[wisb] Smith's Longspurs still there tonight (Dane Co.)
- From: Peter Fissel <pfissel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 22:30:23 -0500
At least two of the previously-reported Smith's Longspurs were still at the WPA
on the Rutland-Dunn Townline Rd. tonight around 6:45 p.m. When I arrived, Greg
Hottman and Sunil Gopalan were way out in the field, so I quartered southeast
towards the lake, since that quadrant of the field had quite a few sparrows
Monday evening. Eventually, Greg and Sunil headed back towards the road, so I
went due west towards them to compare notes. I was maybe 40-50 yards away from
them when a bird flushed. I heard the very distinctive sharp rattle of a
Smith's Longspur, and saw white outer tail feathers. The bird set down a ways
north of me, so I walked towards the spot and caught a brief glimpse (not
enough for sure ID) as it zipped around a clump of vegetation. The three of us,
plus another birder who had arrived then, slowly moved west. Eventually, two
Smith's flushed. Greg had movement in front of him, but we couldn't get on his
bird, so I headed towards where I'd seen one land. Pretty soon, I caught
movement on the ground, then saw a male Smith's walking between clumps of
vegetation. I had several very good looks at the head and the distinctive
black-and-white pattern, as well as the orangey-buff underside. I tried to get
the other guys on the bird, but it flushed again and flew west. We briefly
could see the buffy underside before it set down again.
I moved around, trying to herd the bird towards the other guys. It eventually
flushed and flew a huge arc around us, from west to east and then north, giving
great looks at the completely buffy undersides and the white shoulder patches,
all nicely front-lit. Every time it flushed, I heard the flight rattle of a
Smith's - quite different from the much flatter rattle of a Lapland Longspur.
Greg and Sunil left, and I had just gotten back to my car when Pat Ready drove
up. I went back out with him, but we didn't see or hear anything but Eastern
Meadowlarks (which give you a lot of false alarms with those white outer
retrices, not to mention their rattle calls...)
With winds still northerly tonight, it's certainly possible the birds will
stick at least one more day. The location is roughly halfway between Stoughton
and Oregon, on the Rutland-Dunn Town Line Rd., just west of Island Lake and
Hawkinson Rd. Hiking is a bit rough, as it's a former cornfield that is now
planted to prairie, but still has remnants of furrows and lots of mashed-down
stubble. I would recommend parking on the south side, facing east. The shoulder
isn't very wide, but the ditch is shallow and dry enough to pull all the way
down into it and still get out (I had no trouble with my Subaru, and Pat's FWD
van made it out, too, although I wouldn't try it if there is any rain
tomorrow.)
Peter Fissel
Madison, Dane Co.
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- » [wisb] Smith's Longspurs still there tonight (Dane Co.) - Peter Fissel
