[wisb] Milwaukee Lakefront, 6/2/11 - Late Scaup, one new BIGBY bird, etc.

From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 10:01:27 -0700 (PDT)
Beautiful (but breezy) day to be out and about. My hat almost blew off a couple 
of times. Walked from Veterans Park down to Lakeshore State Park and back.

Some highlights:

* There was a single, solitary male Lesser Scaup diving in the harbor behind 
the art museum. Seems kinda late for this species. It seemed really odd to see 
just one Scaup by itself, especially when there thousands of them at this spot 
over the winter. Wonder why he's so tardy?

* Saw a butterfly briefly chasing a swallow in Lakeshore State Park. Pretty 
tenacious little guy.

* I always think it's funny to watch the Barn Swallows follow the mowers on the 
lawns at Lake Park. A mower enters the park, and in a very short time there 
will be 20-30 birds following the mower at about ankle height. It's kinda smart 
of them, actually. (I used to occasionally see a Cattle Egret show up while 
they were mowing the Indiana University golf course).

* Lots of fledglings out and about...robins, house sparrows, house finches, 
red-winged blackbirds.

* Got dive-bombed a couple of times by male Red-wings. Must have been too close 
to fledglings. They aim straight at the top of of your head. Then they pull up 
at the last second about an inch from your head and make a loud buzzing noise. 
Really startled me the first time!

* I saw a Least Flycatcher at the base of the stairs that come down the bluff 
from Prospect & Ogden.

* One lone Turkey Vulture high over downtown Milwaukee.

* Black-crowned Night-Heron at Veterans Park lagoon.

* 35 Cedar Waxwings in the trees to the east of Veterans Park lagoon.

* The Baltimore Orioles seem to like the small wooded area east of the lagoon. 
Every time I go by there I hear a couple of them vocalizing.

* Speaking of orioles, I watched an Orchard Oriole as it made its way northward 
along the base of the lake bluff. That's 182 BIGBY species for 2011.

* There was a hardy little Savannah Sparrow singing his heart out pretty much 
non-stop near the north entrance to Lakeshore State Park. He was sitting on a 
boulder near some benches. I sat on a bench not ten feet away and watched him 
sing for about ten minutes...he would glance my way occasionally, but did not 
seem bothered by my presence. I had to admire the little guy. He was sitting on 
a big rock, buffeted by strong winds, but still kept singing away. He's been 
singing for several weeks now. Hope he's found a mate.

* And my first dragonflies of the year!!

Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee
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[wisb] Milwaukee Lakefront, 6/2/11 - Late Scaup, one new BIGBY bird, etc.

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