Máistir Nádúraí: Pope Farm Park Digiscoping

8.13.2009

Pope Farm Park Digiscoping

Chipping Sparrow

I hadn't even heard of Pope Farm Park just a few weeks ago, but it's already turning out to be a favorite spot for digiscoping birds and other critters. A stone wall interspersed with wooden stumps that runs north to south helps to make it productive under both morning and evening light. The wall attracts an assortment of insects, so birds are naturally inclined to keep a watchful eye from nearby perches, ready to swoop to the rocks and catch a meal. I haven't come anywhere close to exhausting the potential opportunities and suspect it will become even better as fall songbird migration reaches its apex. Given its proximity to the prairie, gardens, and agricultural fields, it's bound to be a terrific location for sparrows in September and October.

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Bluebird

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel

Cooper's Hawk

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.