[wisb] Jackson County today (Golden Eagle)

From: Peter Fissel <pfissel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:33:27 -0600
Since my bum knee was too stiff for me to do yard work today, I was forced 
(ahem) to tag along with Jim Otto on a Jackson County excursion. Our first stop 
was encouraging - we had a flock of a dozen or so Pine Siskins at Oxbow Pond 
Park off Cemetery Rd.  Jim had high hopes for some interesting waterfowl on 
Lake Arbutus, but there were just some Coots and Mallards.  Whee.  Expectations 
tempered, we headed for Wazee Lake County Park. After a Northern Shrike near 
the entrance got our attention, we went to the tailings pond in the center of 
the Nature Trail.  There was a decent assortment there - tons of Coots, but 
also 35 Ring-necked Ducks, a pair each of Canvasback and Redheads, and a couple 
of Pied-billed Grebes.  We drove all the way around the loop but didn't see too 
much besides a No. Flicker and lots of Am. Tree Sparrows.  Jim spotted a 
distant eagle when he hiked up to the top of a rise, but he wasn't sure on 
species, and we couldn't find it when we got to a better vantage point.  We did 
see a C. Raven while driving from the east side of Lake Arbutus to the west 
side and heard a few others on the day.
 
We checked various other locations, mostly in the Black River State Forest, but 
things in general were very quiet - just a few Chickadees and RB Nuthatches.  
We called it a day fairly early and started back to Madison on the interstate.  
Just as we were about to cross into Monroe County, Jim spotted an eagle over 
the road.  I grabbed my bins and managed to get a decent look at it through the 
sunroof - it appeared to have fairly well-defined white wing patches, but I 
didn't notice a white base to the tail (although it did seem bicolored - 
Liguori shows various plumages for first- to second-year birds, some of which 
don't have much or any white in the tail.)  Overall, the "gizz" was right for 
Golden Eagle - noticeable dihedral, small head, buteo-like shape.  
 
Peter Fissel 
Madison WI 
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[wisb] Jackson County today (Golden Eagle)

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