[wisb] Milwaukee Lakefront, 12/16 - Eastern Meadowlark, Long-tailed Duck
- From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:48:36 -0800 (PST)
I birded my CBC route intensely today, in preparation for Saturday's actual
Christmas Bird Count. Veterans Park lagoon frozen solid. Milwaukee harbor iced
over. (See: http://bit.ly/i2rpVP). Lakeshore State Park lagoon and the
Discovery World harbor were pretty much frozen solid, with small open patches
at the entrance to the harbor, and beneath the bridge leading to the park.
Some highlights:
* There was a mass exodus of ducks and other waterfowl when Milwaukee's harbor
iced over on Tuesday night. But I discovered today that they didn't go very
far. There was a large raft of ducks at the mouth of the harbor closest to the
McKinley Marina entrance. I'm estimating 6,000 ducks, and I probably didn't see
others because my view was blocked by the breakwalls. In descending order of
numbers: Scaup, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddys, Coots, etc. Vast majority were
Scaup. Maybe 5-10% Goldeneyes.
* Absolutely NO Mallards behind the art museum (all iced up). This was a
first-of-year experience for me. :-)
* Long-tailed Duck. One female. In the open water under the bridge leading to
Lakeshore State Park. I first saw this bird Tuesday, but missed it yesterday.
Another birder told me she saw it yesterday. I saw it again this morning.
* Eastern Meadowlark. Lakeshore State Park. I've been gunning for this bird
ever since two other birders told me about seeing it over the past couple of
days. Seemed *really* late for this species. I tend to think of meadowlarks as
an insectivorous species. But, in checking BNA Online's range map, southeastern
Wisconsin looks to be pretty close to the northern dividing line for year-round
distribution. BNA's "Food Habits" section notes: "Main winter diet consists of
noxious weed seeds and waste grains (mainly corn), supplemented to some degree
with wild fruits." There's all kinds of seeds in the Lakeshore State Park
prairie.
* About 200 ducks in open water at the entrance of the Discovery World harbor.
Mostly Scaup, Goldeneyes, and Mallards, plus a few Coots.
* Redhead. Same area as above. Seems kinda late.
* Red-breasted Merganser. Same area as above.
* Eastern Bluebird. Several. In some small trees at the north entrance to
Lakeshore State Park. First bluebirds I've ever seen in that park, I think.
* A flock of 45 raucous American Crows in Veterans Park. I believe that's the
most crows I've seen since I moved to Milwaukee.
* Lots of American Tree Sparrows on the east side of the Veterans Park lagoon.
* 10-15 Dark-eyed Juncos in the flock of tree sparrows.
Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee
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