[wisb] 16th Annual Riveredge North Woods Field Trip (hilites)

From: "Carl Schwartz" <cschwartz3@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Wisconsin Birding Network" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:04:59 -0600
Scheduling this trip is always a crapshoot given the vagaries of winter weather 
and the distances involved (925 miles by my odometer), but we have only 
scrubbed once since first setting out in 1997. This year's weather, however, 
was among the most challenging and we ended up with just 11 birders (two of 
whom were delayed slightly after sliding into a ditch Friday during heavy snow 
on their way to join the group in Bancroft).
Yet overall results were quite satisfying, with 60 species recorded by at least 
two or more members of the group from Thursday to Sunday. The decision by many 
of us to drive to Plover Thursday afternoon proved pivotal in avoiding travel 
during the worst of the snow early Friday, although we spent much of Friday (en 
route to eagle River) and Saturday driving on snow-covered roads amid 
snow-showers. Turning south toward home Sunday, we did not reach clear roads 
until we were south of Antigo where we stopped to look for a Varied Thrush, 
which was seen well by some, glimpsed by others and heard singing by most. A 
White-winged Crossbill also caught our attention there, along with a good 
breakfast at Two Angels Cafe.

Our two biggest disappointments:
-- Our inability to venture very deep into the Chequamegon-Nicolet because of 
an apparent decision by the Forest Service not to plow roads past the point of 
habitation. After venturing a ways on Pine River Road off of Highway 55, we 
turned around and barely got back out again in our non-4-wheel-drive vehicles.  
Most of Scott Lake Road, Sheltered Valley all of Giant Pine were similarly 
unplowed with snow 6-9 inches deep. So we whiffed on Boreal Chickadee, Spruce 
Grouse and Black-backed Woodpecker. 
-- The non-reappearance of the Boreal Owl seen earlier in the week near 
Harshaw, despite the kind hospitality of Pat and Peter Rasmussen who allowed us 
to wait with them for several hours in the hope the bird would return to hunt 
their yard.

Favorite moments:
-- Everyone in the group had good looks at 9 out of the 10 finch species 
(Purple was missed). The community of Hiles proved a highlight for us with 15 
Evening Grosbeaks, several Pine Grosbeaks and a Red Crossbill.
-- Three Gray Jays -- completing a corvid slam -- spotted on Highway 55 north 
of Alvin, which itself was largely a washout (except for a dozen Blue Jays and 
many redpolls).
 -- 40 Greater Prairie-Chickens at Buena Vista along the north-south stretch of 
Highway W near the cell tower seen both Thursday and Friday.
-- Farther along W we found on both days a flock of 150 or so Common Redpolls; 
we added a Hoary in a small flock near a farmhouse with feeders at the south 
end of Townline Rd., where we dropped off a bag of peanuts as a thank-you for 
the pleasure their feeders bring us each year. Their Red-headed Woodpeckers had 
left for the first time in several years, chased out by heavy snow in late 
fall. But we added that species to our list along the Wisconsin River in 
Whiting, along with Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser. 
-- A good decision to turn around near downtown Stevens Point (despite a maze 
of one-way streets) after a group of birds flew over and between our small 
caravan. Some folks thought they were starlings, others robins, but since no 
one was sure and there were at least a dozen.... They turned out to be a group 
of Pine Grosbeaks accompanied by a flock of Cedar Waxwings from which our 
scopes eventually teased out two Bohemians!  
-- A Brown Creeper, half-a-dozen Ruffed Grouse up budding in popple, and a 
Barred Owl sitting out in the open on the road around Pine Lake. 
-- Concluding the trip at the mouth of the Fox in Green Bay where we witnessed 
5 Bald Eagles engaged in an aerial ballet as 4 more sat in the tree below, a 
Peregrine Falcon return to the hack box atop the power plant, nearly 20 
cormorants sunning themselves on the rocks, a lone White Pelican waiting for 
spring and the return of his flock, 8 species of ducks, a Horned Grebe, Canada 
Geese, and Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.

Carl Schwartz
RBC Field Trip Chair
Fox Point (Milwaukee County)
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[wisb] 16th Annual Riveredge North Woods Field Trip (hilites)

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