Rainy Days and Monday

Warblers.  We needed to find more warblers! This time around, our journey took us to the beautiful Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy, Governor Dodge and Wyalusing State Parks. Our goal?  To find the rare Cerulean and Kentucky Warblers. And maybe a Henslow's Sparrow?  The weather conditions were severe and it made our challenge more challenging:) 

As a birder with a lifebird target list, I am not allowed to stay and enjoy an area for a long period of time. These were some of those places I wished we could have camped for several days.  There was so much wonderful habitat and not enough time to properly explore it all.  And the storms didn't help either.  To make things worse, I was eating a HOT cheese and ham croissant.  I took one bite and a squirt of the hot melted liquid cheese burned me and stained my shirt.  And I wore this shirt for two days.  How gross was I? What we do for the birds:) 

A cool stream runs along a rock wall at Governor Dodge State Park

The challenge was working with overcast skies and severe storms.  And the storms were brewing! We were only given one shot during this ambitious Wisconsin trek.  So we made the most of it and did our best with the conditions provided. 

Song Sparrow on Lupin

After chasing birds in places like Baxter's Hollow and Governor Dodge State Park, we were beginning to have our doubts about these warblers. 

Willow Flycatcher

We did have amazing birds along the way that we don't always get to see in Arizona.  And places like Baxter's Hollow Nature Conservancy offered us the potential to spot some rare-to-Wisconsin warbler action.  

We navigate the wet and slick trails under the canopy of the dark forested Baxter's Hollow

We entered the emerald green area and I felt like I was in Central America again.  The humidity was thick and drops of moisture casually landed on my head.  

Viceroy Butterfly

Red-spotted Purple

I capture "memory photos" and memorize this incredibly beautiful space. 

Indigo Bunting

At Wyalusing State Park, the lifebird list begins to tick as we hear and study an Acadian Flycatcher well.  It was a thrill to see this bird.  In fact, after this trek, I have become really interested in Flycatchers.  They may all look similar but they are quite fascinating to watch.  Each one has a unique call with different habits.  And their habitat is fascinating!

Acadian Flycatcher

This flycatcher prefers the dark shaded forest.  We watched it feed on several bugs before moving onto our BIG challenge.....the Kentucky Warbler. 

The Kentucky Warbler IS a rare bird to Wisconsin during the month of June.  We heard a chip note that was different from the rest.  The bird was circling around us watching.  The rain also began to fall causing poor photography conditions. 

Kentucky Warbler

Eventually we spotted the warbler and were super thrilled to have seen the bird. The bigger question for me was, "Was it nesting?" I discovered in Wisconsin that a lot of the warblers that weren't on our list to find were actually there in smaller numbers.  They weren't supposed to nest there during the summer and yet some did.  I wish I would have studied these unexpected birds better.  But one warbler I did study well was the Cerulean Warbler. 

Cerulean Warbler

Our final mission brings us to a bird of concern, the Cerulean Warbler. It is a stunner of a warbler and listed as vulnerable with a high risk for extinction. But here in the park, there were great numbers breeding along the wooded area. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

It was quite easily the most abundant warbler in the park. The blues are mesmerizing but you won't be able to tell from the above pic:)  The overcast skies had now become dark! Here is a little bit of background on this bird. The Cerulean Warbler is the fastest declining Neotropcial migrant songbird. Among the many threats they face, their wintering habitat in the northern Andes is dwindling rapidly. 

Today, the American Bird Conservancy is working with its Colombian partner, Fundación ProAves, to protect wintering habitat for these warblers and other songbirds. Click on the link for more information.  Every time I add a new life bird, my knowledge base increases and my birding powers become stronger:)  This is the benefit from constant research on our planet's birds.  I listen to their calls, memorize their habitat and read about their status.  And it takes time!

Field Sparrow

While it was really exciting to watch this warbler in the wild, it was also time to move on.  It's never easy but you are given a moment.  What will you do with that moment?  

Field Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds........everywhere!  A pair of Bald Eagles hunts along a river. 

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds nest. 

And we continue our adventures. For now, I'll leave you with a recording of our Eastern Whip-poor-will find and video from Karen Carpenter:) Until next time......

The Kingsguard

They warned me about the forests.  They told me that there would be elves and trolls hiding in these Jack Pine forests. 

The ominous "They" warned us.  And we took it under advisement. We studied maps of the area.  We even met up with other woodsmen from the forest. 

It was a gray and overcast day.  A storm was rolling into the area.  Alone with nowhere to run, we stood along the moderate growth of the Jack Pine forest. 

As we stood along the forest's edge, we heard the rare bird call. The King warned us that if we trespassed, we'd be tried and hanged.  So we stayed on the road.  Just then, a cute little elf came from the forests appearing out of nowhere. "Can I help you fine people?", he said as he looked into my eyes. In my mind I could hear him whisper, Welcome Chris of the Shire! Could anyone else hear him??!!! He was a good looking elf. The kind you might find in a place known as the Big Apple. Not the ugly kind you read about in books. But this handsome silky haired elf worked for the King! 

The weather fronts meet causing a great storm

I tried to straighten out my hair and look at least respectable but I had to contain my bird nest within my hat. I was after all a simple peasant. We told the elf that we searched for the great Kirtland's Warbler.  He responded that there was no such creature in these forests and that we were to turn back now or forever suffer the King's wrath.  When did elves work for the King?  And to impress upon us the severity of his words, he made a signal to the Forest. An Elvish warrior princess suddenly appeared by the name of Pandothiel. She must have held some dark magic enchantment spells because most of the birders in our group were in a trance. But it didn't seem to work on Gordon or myself. It did work on Tommy.  She got Tommy! And then she coerced our Band of Birders to give her personal information.  She threatened to report us to the King if we returned. Gordon, our wizard, commanded the storms to cause chaos and break the enchantment that Tommy suffered by Pandothiel.  Lightning and rain hit us all with a great tenacity.  And forever our Band of Birders was split apart. We never saw them again. 

The Great Wizard, Gordon, was tired and exhausted. Enhancing the power of a storm was no easy feat. We found a modest inn that would allow us to sleep and reorganize our efforts for this rare bird.

The bird gods were ever watching over us.  So we ate some fancy sweets blessed by the plumed serpent. Our night's rest would be challenged by strange ladies coming and going at night.  A man several doors from us seemed to know them all. I shut our curtains to keep the nightmares away. We should have maybe paid with a little more coin for a fancier inn, but it was what it was. During the early morning hours, we found female hair in the parking lot. Hastily, we left the area. 

We never gave up hope, but we did avoid the Kingsguard this time around during our search for this rare bird.  We drove with our carriage windows down.  And then........

Kirtland's Warbler

.....the bird gods granted us a wonderful gift.  A singing Kirtland's Warbler on top of a pine tree. It was like finding the Holy Grail.  We located the bird in a different location several kilometers away.  In the distance, we saw white horses coming towards us and we knew we had to leave or be hung for our crimes.  Even though we didn't commit any.  The King was an unforgiving man. 

The Kirtland's Warbler is a sacred bird for many. In fact, it is the sigil of His Grace.  In our minds, we heard the Warbler yell, "RUN YOU FOOLS!"

Note the banding

Others have told their tale.  For example, one of the Birders Without Banners, Tommy, tells a tale about marriage to the female Elvish warrior.  It's a true love story about how Pandothiel caught him returning to the King's Lands trying to find the warbler.  She threw him in the cell block and he became her slave but I'll let you read his tale.  I think it reads something like, 50 Shades of Kirtland:)

The Warbler chart

In all seriousness, never have I seen a bird so protected as the Kirtland's Warbler.  It was one of the two very important birds we needed to find in Wisconsin.  Five months of planning went into this bird. It was/is a very protected bird that is slowly making a comeback.  It's also the trickiest bird we had to find.  Back in Arizona, Gordon sent me some intel which allowed me to make some personal calls.  Most of them would lead to dead ends, but one person helped me understand the habitat of this warbler well.  I took notes and did the research. It would have been easier to go to Grayling, Michigan for the tour.   But I am tired of tours and to be quite honest, I'm not really a big fan of tour groups.  They told us it would be challenging to try and find the bird in Wisconsin.  And they were right.  Everyone was mum on this rare bird. With a lot of bird experience now, we could do this on our own.  Plus Wisconsin is my home state.  I wanted the bird on my Wisconsin list.  If you ebird and find the bird, there is a general hotspot for the Kirtland's Warbler in Adams County.  The Wisconsin DNR is strict so be careful where you go.  I cannot share anything more specific than what I've written.  They took down our personal information and it was interesting how much energy went into protecting this bird.  And I'm very glad they do.  Not all birders are responsible and the DNR doesn't play around with anyone.  Good on them.  Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this tale.  For more information on finding the Kirtland's Warbler(and other birds) in Wisconsin, click on this useful link (thanks to Magill Weber). Below is the shaky video I took of the bird. Stay tuned for more....

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!

The Pelican Invasion

The Wisconsin bird of the year has to be the American White Pelican. Their numbers attracted thousands of people along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Milwaukee to Door County.  And their return is significant.

Caspian Terns surrounded by Ring-billed Gulls

Many moons ago during the time period when people didn't understand the word extinction, these birds were hunted on the Great Lakes for their feathers. Women enjoyed wearing hats with exotic feathers. Some of them even had bird nests, the whole dead bird or their wings attached to the hat! For more info, check out the NPR link on the women who saved birds.  The history of birds is a fascinating one. 

Nothing says sexy like a woman with a dead bird on her head.  Photo courtesy of NPR

Alas, all the pelicans were wiped out from the Great Lakes for many decades.  Only a few of these birds could be seen in places like Green Bay.  As a child growing up in the area, I NEVER saw a pelican once.  Nor had the people of my Shire. Eventually after the ban on poaching during the early 20th century, these birds slowly made a comeback and their populations have dramatically increased today. 

The Great Lakes have also seen an invasion of exotic fish and marine life over the years.  One fish I do remember well is the alewife.  This tiny fish dies off in the thousands along the beaches of Lake Michigan during dramatic weather shifts in spring and early summer.  The smell alone is terrible.  And the coastline can be covered in piles of these fish as the currents force their sickly bodies closer to the shore.  Over the years, towns along these areas have had to send in equipment to clean up the beaches. Take for example this recent report from Racine.  I'd like to make a correction to the article.  There are no such things as sea gulls.  Just gulls.  

A Forster's Tern stretches out the wings

Well these little fish attract MANY gulls, terns, grackles and other pelicans!  I've noticed that in Manitowoc where the pelican population is quite large, there weren't as many alewife on the beaches.  This bird may actually be beneficial for people living along the shoreline who suffer from the wretched smell. The food source has attracted many birds into this area.  They are nature's natural(all green) clean up system.  And perhaps the answer to restoring balance to an unstable ecosystem.  Just by the return of a bird species, beaches might become cleaner places.  Good for the birds and good for the people.  The dead alewife that do make it to shore are ground up for cat food and fertilizer.  FYI.

So back to the pelicans who were stealing the show.  People from all over, in their friendly Wisconsin ways, would ask birders if those were indeed pelicans.  Birders politely would tell them that they were.  Then people would share their personal recollections about having never seen one growing up.  And speaking for myself, it is shocking to see pelicans flying over the beach on a summer day.  I mean, were we living in California?  It's pretty amazing to see them fly in their "V" formations over the roads.

An angry Bonaparte's Gull

So while people walked their dogs with leashes and some without, they would ask birders about the pelicans.  Birders were looking at rarer things.  And soon it became a distraction.  One birder would take one for the team while we isolated the rarer gulls.  We'd watch unleashed dogs run out and chase the gulls into the air.  AND while we were trying to count them.  It was very frustrating.  It's dangerous for the birds.  It's dangerous for people and other dogs.  On one outing one dog attacked an owner with a dog on the leash.  When the dogs were separated and the owner of the unleashed dog was told that his dog attacked another, the owner responded, "Not my dog."  Irresponsible moron. 

Nellie cuddles up in her blanket. She'll have nothing to do with them birds.

Shorebirds take serious concentration. And after awhile, the question, "Are you looking at them pelicans?" got old.  Fast. Maybe I became too serious.  But when you're counting somewhere around 500 Ring-billed Gulls and get distracted, it gets frustrating.  I can't multi-task very well.  I am after all a man:) And I'm not saying all men can't multi-task.  But I know I'm not alone:)

Don't get me wrong. I love the pelicans!  But I also loved the gulls. I wanted to spend most of my time on the Lake and bird.  Towards the latter part of my vacation, I went to the infamous Manitowoc Impoundment every day.  It was cool and breezy with a great chance for rarities.  Lots of rarities.  

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Some birders don't get into the gull ID thing like I do. And I get it. Gulls can be some of the most challenging birds out there. Understanding gulls over the years has been a lot of fun.  However, I'm not the same way with sandpipers.  Isn't it interesting how we all have our favorite groups of birds?

A 3rd cycle Great Black-backed Gull!!!  This was shocking to me!  I thought they wintered only in Two Rivers, but apparently not!  Cool find!

Even their various year molt cycles are interesting. We found Bonaparte's, Franklin's, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Little, Ring-billed, Herring and Laughing Gulls.  That's a LOT of gulls! And then there were the terns!

Former professor, Doc Sontag, was at it again.  Every day at 2 PM he finds rarities for the Wisconsin crowd to chase at the Manitowoc Impoundment.  On my last day, I wanted to say good-bye to this amazing fellow.  And what followed afterwards was awesome......

Doc is wearing the brim hat with suspenders.  Love that guy!

Something spooked the pelicans, gulls and terns into the air. Thousands of birds circled around us.  When all the birds began to land, I noticed a strange tern in flight.  It looked like a Common Tern(expected for this area), but something was off in the flight pattern.  As it landed, I noticed it was tiny.  So I went to the Doc and said, "Hey, is that a Common Tern?"  It sure wasn't acting like one. 

Arctic Tern

 The Doc's eyes grew.  With his expertise and knowledge, he shouts out, "OH MY GOODNESS! We've got an Arctic Tern here!" I've only seen this bird ONCE in my life! A birder group forms quickly and everyone begins to record and take data making notes.  Orange/red bill, small, short orange/red legs, etc etc.  Our team keeps up with the ID getting photos for the records.  We begin to report to the various listservs. This is HUGE! As we are trying to do all this detailed work, a group of friendly people stop by and ask, "Are you looking at the Pelicans?" Son of a .........

The Doc takes one for the team and begins chatting with the people about the pelicans.  This guy is amazing. I think back on my times with him in class and remember how patient he was with me. And here again he shows the same courtesy and patience towards others. Flashback! In one corner of our lab, he had a pile of formaldehyde cats for study. Needless to say, I was a bit traumatized:)  It was part of the curriculum and he was a great professor. Me? Well I could've done better. I was into the art of party and socializing. I remember during a time when we did blood testing in class. I hate blood and I almost passed out trying to prick my fingers like 500 times. It was like sticking a turnip! The lesson was about testing chromosomes.  If I went back now as an adult, I would be a much better student.  One of my favorite lessons with him was dominant and recessive gene traits.  Doc, I failed you in the biology department but I hope to make up for it in the bird one:)

Caspian Tern

During my last days along the "Lakeshore", I enjoyed all the shorebirds as much as I could.  Even the pelicans.  I have only seen one white pelican in Arizona this year so Wisconsin certainly made up for my lack of sightings this year. 

Here is yet another positive about the pelicans. They became the unofficial ambassadors between birders and non-birders alike. Their presence caught the public's eye and a general interest for birds. And that's a good thing!

Franklin's Gull

 Their large numbers and exotic beauty brought in crowds of people. Places like the Manitowoc Impoundment and North Point in Sheboygan were magnets for the crowds where the pelicans hung out. Unintentionally, we, the birders(or anyone foolish enough to wear binoculars:), became the ambassadors who bridged the people with these birds.  When votes are needed to save or protect habitat, etc, perhaps people will remember their positive experiences with these birds and help protect our ever shrinking wildlife spaces. At least, this is my hope. 

Because as we know, birds are simply amazing. They are meant to fly free. They inspire art.  And they inspire so many of us. 

It doesn't matter where we live.  There is beauty everywhere we are.  All we need to do is stop and look. It's really that easy but something we can often forget to do in our busy daily lives.  And the pelicans did that for so many people.  

Until next time......

Photo courtesy of NPR