[wisb] Horicon/Lake Maria update

From: Jerry <jerry937975@xxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 09:10:58 -0400 (EDT)
While traveling between my home in Racine County and Florence County this week, 
I had the chance to swing by the Horicon Marsh/Lake Maria location both coming 
and going.

On the way up, I hit Ledge Road shortly after 7am on Monday. Immediately upon 
getting to the yellow-crowned night heron location, a brown heron type bird 
flew up and my heart raced, but it turned out to be an American Bittern. I 
pulled over to the side of the road in the area that the Y-c. Night Heron likes 
to perch on the railing and I scanned the near shore where the bittern had 
flown out of. I caught sight of an adult Black-crowned Night Heron and just 
past him was the juvenile Yellow-crowned. Both birds were feeding right near 
the road, literally 15 feet from where the cars go by.

Up on Hwy. 49 there was a decent group of shorebirds and I was able to pick up 
my FOY Black-necked Stilt, Stilt Sandpiper and at least 4 Red-necked 
Phalaropes. I had never had such a side by side comparison between these and 
Wilson's Phalaropes before. It was really enjoyable! To the north I counted 256 
Great Egrets in one sweep of the scope.

The boardwalk at the auto loop was really nice as far as a photographer is 
concerned. Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers were both feeding within 
30 feet of the boardwalk, often less. Along the walk I also had Yellow-headed 
Blackbird, Solitary Sandpiper and Common Gallinule. 

Once I got back in the car and started driving out, I quickly spotted a nice 
Least Bittern perched high in the cattails not too far off the road. A hundred 
yards or so beyond that, another group of birders/photographers were enjoying a 
second Least Bittern. While we talked, a couple of Green Herons flew in close 
and provided a great photo op.

I spent the next 2 days working in Florence County, but on the way south, I hit 
Lake Maria. I am glad I had not been able to read about the failed attempts to 
see the Western Grebe or I might have not gone by there! In any case, the 
Western Grebe was found easily amongst the Ruddy Ducks on the far side of the 
lake.

Back through Horicon and in somewhat better light, I again saw the Least 
Bittern pretty much in the same spot, joined by a Virginia Rail and a couple of 
downy jet black young. Shorebird numbers along Hwy. 49 were diminished, but I 
did have 9 Black-necked Stilts compared to only 1 on Monday. Due to quickly 
failing light and my desire to try for the night heron again, I didn't spend 
much time here.

Ledge Road paid off yet again with a good and much better look at the juvenile 
Yellow-crowned Night Heron feeding along the channel 40 feet off the road. 
Another American Bittern flew by.

A couple of photos from the trip:

Green Heron
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geraldd/7697616088/in/photostream

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (in rather poor lighting)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geraldd/7697616392/in/photostream/

Jerry DeBoer
Central Racine County
www.photographyfromtheheartland.com


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[wisb] Horicon/Lake Maria update

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