[wisb] Bong State Recreation area today/Kenosha County

From: "Tom Wood" <tcwood729@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <Wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:31:52 -0600
I was trying to decide among several areas to bird today, but after reading
Jenny Wenzel's post from yesterday, I decided to give Bong a try. I was not
disappointed.
My only first of year birds were the Redwing Blackbirds and (ugh)
Brown-headed Cowbirds. I missed the Grackle that Jenny saw. There were huge
numbers of Pine Siskins around the park and at first, only one Common
Redpoll at the feeders among the good variety of other feeder birds.
In the juniper and aspen stand east of the Molinaro visitor center I found a
female Purple Finch feeding on aspen buds, and a juvenile Evening Grosbeak.
Both these birds seemed to shun the feeders with only the Purple Finch
making a short visit while I was there.
I decided to try for the Townsend's Solitaire (no luck), but while searching
near the entrance station I hit the bonanza on redpolls. 30-40 were gorging
on
White Cedar cones. Other than at feeders, I have never seen such cooperative
redpolls. They were there for well over an hour and allowed very close
approach. One at first looked good for Hoary Redpoll. Points for: Very pale,
white background color on the back, very limited pale flank streaking, only
one
indistinct streak on the undertail coverts, and white rump with a pale pink
wash. Points against: No discernible difference in bill size and the size of
the
red "poll" compared with obvious Common Redpolls, and the breast was a
brighter pink than the expected very pale pink of a Hoary. As much as I
would
like to add Hoary to my state list, I decided that this was a very pale
Common Redpoll. I stopped watching after my neck began to ache and when I
left the 
park this flock was gone.
Vern Wolf Lake had 8 Mute Swans, 5 Ring-necked Ducks, and 2 Redheads among
the Canada Geese.

Thomas Wood, Menomonee Falls,Waukesha County

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[wisb] Bong State Recreation area today/Kenosha County

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