[wisb] A fabulous Jaegerfest

From: "Peter A. Fissel" <pfissel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:03:35 -0500
As Daryl has noted, Jaegerfest certainly lived up to its name this year, 
with knockout looks at multiple Parasitics and an extremely cooperative 
Long-tailed right over our heads at times.

Even though the show on the lake was compelling, my group decided to get 
up early on Sunday and head down to the Douglas Co. Wildlife Area to 
look for Sharp-tailed Grouse.  It was a frosty 30 degrees, with fog in 
the low spots, when we got there a bit after sunrise.  We stopped at a 
few spots to scan, and Mark Hodgson finally spotted four grouse sitting 
pretty high up in aspen trees. The grouse took off and flew a short ways 
to some other trees, with one perched up high that we got in the scopes 
so everyone had a good look.  We also found a Gray Jay in a spruce bog 
on County A north of there.  While en route to the bog, we found out 
about the Sabine's Gull close to the beach, so headed back up to 
Wisconsin Point, but missed the gull.

We stuck around for an hour or so, then decided to head for home, with a 
check of the Germann Rd. fire area east of Solon Springs on the way.  We 
hadn't heard any encouraging reports, and much of the standing dead 
timber has been logged already, but there are still some stands of large 
trees in spots.  At the second place we stopped, it seemed to be mostly 
BC Chickadees and nuthatches, but there was also a soft, persistent 
tapping.  I tried to zero in on the sound and noticed a bark flake 
falling to the ground.  Unfortunately, I couldn't tell which tree it had 
come from.  Mark tried playing a taped call, and very shortly, a large 
woodpecker flew in and landed in a nearby tree.  Mark yelled "That's a 
Black-backed!" and we all got great looks.  It was a nice female, which 
also flew across the road to a small tree and called once or twice, then 
came back over for more great looks.  I was ecstatic - this was my #1 
"nemesis" bird, that I've been looking for in northern Wisconsin for 
years (and missing.)  I had been feeling left out, since so many other 
folks were getting lifers up there.

Just as the bird came in, a guy driving by stopped to ask if we were 
doing a survey.  He mentioned that he had woodpeckers coming to his 
feeders, including Black-backs, and seemed to know the difference 
between those, Downys and Hairys, so it probably would pay to check 
multiple stands wherever you find them.  This particular stand of burned 
trees was on Comminsky Rd., just south of Sutfin Rd., about a mile south 
of County A and three miles west of Hwy 27.  (Comminsky turns into 
Connor Meadows Rd. farther south.  Many roads in that area change names 
when they cross town lines, and the DeLorme Atlas is frequently mistaken 
about where the changes occur.)  This is about 8 miles due east of Solon 
Springs, for reference.

Peter Fissel
Madison WI
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[wisb] A fabulous Jaegerfest

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