Máistir Nádúraí: April Ends

4.30.2015

April Ends

Gray Catbird

This is the way April ends
This is the way April ends
This is the way April ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

(apologies to T.S. Eliot)

As far as warbler migration goes, April 2015 turned out a lot like April 2014. Looking back at my May 2nd post from last spring Where are all the warblers?, only six species were recorded at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. It's six again and quite similar in terms of species:

Northern Waterthrush
Orange-crowned Warbler
Northern Parula
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Naturally, this has Wisconsin birders wondering when the floodgates are going to open. Around midnight tonight the winds are supposed to shift to southerly. At present, though, they remain out of the northeast. Any day now...

Meanwhile, there is evidence all around us that spring's promise is being fulfilled.

Virginia Bluebell

Great Blue Heron

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Eastern Painted Turtle

White-throated Sparrow

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.