White-crowned Sparrow (zonotrichia leucophrys)
Yesterday was one of the best fall migration days I've ever experienced at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. My birding companions, Dottie Johnson and Sylvia Marek, agreed. NEXRAD lit up late Saturday evening as millions of birds took to the skies and migrated throughout the night. With a good tailwind, a typical songbird can travel 150 to 300 miles during a night of migration. By dawn, they need to find a place to refuel and rest before continuing their incredible journey, and that's when they begin to fill the conservancy's woods, creek corridor, and fields.
Harris's Sparrow (zonotrichia querula)
The results were fantastic! We found 75 different kinds of birds, 14 of which were warbler species. Naturally, at this stage of migration more Palm Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers moved in, but there were still feathered gems like Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Chestnut-sided Warbler. The first Golden-crowned Kinglets of fall arrived. Many emberzines (sparrows) moved in as well, like Lincoln's Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Eastern Towhee. But best of all, I found a Harris's Sparrow at the prairie parcel, which is only the 5th time I've observed this species at the conservancy since my lifer there in 2003. The "Zono Trifecta" was completed with White-throated Sparrows and my first White-crowned Sparrows of fall migration.
Beautiful weather with great friends and great birds!
White-throated Sparrow (zonotrichia albicollis)
Red Admiral
Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Sep 23, 2012 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM
75 species
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Great Blue Heron
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
All images © 2012 Mike McDowell