Máistir Nádúraí: White-throats are back!

9.23.2018

White-throats are back!

"You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen."

― Ernest Hemingway

White-throated Sparrow

Frautschi Point has been more than a satisfactory warbler replacement for the damaged Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor. Though I had heard a rumor that the corridor trail might re-open this weekend, it wasn't the case. For today, nearby Pope Farm Conservancy was the perfect place for a quiet late afternoon walk. Its early autumn prairies were adorned with various goldenrods, asters, and dozens of Monarch Butterflies fed upon them. Perhaps there is hope for this declining butterfly with all the attention they've been receiving throughout conservation circles. It seems like more people are planting milkweed and also raising Monarch caterpillars.

Avian-wise, various birds were foraging for flying insects along the fence line, including Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows, and Field Sparrows. Sparrow season will soon be upon us. Already thousands of White-throated Sparrows descended upon southern Wisconsin during the recent cold front. They were quite numerous along Lakeshore Preserve on Saturday, and I also found several of them at Pope Farm this evening.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Eastern Bluebird

A common butterfly I think we would all like to keep that way ...

A future for Monarchs ...

Common Milkweed

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.