For what it's worth, today is National Bird Day: http://bit.ly/hNnBuJ
The focus seems to be on both wild and pet birds...
Bernie Sloan
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Rough-legged Hawk, 1/3/11 - Species #194 in my new BIGBY
The year 2010 has ended, and it's time for people to start their new 2011 lists from scratch.
But I still have a Big Green Big Year (BIGBY) underway. I moved to Milwaukee on 8/1/10. I'm now working on my "first-twelve-months-in-Milwaukee" Big Green Big Year. This BIGBY will end on 7/31/11.
Yesterday (1/3/11) I spotted a dark phase Rough-legged Hawk perched in a small tree near McKinley Beach on Milwaukee's lakefront. That's the 194th species I've found since moving to Milwaukee.
My goal is to reach 200 Milwaukee walking BIGBY species by 7/31/11. Six species to go, and seven months to do it. Sounds like a piece of cake, right? Not really. In looking at my list of Milwaukee BIGBY species recorded so far, I'm thinking I'll be hard pressed to come up with six new species. Looks like I'm going to have to come up with some interesting raptors, gulls, or shorebirds. Or maybe we'll be blessed with a few interesting northern species yet this winter.
Good birding!!
But I still have a Big Green Big Year (BIGBY) underway. I moved to Milwaukee on 8/1/10. I'm now working on my "first-twelve-months-in-Milwaukee" Big Green Big Year. This BIGBY will end on 7/31/11.
Yesterday (1/3/11) I spotted a dark phase Rough-legged Hawk perched in a small tree near McKinley Beach on Milwaukee's lakefront. That's the 194th species I've found since moving to Milwaukee.
My goal is to reach 200 Milwaukee walking BIGBY species by 7/31/11. Six species to go, and seven months to do it. Sounds like a piece of cake, right? Not really. In looking at my list of Milwaukee BIGBY species recorded so far, I'm thinking I'll be hard pressed to come up with six new species. Looks like I'm going to have to come up with some interesting raptors, gulls, or shorebirds. Or maybe we'll be blessed with a few interesting northern species yet this winter.
Good birding!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Did you do a Big Green Big Year (BIGBY) in 2010?
Just wondering how other BIGBY (green birding) folks fared in 2010? I'm going to do a more detailed overview of my year in a week or so, but I thought I'd do a quick summary for now. (What's a BIGBY? See: http://bit.ly/fEdion).
I had several BIGBY lists going in 2010. From January through July I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. I had 152 species on that list. From August through December I lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had 193 species on that BIGBY list. And then I kept a "combo" BIGBY list for all of 2010. After accounting for the overlap between my Indiana and Wisconsin BIGBY lists, I came up with a total of 232 BIGBY species for the calendar year. (For the record, I did a walking BIGBY in 2010, counting only the species I encountered while walking from home).
If you did a BIGBY in 2010, how did it go?
I had several BIGBY lists going in 2010. From January through July I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. I had 152 species on that list. From August through December I lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had 193 species on that BIGBY list. And then I kept a "combo" BIGBY list for all of 2010. After accounting for the overlap between my Indiana and Wisconsin BIGBY lists, I came up with a total of 232 BIGBY species for the calendar year. (For the record, I did a walking BIGBY in 2010, counting only the species I encountered while walking from home).
If you did a BIGBY in 2010, how did it go?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Lakeshore State Park, 12/21/10 - Meadowlark, Long-tailed Duck
Walked down to Lakeshore State Park today to try to relocate the meadowlark I saw during Saturday's Christmas Bird Count. Chilly, damp, and foggy. The harbor behind the Milwaukee Art Museum looked particularly Arctic, for some reason: http://bit.ly/dIim8f
When I got to the park, I ran into Jim Edlhuber. He had already found the meadowlark. Together we saw it flying back and forth several times. It was also easier to spot on the ground what with the fresh dusting of snow. The bird didn't sit still long enough for me to view with my binoculars, but my gut impression is still "Eastern Meadowlark". Anyway, Jim got several good photos that he will post later, so hopefully we'll be able to determine the species. I'm actually rooting for Western Meadowlark. It would prove my preliminary field ID wrong, but it would also give me a new BIGBY species. :-)
I also relocated the Long-tailed Duck. It's (still) in the open water under the park bridge. I had about given up on it after searching in vain for 15 minutes when I first got to the park. But it popped up from out of nowhere as I was leaving the park.
When I got to the park, I ran into Jim Edlhuber. He had already found the meadowlark. Together we saw it flying back and forth several times. It was also easier to spot on the ground what with the fresh dusting of snow. The bird didn't sit still long enough for me to view with my binoculars, but my gut impression is still "Eastern Meadowlark". Anyway, Jim got several good photos that he will post later, so hopefully we'll be able to determine the species. I'm actually rooting for Western Meadowlark. It would prove my preliminary field ID wrong, but it would also give me a new BIGBY species. :-)
I also relocated the Long-tailed Duck. It's (still) in the open water under the park bridge. I had about given up on it after searching in vain for 15 minutes when I first got to the park. But it popped up from out of nowhere as I was leaving the park.
Monday, December 20, 2010
My very first BIGBY Christmas Bird Count
Saturday was the first time I've ever done a walking BIGBY Christmas Bird Count. Here are my three favorite birds from my Christmas Bird Count along Milwaukee's lakefront:
* My first favorite bird was a big surprise. I'd barely left home, and was walking down the ramp that heads down the lake bluff from the intersection of Prospect and Ogden. At the top of the ramp I heard some crows doing some serious mobbing. I stopped halfway down the ramp and saw the crows gathered in a wooded area along the bluff, not too far from the ramp. Following the direction the crows were all looking, I spotted a magnificent GREAT HORNED OWL maybe 50 feet away from me! Well camoflauged. I would never have seen it if the crows hadn't pointed it out to me. The owl seemed completely unperturbed by the unwelcome attention it was receiving from the crows. Maybe only the second or third time I've seen a Great Horned Owl in broad daylight. Really made my day! Only one block away from home, and MilWALKee BIGBY species #192 for 2010.
* My second CBC favorite bird was pretty cool. Eastern Meadowlark in Lakeshore State Park. Had to look around quite a bit to find it in the small prairie there. I'd seen the bird only once over the past week, but got a quick glimpse on Saturday. Two other people had seen it as well earlier this week. My gut says "Eastern Meadowlark". But I'm reporting the bird as "Meadowlark species" on the CBC because I didn't have long enough looks to completely rule out Western Meadowlark. I have one blurred photo of the bird in flight, in poor lighting (taken by someone else). I've shown it to a number of other folks, and the consensus is that yes, it's definitely a Meadowlark. But none of them could conclude Eastern or Western from the photo.
* And my third favorite CBC bird was the old reliable dependable female Long-tailed Duck in Lakeshore State Park. I've seen it every day the past week or so. Good close-up views! At least two birders have posted great photos of the bird. When I last saw it Saturday, it was in the patch of open water under the footbridge to Lakeshore State Park. It spent most of its time underwater, surfacing to catch its breath and then diving again. I found myself hoping that it was finding sufficient food on its frequent dives...
Very cold day to be out birding, but very satisfying!!
Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee
* My first favorite bird was a big surprise. I'd barely left home, and was walking down the ramp that heads down the lake bluff from the intersection of Prospect and Ogden. At the top of the ramp I heard some crows doing some serious mobbing. I stopped halfway down the ramp and saw the crows gathered in a wooded area along the bluff, not too far from the ramp. Following the direction the crows were all looking, I spotted a magnificent GREAT HORNED OWL maybe 50 feet away from me! Well camoflauged. I would never have seen it if the crows hadn't pointed it out to me. The owl seemed completely unperturbed by the unwelcome attention it was receiving from the crows. Maybe only the second or third time I've seen a Great Horned Owl in broad daylight. Really made my day! Only one block away from home, and MilWALKee BIGBY species #192 for 2010.
* My second CBC favorite bird was pretty cool. Eastern Meadowlark in Lakeshore State Park. Had to look around quite a bit to find it in the small prairie there. I'd seen the bird only once over the past week, but got a quick glimpse on Saturday. Two other people had seen it as well earlier this week. My gut says "Eastern Meadowlark". But I'm reporting the bird as "Meadowlark species" on the CBC because I didn't have long enough looks to completely rule out Western Meadowlark. I have one blurred photo of the bird in flight, in poor lighting (taken by someone else). I've shown it to a number of other folks, and the consensus is that yes, it's definitely a Meadowlark. But none of them could conclude Eastern or Western from the photo.
* And my third favorite CBC bird was the old reliable dependable female Long-tailed Duck in Lakeshore State Park. I've seen it every day the past week or so. Good close-up views! At least two birders have posted great photos of the bird. When I last saw it Saturday, it was in the patch of open water under the footbridge to Lakeshore State Park. It spent most of its time underwater, surfacing to catch its breath and then diving again. I found myself hoping that it was finding sufficient food on its frequent dives...
Very cold day to be out birding, but very satisfying!!
Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee
Friday, December 17, 2010
Long-tailed Duck, Lakeshore State Park, Milwaukee
Nice photos of the Long-tailed Duck that's been hanging around in Milwaukee's Lakeshore State Park this week. I like how you can see some drops of water beaded up on the duck's back. Note: Photos were taken by Kelly Herrmann, NOT by me. Reproduced with Kelly's permission.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Milwaukee Lakefront, 12/16 - Eastern Meadowlark, Long-tailed Duck
I birded my CBC route intensely today, in preparation for Saturday's actual Christmas Bird Count. Veterans Park lagoon frozen solid. Milwaukee harbor iced over. (See: http://bit.ly/i2rpVP). Lakeshore State Park lagoon and the Discovery World harbor were pretty much frozen solid, with small open patches at the entrance to the harbor, and beneath the bridge leading to the park.
Some highlights:
* There was a mass exodus of ducks and other waterfowl when Milwaukee's harbor iced over on Tuesday night. But I discovered today that they didn't go very far. There was a large raft of ducks at the mouth of the harbor closest to the McKinley Marina entrance. I'm estimating 6,000 ducks, and I probably didn't see others because my view was blocked by the breakwalls. In descending order of numbers: Scaup, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddys, Coots, etc. Vast majority were Scaup. Maybe 5-10% Goldeneyes.
* Absolutely NO Mallards behind the art museum (all iced up). This was a first-of-year experience for me. :-)
* Long-tailed Duck. One female. In the open water under the bridge leading to Lakeshore State Park. I first saw this bird Tuesday, but missed it yesterday. Another birder told me she saw it yesterday. I saw it again this morning.
* Eastern Meadowlark. Lakeshore State Park. I've been gunning for this bird ever since two other birders told me about seeing it over the past couple of days. Seemed *really* late for this species. I tend to think of meadowlarks as an insectivorous species. But, in checking BNA Online's range map, southeastern Wisconsin looks to be pretty close to the northern dividing line for year-round distribution. BNA's "Food Habits" section notes: "Main winter diet consists of noxious weed seeds and waste grains (mainly corn), supplemented to some degree with wild fruits." There's all kinds of seeds in the Lakeshore State Park prairie.
* About 200 ducks in open water at the entrance of the Discovery World harbor. Mostly Scaup, Goldeneyes, and Mallards, plus a few Coots.
* Redhead. Same area as above. Seems kinda late.
* Red-breasted Merganser. Same area as above.
* Eastern Bluebird. Several. In some small trees at the north entrance to Lakeshore State Park. First bluebirds I've ever seen in that park, I think.
* A flock of 45 raucous American Crows in Veterans Park. I believe that's the most crows I've seen since I moved to Milwaukee.
* Lots of American Tree Sparrows on the east side of the Veterans Park lagoon.
* 10-15 Dark-eyed Juncos in the flock of tree sparrows.
Some highlights:
* There was a mass exodus of ducks and other waterfowl when Milwaukee's harbor iced over on Tuesday night. But I discovered today that they didn't go very far. There was a large raft of ducks at the mouth of the harbor closest to the McKinley Marina entrance. I'm estimating 6,000 ducks, and I probably didn't see others because my view was blocked by the breakwalls. In descending order of numbers: Scaup, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddys, Coots, etc. Vast majority were Scaup. Maybe 5-10% Goldeneyes.
* Absolutely NO Mallards behind the art museum (all iced up). This was a first-of-year experience for me. :-)
* Long-tailed Duck. One female. In the open water under the bridge leading to Lakeshore State Park. I first saw this bird Tuesday, but missed it yesterday. Another birder told me she saw it yesterday. I saw it again this morning.
* Eastern Meadowlark. Lakeshore State Park. I've been gunning for this bird ever since two other birders told me about seeing it over the past couple of days. Seemed *really* late for this species. I tend to think of meadowlarks as an insectivorous species. But, in checking BNA Online's range map, southeastern Wisconsin looks to be pretty close to the northern dividing line for year-round distribution. BNA's "Food Habits" section notes: "Main winter diet consists of noxious weed seeds and waste grains (mainly corn), supplemented to some degree with wild fruits." There's all kinds of seeds in the Lakeshore State Park prairie.
* About 200 ducks in open water at the entrance of the Discovery World harbor. Mostly Scaup, Goldeneyes, and Mallards, plus a few Coots.
* Redhead. Same area as above. Seems kinda late.
* Red-breasted Merganser. Same area as above.
* Eastern Bluebird. Several. In some small trees at the north entrance to Lakeshore State Park. First bluebirds I've ever seen in that park, I think.
* A flock of 45 raucous American Crows in Veterans Park. I believe that's the most crows I've seen since I moved to Milwaukee.
* Lots of American Tree Sparrows on the east side of the Veterans Park lagoon.
* 10-15 Dark-eyed Juncos in the flock of tree sparrows.
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