[wisb] New Lisbon and Kendall Nightjar Surveys (west central WI)

From: Peter Fissel <pfissel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 12:53:42 -0500
I ran the above two Nightjar Survey routes last night/this morning.  While they 
cover parts of Juneau, Monroe and Vernon Counties, the first ends near the 
beginning of the second, so they make a convenient semi-loop.  While conditions 
were ideal, with little wind, full moon and only some passing thin clouds, I 
surprisingly came up empty on nightjars.  I had expected better results, given 
how good the habitat looked while scouting in daylight (lots of wooded ridges 
and valleys, with mixed conifer/hardwoods.)  I did have several Barred Owls, 
including at least two and possibly three at my very first stop south of New 
Lisbon in Juneau Co. (there was likely a dueting pair north of me, but the stop 
is on Hwy 80, which was fairly busy at 10:30 p.m.)  Also had a couple of other 
stops with Barred Owls, and two other very intriguing calls that I need to do 
some more research on before I finish my forms for Ryan (it's amazing how often 
birds DON'T sound like any recordings you've heard...)  Near the very 
appropriately-named Owl Ave. in Monroe Co., I had a probable E. Screech Owl 
doing a very odd sequence of calls.  The stop before that, I had something that 
I thought could be a No. Saw-whet doing an evenly-spaced series of sharp calls 
for the first five minutes of my listening period.  It wasn't the usual 
"saw-whet" call, but I've heard people mention a different single call that 
species does.  I need to hit the Macauley Library website to do some more 
listening.

While waiting for it to get dark and the moon to rise, I poked around Necedah 
NWR, which was quite birdy in the early evening.  Best birds were in the pine 
savannah restoration, much of which had just been burned.  There were at least 
four Red-headed WPs calling or drumming, and my FOY Common Nighthawks were 
flying around (one flew out of a big pine it had been calling from.) I also 
cruised up Cranberry Rd. listening for LeConte's Sparrows in some of the sedge 
meadows, but didn't hear any.  There were two Common Loons at sunset on the 
Jackson Co. side - stunning, and the kind of memory that keeps you doing this. 
I did have two Whip-poor-wills on the road as it was getting dark, but I forgot 
to mark down where I saw them - as dark as it was, it was likely Ball Rd. in 
Wood County.  Other critters sighted on or near the road:  BIG Snapping turtle, 
porcupine, deer, but no cougars (in the back of my mind, since one's been 
attacking livestock near Elroy.)

Peter Fissel
Madison, WI
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[wisb] New Lisbon and Kendall Nightjar Surveys (west central WI)

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