Máistir Nádúraí: March Ends

3.31.2013

March Ends

Song Sparrow

I retraced most of my route from yesterday and came up with 42 species once again. I added Wood Ducks, but missed Belted Kingfisher. There were a few more Eastern Phoebes, another Golden-crowned Kinglet, and even more American Robins. The most obvious change was the increase in the number of Song Sparrows. They were everywhere today! Yesterday I tallied only two, but today there were at least 20 of the spring songsters seen and heard during my hike. I was impressed with Kyle Lindemer's report of around 100 of them at Nine Springs yesterday compared with my paltry two birds. Perhaps the main Song Sparrow influx had only made it to the southeast side of Madison two nights ago.

Song Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

Speaking of numbers, last year I found 71 bird species during the month of March at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. I'm down this year. This March I'm at 48 species for the month. This isn't surprising given the extended cold weather we've been experiencing so far this spring, but it's actually only a little below average compared with recent years. Last year was definitely the exception given the unseasonably warm weather.

Here's how recent years compare:

2013 (48), 2012 (71), 2011 (57), 2010 (58), 2009 (51), 2008 (47), 2007 (58)

Brown Creeper

American Robin

Red-winged Blackbird

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.