Meandering Along The Lakeshore

The iconic lighthouse in Manitowoc

I thought that I'd be in Arizona for the last part of my summer holiday. Then my Grandmother passed and the rest of my summer break was spent in Wisconsin with family. While most of us had plenty of time to grieve, it's my mother who has not had the time to sit down and process it all. She was in charge of the will and getting the funeral together.  As we discovered, even though Grandma set it all up beforehand, it was still quite a bit of work.  I learned a lot from my mom on this trip about funeral arrangements and understanding how to execute a will!

So while my mother was working with her siblings on the estate etc, my Dad began processing what her passing meant to him. "We're next," he said, referring to the last of their parent's dying. He has always had a morbid fascination with death.  Rarely does life ever play by our rules. Who says he's next?  But I can see his point as this was the first time that I actually felt "older". There's a quote that I've heard from over the years that follows my Dad's thoughts. "The only way children can come into their own is by the death of their parents."  And speaking of children, I was so glad to see all my nieces and nephews.  Their laughter and fun helped distract the adults from their own heavy thoughts.  

The night before, I couldn't sleep.  She wanted me and my brother to sing "Amazing Grace." I tossed and turned jotting down notes for what I needed to get done.  I knew that if I didn't do the song, I would have been upset with myself. She often mentioned during our visits that she wanted us both to sing for her one last time. The only reason I didn't want to do it was due to the tears. So I practiced in the car on the way to the funeral home over and over.  Each time I sang that damn song, I choked up.  But in the end, we did it and I hope she liked it:)

During the whole trip, her presence was felt. We'd ask a question like, "Who was Grandma's friend in Louisiana?  Wasn't it Denise something or other?" Then as if on cue, my Mom opened Grandma's desk drawer and found the note with Denise's name and address!  And this didn't happen just once.  It made us laugh because in life, she was always on top of things overseeing every single detail.  In death, she was still there making sure my Mom was on top of things:)

Red-eyed Vireo

Some people go to church.  I bird. That's where I find my peace of mind.  After the funeral, I stayed in Wisconsin instead of heading back to Arizona.  Why not?  My break ends in August and the weather in Wisconsin is lovely. Between helping the family, visiting family and spending more time with family, I've been able to do a little birding on the side.  

the car ferry of Manitowoc

I've been feeling tired lately of chasing birds.  And when it came time for birding, I made the decision to do the kind of birding I enjoy the most, grassland and lakeshore habitats.  There comes a point in a birder's life when the birding chases for hours in car come to an end.  I found a few rarities for the state but it wasn't because I chased the birds.  They just happened to be there. Other birders went to see my rarities and it felt nice that I could help out. I did a lot of habitat study this time for birds that theoretically could be found in Manitowoc County.  While I didn't find a rare Henslow's Sparrow, I was able to locate an Eastern Whip-poor-will 10 minutes away from my home!

Sandhill Cranes-an adult with the juvenile

I stopped at all my favorite local watering holes and collected the July data for Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Horicon Marsh, Collin's Marsh, Point Beach State Forest, the Lakeside hotspots known as the Manitowoc Impoundment and North Point in Sheboygan, and Washington Island up in Door County.  These would be normal hotspots for a Northeastern Wisconsin birder.  Horicon Marsh and Washington Island would be the extreme ranges for a Two Rivers or Manitowoc birder. 

Marsh Wren

The forests are full of mosquitoes and biting flies. I had zero interest in getting bit up.  After Liberia in Costa Rica, I said, "No más".  My legs are finally healing up and I don't want anymore scars on my legs:)

Pectoral Sandpiper

Last year in June, some of you may recall that I was here with Gordon for the warblers and cranes.  We did well and had fun.  Being back in July was interesting for me because it was the first time I birded during this time of year in Wisconsin.  Most birders are currently focused on the lakeshore and inland farmlands due to the beginning fall migration of shorebirds.  It was exciting to find lots of different peeps show up daily in the Manitowoc harbor.  We had Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, an American Avocet, and many of the sandpipers!  Hudsonian Godwits were also beginning to make their way down!

Misty Sheboygan from North Point

As mentioned before, birding is my spiritual connection to the world.  It helps sort out the emotions.  The fresh air makes everything better.  And birding in Wisconsin is one of the most relaxing things a person can do.  Plus the people here are the nicest. Just stay away from politics! We had complete strangers begin talking about the latest person to get fired at the White House while on our treks.  Birding is sacred and that's the last thing I want to hear while on a road trip.  I'll catch up with the news at night.  

One of the MANY Caspian Terns along the Northeastern Wisconsin shoreline

If we had cloudy rainy weather for the day, I'd take a quick run to the shoreline for shorebirds.  I don't think I was ever disappointed on those days. The rain brought in lots of fun birds.  When the next day came, those birds would be gone.  I had a discussion with Doc Sontag about the shorebirds.  He was shocked this year that the birds weren't staying as long as they had in the past.  A Willet came for a day but didn't spend a week like in years past. 

Cedar Waxwing

 Wisconsin is a wonderful place to bird. But it will be good to be back home soon.  I look forward to my work starting up again and guiding a weekend trek out to the grasslands with Tucson Audubon soon. 

a juvenile Black-capped Chickadee dries off after bathing in the marsh at Woodland Dunes

For now, I'm wrapping up my work here. As for this blog, I'm behind!  I'll be writing on several Wisconsin birding hotspots which will include Horicon Marsh and Washington Island.  I also have to finish up my last two posts on Costa Rica. For now, I'll close with some hobbit thoughts. 

My town is very much like the Shire.  There is a deep history in storytelling and understanding our family lines.  It's fascinating.  When my Grandma passed, she left behind her high school yearbooks.  There I sat paging through all the young faces from the class of '49. They look very much like our kids today in school.  They all had dreams just like my own students do. I always wonder if they would have changed anything in their lives had they known then what is known now.  And I wonder to myself, what my own legacy will be? What will yours be?  Until next time.....

My Grandparents graduated in the same class.  Later they married.  I wonder what they were thinking about at this stage in their lives. 

The Fading Light

The frozen Lake Michigan at sunset

Another trek to Wisconsin for the holidays had me searching for a VERY short list of birds in my area.  There were only 3 or 4 birds I could hope to gain for the life list while keeping myself within short distance of family events. And to be honest, I love that challenge.  When I'm home, most of my birding takes place in beautiful Manitowoc County along Lake Michigan.  It's a fun challenge.  Plus I love revisiting my favorite places here in town. 

Northern Cardinal

If I can do it, I like to "straddle" the year when it comes to birding.  I ended my birding here in 2016 and began 2017 with a nice list of wintering eastern birds to kick start the year. As birders know, we all start over at "0" when January 1st begins.  For many of us, it makes us pause and reflect on what we've seen and experienced over the past year while wondering with excitement what we'll see and experience for the new year. 

Bald Eagle at sunset eating dinner(a gull)

During my trek out to visit family, I tried to prepare myself for the constant need to sleep and eat.  Overcast skies, frozen waterways and early dark nights were constant reminders of the difficulty factor for birding this time of year in the Great Lakes. Time was also a major player on this trip so I had to budget wisely to make it all work smoothly. 

I've found that creating a schedule several days in advance is a good thing.  Then there are the things that I always have to keep in mind while birding back here in the cold. Will a snow storm interfere?  How many warm clothes should I pack?  How can I prevent myself from getting sick? How much prep time is needed to get from point A to point B before it gets dark?  And even more difficult?  Predicting where the birds will be during the various shades of winter.  Even on the lake, we had to be conscious of the open water areas.  Ice drifts are good for gulls, but completely frozen rivers and harbors are not good for ANY birds. It's very different from desert birding:) And the weather can change at the drop of a hat. 

Northern Shrike

And then I got sick.  I just remember waking up one morning and thinking, Oh oh.  This day isn't going to be a good one.  It wasn't.  I worshiped the porcelain goddess for TWO days!  

Eastern Screech-Owl

Life birds don't care.  Nor will they wait. I made a vow that in sickness and in wealth I'd dedicate my life to finding them. Whether I am conscious or not doesn't matter:) So on our scheduled day, I mustered up my energy cells and got in the car and went to visit with friends Nancy and Earl (who were so kind to help me out with a visiting Eastern Screech-Owl).  After we saw the owl and returned home, I went back to bed and proceeded to die slowly.

Herring Gulls in flight

 And then there is the grunt work.  I saved finding a Thayer's Gull for this trek because they are not easy to pick out among the hundreds of similar looking Herring Gulls.  People were reporting Iceland Gulls but I didn't go chasing that bird species because it's most likely going to be lumped back in with the Thayer's Gull.   There's a similar discussion happening with the Hoary and Common Redpoll. So for me, it's just finding a Common Redpoll and Thayer's Gull. We stood in the icy cold 10 degree weather staring at the hundreds of gulls. The fingers in my gloves were frozen. And my desire to search for a Thayer's Gull fizzled out fast.  My decision?  I took a panoramic of the entire colony of gulls from different vantage points and when I got home, I stitched the pictures together and counted and ID'd every single gull on that massive ice sheet from the comfort of my warm living room. 

Common Goldeneyes

On the way home right before the sun set at 4 PM!!, we stopped to observe the Common Goldeneyes in the harbor. As they flew from the waters, I watched their wing flap pattern and listened to their calls. 

So as the skies got grayer and darker, I snapped my pics. Then I would carefully plan and time out my birding  for the next day.  Sometimes I had an hour.  Other times, it was several.  

Rough-legged Hawk

As our time came to a close, I tried to weave in birding time with my family.  They like to be outdoors like I do so the birding thing wasn't really an issue.  I just go slower and get distracted often. 

The good part about short sunlit days is that there is more time to goof around with family and friends at night.  Here, my family set up a cam to capture pictures of several deer visiting the yard.  Instead we captured a pic of the creature known as Bilda The Beast!  More from Wisconsin next week.  Until then, have a great weekend!