[wisb] UW Arboretum, Madison, Dane County

From: "Charles Henrikson" <ckhenrikson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Wisbirdn" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:40:06 -0500
Sorry you're stuck at work Peter.  It was and still is a beautiful day and
there are more to come this week.  (I sure am enjoying retirement.)
 

When I arrived at the arboretum at 7:00am the first birds I saw were a pair
of Eastern Bluebirds "setting up house" at the bluebird house right by the
visitor center parking lot.  What could be a better way to start the day!

 

Shortly thereafter however I saw two FOY Tree Swallows and thought, the
competition for bluebird housing has arrived. 

 

I saw a lot of small birds (goldfinches, juncos, house finches) chasing each
other.  Also the various woodpeckers are drumming and posturing.  It's that
time of year.

 

I saw one Yellow-rumped Warbler just before I left.  Until I see more than
one I believe this is the same one we saw all winter in the arboretum and
not an early arrival.

 

Off topic -  The pussy willows are blooming and insects were all over them.
I saw my first Mourning Cloak butterfly on the pussy willow blooms too.  I
saw what I first thought was smoke when I was at the Icke Boardwalk but it
actually was a cloud of pollen released by a gust of wind from the catkins
of the European Alders.  This warm weather is making everything pop.

 

My eBird report is appended below.

 

Good birding to all,

 

Chuck Henrikson

Madison, Dane County

 

UW-Madison Arboretum, Dane, US-WI

Mar 14, 2012 7:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

3.0 mile(s)

30 species

 

Canada Goose  97

Mallard  20

Wild Turkey  18

Turkey Vulture  1

Cooper's Hawk  1

Sandhill Crane  6

Ring-billed Gull  8

Mourning Dove  2

Red-bellied Woodpecker  5

Downy Woodpecker  4

Blue Jay  7

American Crow  19

Tree Swallow  2

Black-capped Chickadee  10

Tufted Titmouse  4

White-breasted Nuthatch  7

Eastern Bluebird  8

American Robin  50

Cedar Waxwing  7

Yellow-rumped Warbler  1

Fox Sparrow  8

Song Sparrow  4

Dark-eyed Junco  12

Northern Cardinal  13

Red-winged Blackbird  33

Common Grackle  4

Brown-headed Cowbird  3

House Finch  8

Pine Siskin  2

American Goldfinch  14

 



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[wisb] UW Arboretum, Madison, Dane County

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