pershing is a 7900 acre State Wildlife Area, divided into Northern and Southern Units.  The DNR manages for three distinct habitat types - wetlands, brush-prairie and forest.

Pershing is located in Taylor County in North-Central Wisconsin.  To find Pershing, from the intersection of Hwys 64 and 73 near Gilman, go north on Hwy 73 about 6 miles to Hannibal.  Turn left (west) onto County Hwy M and go about 3.5 miles to East Loop Road on the right (north), access to the North Unit.  To reach the South Unit, take a left onto Gilman Road 2 miles West of Hannibal, and follow it south to Rued Road, the south border of the property.

Pershing is the best place in Wisconsin to see Sharp-tailed Grouse and April is the best time to visit.  The South Unit has two blinds that can be reserved by calling the Ladysmith DNR office at 715-532-4369.  There is no fee but it is first come, first serve.  Reservations can be made any time after the first of the year and the last two weeks of April are usually the peak period for displaying grouse.  Short-eared Owls can be observed here at dawn and dusk and Northern Harriers, Sandhill Cranes, Clay-colored Sparrows and Swamp Sparrows are common.  Large ponds and small lakes attract Ring-necked Ducks, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, even White-fronted Geese and the occasional Trumpeter Swan.  Monson Flowage is known as a productive shorebird spot in later spring.  American Woodcock and Wilson’s Snipe can be seen doing their sky dance in spring and LeConte’s Sparrows can be found in the wet meadow areas.  Some other birds found here include Sora, Black Tern, American Bittern, Osprey, Rough-legged Hawk, Bald Eagle, Common Nighthawk, Alder & Olive-sided Flycatcher, and during migration many warbler species.  In winter you can find Northern Shrikes perched in trees in the savanna areas.

I just purchased a book by Steve Betchkal entitled “All of This and Robins Too:  A Guide to the 50 or so Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin”.  Steve is a WSO member and has been birding since he was 11 years old.  I was very impressed with his description of each of his top sites.  He has spent time birding at each one and rates it on the unique species the site is known for, gives you the number of species he has personally identified there, maps, GPS coordinates, excellent directions and even the best strategies for locating birds.  Our own Pershing Wildlife Area is number 28 on his list.  

Claire

All of the activity at my feeders has attracted the attention of a Northern Shrike, much to the dismay of the local (and vocal) Blue Jays.  Each winter I usually see one Northern Shrike hunting around the feeders and this year will apparently follow suit.   Claire

I went out last Saturday looking for the Snowy Owl that Dan Belter had seen but was not successful in locating it.  There were some hunters in the area and they may have flushed it.  I did see that Connie re-found it later that afternoon.  I did see a total of three Rough-legged Hawks, two Redtails and a Bald Eagle so the search did yield some good sightings. 

Claire

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Male Henslow Sparrow Singing

I guess I’ll start out this “nature musings and poetry” category with a quick post on my thoughts on nature observations in general and bird watching specifically.

While I’ve spent countless hours observing nature from inside cramped blinds during my wildlife photography career and participating for years in organized bird counts and surveys, I rarely have gone “birding” just for the sake of birding.  I don’t keep a “life list” and would probably never drive more than just a few miles just to see a rare or unusual bird (although photographing one might be a different story).

Birding and birding field trips, for me, are more a time to get together with CBC members and enjoy nature while at the same time enjoying the camaraderie, companionship and friendship.  While we nearly always keep a list of the birds we see, for me the enjoyment in “birding” comes from the interaction between friends - the stories, the informational exchanges and most of all, the good-natured kidding and teasing that goes on on all of our outings.

For my entire life, I have loved spending time outdoors - often on my own.  But it is the time spent sharing Nature with friends and family and the fond memories of these outings that are “what birding means to me”.