[wisb] June 2 Big Day

Inspired by the prospect of a lucrative cash prize and hordes of
autograph-seeking fans, Tim Hahn, Eleanor Alexander and I ran a Big Day
yesterday in an effort to best the published Wisconsin June record of 147
species.  Decent weather and decent luck resulted in a nice total of 160
species.
Still conditions in the night produced three owl species and most of the
expected marsh birds, including a LEAST BITTERN at Grand River Marsh.  A
chilly loop around Buena Vista at dawn gave us SHORT-EARED OWL, GREATER
PRAIRIE-CHICKEN, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, UPLAND SANDPIPER,
DICKCISSEL, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, AMERICAN KESTREL, and many others.  We did
not find the LeConte's Sparrows that had been seen in the past week.

Next up was Torun Road just north of Stevens Point, where we found NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH, CANADA, BLACK-AND-WHITE, GOLDEN-WINGED, BLUE-WINGED, and
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, RUFFED
GROUSE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, and a bonus PURPLE FINCH, among others.  Nearby
on Oakwood Road we picked up YELLOW-RUMPED and NASHVILLE WARBLERS.

We then headed west to the Cranberry Road area north of Mather, adding
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, TRUMPETER SWAN, COMMON LOON, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and
PALM WARBLER.  The latter two species were on Cranberry Road about half a
mile south of Ball Road, where we also lucked into a pair of River Otters.
After stopping quickly in Necedah Wildlife Refuge for RING-NECKED DUCK, we
hit the highway and headed south.

We listed OSPREY on its nest at 65 miles per hour from I-94, then spent the
next couple hours scouring the Dane and Columbia County shorebird spots.
Goose Pond was by far the most productive stop; we found DUNLIN,
WHITE-RUMPED, BAIRD'S, AND SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and BLACK-BELLIED and
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, plus a calling RING-NECKED PHEASANT.  Schoenberg
Marsh had the expected RED-NECKED GREBE, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, BLACK
TERN, and AM. WHITE PELICAN and also bonus BUFFLEHEAD and AMERICAN BLACK
DUCK.

We entered Horicon well behind schedule but with a lot of good birds in the
bag.  We did a quick run around the auto tour loop, adding FORSTER'S TERN,
COMMON GALLINULE, and GADWALL, then worked our way along Route 49.  There
were a few LESSER SCAUP mingling with the REDHEADS, but we were unable to
pick out night-heron or anything else new until the east end, where we
joined the crowd ogling the continuing WHITE-FACED IBIS.

Our last stop was the South Kettle Moraine.  En route, we added
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER along Elmwood Road near Neosho.  At the Scuppernong
Trails, we found HOODED WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, and PILEATED WOODPECKER.  Perhaps due to the late hour, we dipped
on Black-throated Green and Acadian Flycatcher.  Wilton Road had RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER but no Chat.  With light fading fast, we headed south toward
Young Road, picking up WOOD THRUSH en route.  We found a singing LARK
SPARROW along Young Road, then enjoyed the nearby CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW.  We
planned to call it a day, but as we were listening to the Chuck, AMERICAN
WOODCOCK and COMMON NIGHTHAWK, two birds we had missed in the morning, flew
overhead within thirty seconds of one another, bringing our total to 159
and prompting some goofy discussions about what other birds we could get in
the dark to bring us to the nice round number of 160.  Herring Gull in the
lights of Milwaukee?  A calling American Bittern somewhere?  We settled for
trying to scope the MUTE SWANS in the moonlight from the Vernon Marsh
parking lot -- success!

Misses included Raven, Black-throated Green, Mourning and Cerulean
Warblers, Acadian Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Tufted Titmouse, American
Bittern, Black-crowned Night-heron, Least Sandpiper, and Herring Gull (not
too surprising since we didn't visit the lake).  We are told our prize
checks are in the mail.

Cheers,

Matt Kemp
Milwaukee


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