Máistir Nádúraí: Late March Birding

3.29.2008

Late March Birding

Dottie and I birded the entire length of the Pheasant Branch stream corridor this morning. New spring arrivals included Eastern Phoebe, Golden-crowned Kinglet and a northbound flock of Double-crested Cormorants flying high overhead. I might have missed them if Dottie hadn't pointed them out. We were hoping for Fox Sparrows and Winter Wrens, but found none. After Dottie departed, I found an Eastern Meadowlark and Eastern Bluebirds on the prairie parcel of the conservancy. The cheerful songs of Song Sparrows filled the air.

Canada Goose

Mallard

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Sandhill Crane

Killdeer

Ring-billed Gull

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay
American CrowBlack-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

European Starling

American Tree Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed JuncoNorthern Cardinal

Red-winged Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Common Grackle

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.