High afternoon isn't usually the best time to go birding, but when babies
are around, they need to be fed, defended, etc all the time so one can
still find interesting birds during the summer. Yesterday I spent a couple
hours at Paradise Valley south of Dousman (Waukesha Cty) and found quite a
few species to be active. (Photos & video can be found at this link -
http://ebird.org/ebird/atlaswi/view/checklist?subID=S24216084)
About 100 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were in the marsh, and some looked to be
sitting on nests (photo in link), but I can't be 100% sure what's going on.
I've never seen pelicans on their nests, and these birds have never been
documented as nesting in this location before, although the habitat is a
perfect fit. If someone with experience with nesting pelicans can weigh in
I'd appreciate it.
BLACK TERNS were very defensive about something and I got dive bombed a
couple times by one of them. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER parent was very vocal and
I was patient enough to finally see some chicks with their tiny little
butts bobbing up and down.(videos in link)
Other birds seen in the marsh were fledgling YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, COM.
GALLINULE, AM. COOT, (photos of these three in link above), lots of GREAT
EGRETS, Gr. BLUE HERONS, MALLARDS and WOOD DUCKS in eclipse plumage, a
single adult male CANVASBACK, a pair of RUDDY DUCKS (no young ruddies that
I could see).
I had hoped to see the Black-necked Stilts that have been at this location
in the past, and maybe find some evidence of breeding, but I didn't see any
stilts this visit. It's very possible they're still there though, as the
cattails are thick and tall, so much of the suitable habitat can't be seen
from the dikes. Repeated visits will hopefully provide more positive
results.
Cheers!
Tim Hahn
Pewaukee, WI
(Waukesha Cty)
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