A Wisconsin Autumn

Like a flip of the switch, the weather dramatically changed in both Arizona and Wisconsin.  Arizona was hot until the onset of Pacific hurricanes brought much needed rain to the desert. And cool temps! Summer is gone. In Wisconsin, I could sense that bird migration was still happening. 

And for the first few days there, I followed up on theories and was rewarded with a couple nice birds like Blackpoll Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds and Black-throated Green Warblers.  Then the weather changed overnight and the migration faucet was shut off. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch

The first few days were intense as I birded most of the time.  I couldn't help it.  I had been trapped these last two months inside my house in Arizona.  When I experience perfect birding weather, I take the time to enjoy it.

Nancy spies a Red-bellied Woodpecker

While there, I met up with friend and naturalist Nancy Gill and new friend Travis Moore. Together we explored a new hotspot along the lakeshore in Sheboygan.

We find a tree hut at the park

While we didn't find our target bird, I was just happy to be with friends and birding again in amazingly cool weather.  I got to wear my jacket and even use my umbrella!

Yeah, fall back east is amazing.  But it's more amazing in Wisconsin and in other places like Maine and Minnesota....or Upper Michigan!  The trees were already turning color.

But like all fun things, it ended too fast. I tried memorizing the landscape before all the leaves fell.  And I do believe winter is going to be a doozy this year for my Cheesehead peeps.  I'll be back in June with Ms. Kathie Brown next year when it'll be warm(not hot) again. 

The real reason I flew home was to hang out with family and also take care of some family business. Life is full of transitions. 

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

Over the years, I've taken you all to these amazing locations.  I never have to travel far in the state because the Lakeshore has it all when it comes to eastern birds.  Almost every location is a good birding spot.  Take for example my parent's home.  We had a random Purple Finch and late Ovenbird come through the yard. Their yard made the rare bird alert!

My Mom was babysitting my little nephew and nieces.  So we went out each day and had some fun.  J-man wanted a pair of binoculars like his uncle so he had a pair to help assist me with my counts. 

Of course we saw lots of other things. 

There were lots of deer and squirrels. 

And even a Bald Eagle!

But J-man was so focused on using his binos that he forgot to put them down.....

Now a Myrtle Warbler won't attack. 

But a grouchy Canada Goose will!

At one point, I had to intervene.  He put his binos right up to a Canada Goose who wasn't having any of it.  Next thing I know, the goose was on top of J-man.  I separated the two.  My mother was laughing.  I think she got the shot of the charging goose.  And if you're reading mother, I think you should put that pic in the family calendar.  It's the shot of the day:)

Chaos ensued when we gave him corn.  This little fellow is fearless.  The geese however were having fits. 

I was geeking out with sparrows.  This sparrow above, the White-throated Sparrow, isn't one I get to see often.  It's one of my favorites.  Meanwhile I see a flock of Sandhill Cranes fly into the zoo. Again, J-man is feeding deer.  And in a moment of shock, I saw the cranes go right up to him to eat the corn out of his hands!  Their eyes narrowed like a velociraptor as they towered over our little guy.  If a goose can do some damage, imagine what an angry crane could do?!

They are such spectacular birds. 

I counted my American Black Ducks while J-man fed the birds.  Mom snapped pics.  American Black Ducks are absolutely beautiful.  That little purple in the wing is such a knockout color. 

Boys are curious.  He just wanted to pet the goose but the goose got up and moved.  

During my in between moments, I walked out in the dense fog, or rain, or super windy conditions alone.  I love Wisconsin birding.  It's quiet and I like it.  Sometimes I wish the weather had been more cooperative, but I can't complain.  

Woodland Dunes in Two Rivers

I remember growing up wondering what there was to do.  It was SO BORING!  I had to be an adult to understand just how many amazing things surround me when I'm home.  Things regular people don't see. 

The colors of the tree were brilliant.  And in the sunlight, the trees glowed. 

I went back to Woodland Dunes to say good-bye to Bernie.  I think he heard me because he sent me a late Sedge Wren for me to observe out in the open. 

Right by the barn where Bernie and I first met after all those years away from my hometown, a Sedge Wren hopped about the reeds. 

They should have all been gone by now, but one remained.  It has taken me years to see this tricky bird.  Sure, I've heard it.  But on this day, I'd be granted this amazing view. 

The bird stayed with me for several minutes listening to the clicking of my camera.  It hopped around in the fog and I dared not take my eyes off of it.  I don't know when I'll ever see one again like this so I made the most of my observation. I put the camera down and just watched as it fed and hopped around the swamp. 

On other days, we took the kids on field trips and had a blast. 

On my final day, the coldest and windiest of them all, I went to go find Doc.  He's such a cool guy.  Everyday along the Manitowoc lakefront, he takes a walk and birds. 

It's amazing we found each other at all with the thick pea soup type fog!

And even though it was foggy, I found a strange Pectoral Sandpiper feeding in the dog park casually strolling along in the grass. 

Note the difference between intelligence and stupidity.  On the left, Doc wears a smart hat to protect his head and ears from the cold winds.  On the right, the doofus with the beard, me, is about to catch a cold.  And I do.  And I still have it! When will I ever learn?

Like everything in this life, it goes by too fast.  Now I'm back in Tucson needing to burn off all that delicious Wisconsin food I ate.  There is so much going on and I do get tired at work.  Living two lives is not easy. I'm working on my last big trek for the year and it should be something very special.  I've done some birding with friends from out of town.  And we'll be heading down to Mexico by the end of the month.  Every waking moment is used to plan something.  Until next time....

The Emerald Green and Sapphire Blue

With such views, people often forget where they are standing.  Is it the Caribbean sea?  Or is it Central America?  There are times when I think I finally understand why warblers migrate to the US during the summer.  Wisconsin, during the summer, is humid and rainy. There's lots of forest area for nesting. No different from Costa Rica or Panama. 

Winter Wren

Almost embarrassing to admit but I hadn't ever seen a Winter Wren before.  So I spent an afternoon on this one species in a dark wet forest. Just to give you a "real" picture of what I was working with here, I've included the actual lighting of this forest. Personally, I think this photo below is much more magical and true to form.  When one speaks of a perfect moment, this is what I envision.  An emerald green background, a calling wren, no one around and a magical birding moment.  Perfection.  

When I finally located a Winter Wren calling, I observed the bird for about an hour absorbing the call and behavior. I watched the bird move from one patch to another. Photography is sometimes about prediction.  I saw a spot that was good for this bird to perch and the gamble paid off. It's naturally mousy, fast and difficult to see!

We hiked through a lot of forest.  Sometimes we had little people on the trails with us. 

And sometimes I was alone with no one around for miles.  I had an entire forest to myself!   Well, and the deer:)

One of the places I monitored nearby home was at a preserve known as Woodland Dunes.  In fact, much of my work was done here while I was home for the last week. It's quite a large area and unfortunately, I did not have the time to cover it all.  

White-throated Sparrow

I did, however, find several rare nesting birds in this area.  There is nothing more beautiful than the song of the White-throated Sparrow.  During my hike for the Winter Wren, I came upon 3 of these sparrows in the forest.  As one sang, his melodic voice carried over other bird song. The song was both haunting and beautiful at the same time.  I write haunting because I also imagine a serial killer coming along the trail to take me out.  And I imagine that it's the last bird song I'll hear.  Of course none of that happened.  If you haven't figured it out yet, I would like you all to know that I have a VERY healthy and active imagination.  The only blood spilled on this day was from the mosquito activity on my legs. 

Osprey

I did some other work at the "Dunes" with director Jim Nickelbine.  One day we took the pontoon out and surveyed nesting Sedge Wrens, Ospreys and Bald Eagles. That was a fun and relaxing way to bird.  Plus the company was wonderful. 

Cindy Lupin and husband were just a few of the characters I kept bumping into while birding.  They were really nice people and her hubby made a delicious apple pie!

 I met up with my owling mentor Bernie and his wife for lunch.  The Lupins brought the pie and invited me to have a piece with them.  That is the beauty of Wisconsin birding right there.  People mix food, socializing and birds together.  That's what birding is all about!  There are some great conversations that come from it all!  I learn so much from everyone on the trails.  

Bernie trained us several years ago about banding owls.  He joked and called me the paparazzi:)  Maybe he wasn't joking....:)  In any case, this guy is the main reason why the Woodland Dunes exists.  Today it's home to hundreds of species and becoming an international destination for birders.  He is retired now but his legacy lives on.  This guy is another major player in the Two Rivers/Manitowoc area for preserving important lands.  With a lot of work and I'm sure stress, he saved the Dunes from becoming a factory wasteland.

During our conversation, I find out that at least 12 or 13 warbler species nest in the Woodland Dunes area. That is amazing considering that some of them should be nesting further north.  But for years, these warblers have relied on the Woodland Dunes as their preferred nesting area.  I also found out that Bernie needs a Hermit Warbler. I invited him down to go chase this warbler and I think it will happen!! It's the least I can do for all the stuff he's taught me. So after lunch, it was back into the woods to try and find another one of those sneaky warblers. 

Mourning Warbler

Sure enough.  There were Mourning Warblers.

Ovenbird

And the loud, yet secretive, Ovenbirds. There were lots of them! They are also considered warblers.  

Pine Warbler

And by the gods, if there weren't Pine Warblers.  Somehow, these warblers flew under my radar!  Now I know.  I dipped on two other warblers, the Canada and Hooded Warblers.  They aren't supposed to nest in the area but they do.  They are not as common, but they are there.  It just means I'll look for them again when I'm home during the summer. 

So many of you are probably thinking, Where is Gordon?  Well, he's coming up.  We spent several months putting this bird expedition together and I have been organizing those photos and blogs into a coherent line of thoughtful writing:)  I was home alone for a week after Gordon left so that I could spend time with the family.  It worked out really well.  Anyhow, there are some funny tales to be told.  A post titled, The Kingsguard, is by far the most memorable experience this year.  Stay tuned.  There's lots more reporting and storytelling to do from the beautiful state of Wisconsin.  Until next time.....

To the Canadians out there, hope you had a wonderful Canada Day! And for the US readers, Happy 4th tomorrow! Be safe and remember to be careful where you shoot those fireworks:) Arizona, let's keep the fires down to a minimum. Like 0 minimum:) We're just about done putting out the ones started in June!