Walked the northern half of my Milwaukee walking BIGBY route today. Added one new 2011 BIGBY species, bringing my total for the year to 79 species. I'm thinking I've got a chance to maybe beat my personal record for earliest date to reach 100 walking BIGBY species in a year. I need 21 more species between now and tax day (4/15). I observed several signs of spring today: * It's only about five weeks until people can start mooring their boats in McKinley Marina! * A county parks crew was removing the snow fences from McKinley Beach. * Spring wildflowers were starting to push through the leaves in the woods on the Lake Michigan bluff at Lake Park. Daffodil-like shoots about 4-6 inches in length. A few bird highlights: * Female Northern Shoveler off of North Point. BIGBY species #79 for the year. * Four male Buffleheads were competing to win the hand of a single solitary female. They were in a tight ring around her. Lots of head-bobbing, wing-flapping, etc. Very comical antics, although I'm sure it was dead serious business to them. The female seemed rather disinterested... * Two Common Loons diving off of Bradford Beach. * A Black-capped Chickadee was earnestly repeating its melancholy "tee-bee" song continuously. * And an Eastern Bluebird was in full song at the north end of Bradford Beach. 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.