Yesterday and today Dennis Gustafson, Larry Michael and I lead the early field trips for the Festival. Friday's trip ran until 2, while today's ended at noon. Totals for just the field trips (not the boat trip after) were 109 (Fri) and 104 (Sat). Yesterday we worked for species despite the great weather. Only 10 warbler and 1 vireo species were recorded!!! The Black-necked Stilts (4) were seen well.
Today the morning started in a driving rain that lessened over the first hour. It eventually stopped but the northwest wind was COLD!!! Probably the 104 seen today was surprising and more satisfying, considering the starting weather. The best find was a WHITE-FACED IBIS at the BN Stilt pond on the Main Dike. It was initially found by some other birders before our bus arrived later in the morning. They alerted us and we soon found it working the edge of the cattails---and behind them---on the back side of the pond. After careful study by several of us the id points clearly indicated a White-faced, rather than Glossy. Any one trying for this bird tomorrow be aware that today it worked the back side of the pond, eventually flying towards the west side where it landed in some tall grass. It was not relocated after that while we were watching the stilts.
Another good find today was a lone Willet flying by our bus while we were scanning the pond on the north side of the Walmart warehouse near Hwy 151. When we moved over to the Breezy Pt/151 pond it flew right by all of us, even circling before heading northwest.
Daryl Tessen Appleton, WI
