[wisb] Re: 10 raptor species and spring arrivals-- Lower WI River
- From: Peggy B <pegbiltgen@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "jjprestby@xxxxxxx" <jjprestby@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:20:16 -0600
Tom,
My friend and I were doing the GBBC Friday and Saturday and we followed almost
the same route as your group. On Saturday, we saw those Trumpeter Swans just a
bit down HWY 60 closer to Sauk city, we counted close to 40.
Peggy B.
Baraboo
On Feb 18, 2012, at 8:17 PM, tom prestby <jjprestby@xxxxxxx> wrote:
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> Aaron Stutz, Peter Bridge, and I birded the Wisconsin River corridor in Sauk,
> Iowa, and Columbia Counties today. It was a beautiful day and spring was
> certainly in the air. We started at Bakken's Pond near Spring Green where we
> did not see the Ross's Geese. The 25+ Trumpeter Swans were present as well as
> 4 Pintail with the Mallards, Canada Geese, and Goldeneye. A calling Sandhill
> Crane flew downriver, always a welcome first sighting of the year. Then,
> Aaron went to work. He called out that he had a distant eagle over the Iowa
> County bluffs to the south that looked different. It was really far away but
> because it was holding its wings in a slight V, was all dark, and had long
> thin wings with a very small head, we were comfortable that it was a Golden.
> A little later, he spotted an interesting hawk to the west flying north. We
> were able to study it for a short time before it got lost over the trees. We
> could tell it was a large and robust accipiter with a long tail and deep slo
> w wingbeats. A better look would have been nice but we feel this was a
> Northern Goshawk.
>
> After watching about 70 Lapland Longspurs on Dyke Road west of Spring Green,
> we headed down into the ridges of northern Iowa County. We didn't find any
> Golden Eagles but highlights were a singing Northern Shrike and 3 Sandhill
> Cranes on Upper Wyoming Road and 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers and our only
> Rough-legged Hawk of the day on High Point Rd. A flyover Merlin was a nice
> surprise but the nearby Titmice were not happy about its presence. We then
> worked our way toward Arena Boat Landing, spotting a Sharp-shinned Hawk in
> Spring Green which continued our good raptor streak. Curiously, we refound
> the Trumpeter Swans from Bakken's in a random corn field along Cty C SW of
> Spring Green. The boat landing itself was dead so we tried the marsh overlook
> on the deadend road to the east of the boat landing. As we were watching a
> shrike, Aaron worked his magic again and said that he was watching a likely
> Golden Eagle. It didn't take long to realize that it was certainly a subadult
> Golden and
> unlike the earlier uncooperative bird at Bakken's, this one worked its way
> towards us. It banked and circled in the sun multiple times, a great view
> through the scope.
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> Continuing east, we worked Lake Wisconsin next. We hoped for gulls at Okee
> Bay but the limited open water only had Bald Eagles, Canada Geese and Common
> Mergansers. However, the Hwy V causeway at Whalen Grade was much better.
> Hundreds of geese included 2 Greater White-fronteds and 3 Pintail, 5 Redhead,
> and 30+ Gadwall were the duck highlights. A male Northern Harrier was seen
> and Peter spotted a perched Cooper's Hawk, our tenth raptor species of the
> day and completing the rare accipiter slam!
>
> With the remaining daylight, we headed over to Goose Pond via Arlington. 6
> Trumpeter Swans were feeding in a corn field along Hwy 60 just west of
> Arlington and in town we easily found 23 Eurasian Collared-Doves. It's
> amazing how their population seems to have exploded here between last year
> and this year. As we neared Goose Pond at dusk it was obvious that a
> significant goose movement was underway. We watched groups constantly fly
> over until dark, a total of about 5 thousand geese. The only different ones
> we could ID were about 10 Cackling Geese. Also at Goose Pond in the fading
> light was a falcon that was probably our second Merlin of the day.
>
> A great day to be out. The signs of spring are certainly becoming more
> numerous!
>
> Tom Prestby
> Madison
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