[wisb] UW Arboretum, Dane County

  • From: "Charles Henrikson" <ckhenrikson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Wisconsin Birding Network" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:30:02 -0500

I birded the Arboretum from 7:00 to 9:45am.  The sky was completely overcast 
but the temp was 40 and better.  There was a very slight breeze from the 
northeast.  With all the rain yesterday the snow is almost all gone.  Some of 
the trails are still icy in places and muddy in others, but most are okay.  
Teal Pond has some open water on the far east side. 
Highlights:

When I first got out of my car I heard this strange wild animal sound, as if 
two were about to fight each other.  It was coming out of the densely branched 
tree (sp?) right next to the parking lot.  As I approached the tree I saw an 
American Robin fly out and then the Northern Shrike appeared.  It went to the 
top of the tree and made another sound that was a bit cat-like.  I assume that 
it was the shrike who made the first, threatening (animal-like) sound.  Two 
shrikes have been seen in the arboretum.  I wonder if they will stick around 
and raise a family.  Yikes, more Shrikes!  No, that's a good thing.

There were four Wood Ducks, two males and two females, on Teal Pond.  Those 
were FOY birds for me.

A Northern Harrier flew over Curtis Prairie but did not stop.

Two Great Blue Herons also flew over the arboretum heading north.

There were 30 Wild Turkeys out on Longenecker Gardens.  The males were in full 
display, courting the females.  The females appeared completely uninterested 
and continued their search for food.  The heads and necks of the males were 
bright red, blue and white.

My eBird report is appended below.

Good birding to all,

Chuck Henrikson
Madison, Dane County


Location:     UW-Madison Arboretum
Observation date:     3/21/11
Number of species:     29

Canada Goose     28
Wood Duck     4
Mallard     14
Wild Turkey     30
Great Blue Heron     2
Turkey Vulture     1
Northern Harrier     1
Sandhill Crane     5
Ring-billed Gull     1
Mourning Dove     5
Red-bellied Woodpecker     4
Downy Woodpecker     1
Northern Shrike     1
Blue Jay     4
American Crow     16
Black-capped Chickadee     6
Tufted Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     3
Eastern Bluebird     6
American Robin     45
American Tree Sparrow     1
Song Sparrow     6
Dark-eyed Junco     17
Northern Cardinal     12
Red-winged Blackbird     50
Common Grackle     7
Brown-headed Cowbird     4
House Finch     8
American Goldfinch     17







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