[wisb] Birdy weekend - Madison to Oshkosh and back
- From: Peter Fissel <pfissel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 22:24:56 -0500
Got a much later start than I had intended on Saturday, but still managed to
pick up a Life bird and a couple of pretty good Year birds just the same.
After an uneventful stop at Harvey/Wangsness and the same at Schoeneberg Marsh,
I headed for Cambria. As Paul Schwalbe reported, I had a brief but definitive
glimpse of one of the Eurasian Tree Sparrows from my car - nice clear view of
the face pattern, fortunately. After Paul and Glenna left, I sat in the blind
for half an hour without success. I had set a firm cutoff time of 11:00, since
I was meeting friends for lunch in Oshkosh at noon. I reluctantly left at the
appointed hour, stopping briefly at Lake Maria in Green Lake Co. and not seeing
much of note there. I did pick up my FOY Great Egrets just north of there
along Hwy 73 - six or seven of them were in a wet ditch in a marshy area
southwest of Markesan. Also had my FOY Am. White Pelicans off the Hwy A
causeway over the east end of Green Lake.
In Oshkosh after lunch, I ran down to Menominee Park on Lake Winnebago. Had my
FOY Cliff Swallow east of the island in Miller's Bay (may also have had a
female Purple Martin, but I never had a good enough look at that bird near any
other swallows.) Lots of DC Cormorants on and near the island, and a few more
White Pelicans coasting around on the lake. I moved over to north of the
marina, across from Webster Stanley Middle School to scope the bay. I started
counting all the Horned Grebes (at least three dozen,) when I came upon a grebe
with a centrally-peaked head and a longer, thinner bill. It was pretty far
away and the light was bad, but I quickly realized it was an Eared Grebe.
Amazingly, it kept swimming closer to me (now, how often does that happen with
a bird that you really want a better look at?) I watched it for a good twenty
minutes as it eventually ended up less than 50 yards straight out from me.
Paul Bruce, I'm really sorry I didn't have your phone # on me...
The most interesting thing to me was the behavior of the other birds towards
the Eared. Whenever it got near one of the Horned Grebes, the latter would
erect its neck ruff and golden tufts and seem to act agressively towards the
Eared. Even a few of the Coots also seemed agressive towards it. (At one
point, the Eared was headed for a Coot and quickly swam away when the Coot
reacted.) This probably explains why I usually see Eared Grebes off by
themselves, away from other species. This was the best look I've ever had at
one by a long shot - I'm used to seeing them at the edge of scope range.
After that, I ran out to Asylum Point (aka Carp Pond to the locals) north of
town. Had more Horned Grebes on Asylum Bay, and Forster's Terns were working
the bay. I had seen a couple of lingering American Tree Sparrows out near the
lake there, and later spotted my FOY Clay-colored Sparrow near the main boat
trailer parking lot. I had the Clay-colored, a couple of Chippies and a Junco
in the same field of view at one point - odd combo.
On the way back to Oshkosh this afternoon, I stopped for a short hike on the
Old Marsh Rd. at Horicon Marsh. Went out from the east end off Point Rd. a
bit past the end of the trees, not seeing a lot of note except a vocal Rusty
Blackbird hanging out with the Common Grackles. I was heading south on W. Point
Rd., trying to decide if I should run down to Dike Rd. to look for the
Black-necked Stilts, when I spotted something black and white on the flooded
field south of Ledge Rd. Jim Otto sent me a photo of a BN Stilt on this same
puddle from Saturday, so it was likely the same bird. Also had a couple of
Greater Yellowlegs (FOY) with a bunch of Lessers and a solitary Solitary SP
(FOY) there. Checked a few spots in Columbia and Dane Cos. on the way home,
but only picked up one more Year bird (Pectoral SPs at Schumacher and V pond -
bunch of them along Schumacher with Dunlin and LYLs.) Whiffed on the
Franklin's Gulls Steve Thiessen had called me about, but I ran into Lester
Doyle there and was able to congratulate him on his lifer Short-eared Owl.
And yes Andrea, I'll get most of this into eBird - after I'm caught up on sleep.
Peter Fissel
Madison, Dane Co.
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