Keeping it relatively green, I kept close to home for the majority of my birding excursions in 2009. In terms of numbers, I had my best year ever at Pheasant Branch Conservancy with 167 bird species in 75 visits. (eBird's total for the conservancy is up to 209 species.) My Wisconsin 2009 year list stands at 207, my lowest on record (a good thing). My longest drive to watch birds was Horicon NWR to attend the annual festival as a volunteer field trip leader. I also led several field trips for Madison Audubon and one for The Nature Conservancy. Birding locations outside of Dane County included Baxter's Hollow, Spring Green Preserve, and Cook Arboretum. I donated to several conservation groups, including Operation Migration, Raptor Education Group, Inc., and The Nature Conservancy. While the overall output of my digiscoping was down, I was fortunate to experience one of my most productive years in terms of quality. Here's a sampling of 2009's beautiful bird memories:
All of these birds were photographed in their natural environment. No playback devices were used to attract them. Songbirds were not provided with birdseed or any other food items to lure them into the open. Birds of prey were not baited with living animals.
See you in 2010!
© 2009 Mike McDowell
