The long-tailed duck was present again the morning at the Lakeshore docks while I was maintaining the aerators. It was with 10 feet of me as I worked. I'll have to watch for the meadowlark and bluebirds. Tom Kroeger Lakeshore State Park Manager 500 N. Harbor Drive Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 414 274-4281 (p) 414 274-4285 (f) thomas.kroeger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx -----Original Message----- From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2010 06:47 PM To: wisbirdn Subject: [wisb] Re: Milwaukee Lakefront, 12/16 - Eastern Meadowlark, Long-tailed Duck The German birder I talked to the other day also mentioned the Common Goldeneye X Hooded Merganser hybrid. Bernie Sloan --- On Thu, 12/16/10, Todd Wilson <maxpaul@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: From: Todd Wilson <maxpaul@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [wisb] Re: Milwaukee Lakefront, 12/16 - Eastern Meadowlark, Long-tailed Duck To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Thursday, December 16, 2010, 7:37 PM In addition to the birds that Bernie reports for Lakeshore State Park, today there was also a male Common Goldeneye X Hooded Merganser hybrid in with the goldeneyes. One individual of this type spent the entire winter at the park last year, and I think its quite possible this is the same bird. Lets see if it sticks around again. Todd Wilson Milwaukee On 12/16/2010 4:48 PM, B.G. Sloan wrote: > 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 > > > > > #################### > You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding > Network (Wisbirdn). > To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: > //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. > To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: > //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. > Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn. > > > > #################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding Network (Wisbirdn). To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. 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