[wisb] Nicolet area
- From: Mike Duchek <mikeduchek@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 08:20:45 -0500
Given that others have posted recently, I won't go too detailed, but I spent
Friday in the Nicolet area. As others have found, the bog along Pine River Rd.
west of Giant Pine Rd. was productive. As I got there mid-morning on Friday
after coming up pretty empty at the Pine River bridge, I ran into 3 other
birders (4 if you count an infant!) out of Crandon. I soon heard several
BOREAL CHICKADEES at the western edge of the stretch of bog, which later made
an appearance for the Crandon group. Two GRAY JAYS also showed up and worked
their way down the road. I went back to check the bridge again, while the
other group moved on. Big mistake on my part. They had what appeared from
their photos to be a probable spruce grouse further down Pine River Rd., though
it disappeared into the woods, and while I stayed around to find it I never
did. However, there were also ruffed grouse drumming very close nearby. As I
continued west past Divide Rd. (the road changes names there, to Sheltered
Valley Rd.) I came upon another group of 3 gray jays about a half mile east of
Military Rd. I then checked my spots along Military Rd. where I usually have
gray jays and boreal chickadees. I was able to find the latter in some
firs/spruces along FR 2043 (not a bog), but have not had gray jays there in
some time.
Evening grosbeaks were heard at the Brule River campground (and a few seen in
Alvin), as well as singing pine warblers. Tom Wood tells me he had a BB
woodpecker at the campground this spring, so it continues to be worth checking
out. Otherwise this weekend, I only was able to find palm and yellow-rumped
warblers. Pine siskins were heard in a number of spots, as were both kinglets
and the occastional vireo (I'm not so good at ID'ing vireos by voice) and
thrush (hermit I assume) "chuck"-ing. No crossbills or BB woodpeckers for me.
I also checked out a few other spots including the Vanishing Lake loop off of
Sam Campbell Rd. and a small stretch of the Whispering Lake Trail in the
Blackjack Springs wilderness, but by then it was getting later and I didn't
hear anything of note. It almost sounds like the best game plan lately if you
want to maximize your changes for those species is to just spend your day on
Pine River Rd. at the expense of other areas.
Fall colors were spectacular at parts, probably near-peak in the northern tier
of counties all the way to Ashland Co. where I spent Saturday and Sunday, but
still quite a bit of green around.
-Mike Duchek, Madison, Dane Co.
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