Back to birding!
I walked a section of the creek corridor at Pheasant Branch Conservancy before work this morning hoping for my first southbound warblers of fall migration, but found none. It won't be much longer, though. I usually find a few by August 10th, like canada, chestnut-sided, or black-and-white warblers. They may be post-breeding dispersed birds from the Baraboo Hills, but where does that end and "true" migration begin?
An exciting discovery was finding a family of Carolina Wrens. I saw a male courting a female back in May and thought I might eventually find evidence of breeding. So, there they were; two adults and two immature wrens - the whole dang family! The male was singing away atop a sunlit perch while the female was with two young birds foraging through the rootwad along the creek bank.
This young Red-tailed Hawk was nicely perched for portraiture, but nearby songbirds weren't too thrilled about its presence and were making quite a commotion over it. The hawk was undeterred and maintained its perch despite the distraction.
It was a short walk, but I was meeting friends for coffee before heading to work.
Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Aug 8, 2013 6:15 AM - 8:00 AM
35 species
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
Red-tailed Hawk © 2013 Mike McDowell