9.12.2021

September Birding!

"It is the glistening autumnal side of summer. I feel a cool vein in the breeze, which braces my thought, and I pass with pleasure over sheltered and sunny portions of the sand where the summer's heat is undiminished, and I realize what a friend I am losing." 

― Henry David Thoreau
I didn't photograph a single tiger beetle this weekend! Actually, I didn't photograph any insects. This weekend was spent looking for southbound migratory birds. Yesterday around a dozen or so people joined me for a birding hike around Pope Farm Conservancy. There were south winds the previous night so my exceptions were set pretty low, but it turned out to be a pretty decent outing (checklist at the bottom of this post). Eastern Bluebirds were among the most numerous of all the birds present, but we also found a fair selection of warblers: Palm, Black-and-white, American Redstart, Magnolia, Common Yellowthroat, and Tennessee Warbler. 
Look! Rare photographs of me leading a field trip:
This morning I went to the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor to see what warblers were there ― I tallied 14, which is pretty good for this time of year. There were also a couple Philadelphia Vireos, a single Yellow-throated Vireo, and a few Red-eyed Vireos. The only catharus thrush I encountered was Swainson's, which were numerous. Other birds included Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Great Horned Owl, Tufted Titmouse, and many other creek corridor nesters and regulars.

The warbler species were:

Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
The water's fine, Mr. Nashville Warbler ― take a dip!
Sneezeweed and New England Aster.
Pope Farm Conservancy, Dane, Wisconsin, US
Sep 11, 2021 7:15 AM - 9:15 AM
2.0 mile(s) 41 species

Canada Goose  
Mallard  
Mourning Dove  
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  
Sandhill Crane  
Red-tailed Hawk  
Red-headed Woodpecker  
Downy Woodpecker  
Northern Flicker  
Eastern Wood-Pewee  
Eastern Phoebe  
Yellow-throated Vireo  
Blue Jay  
American Crow  
Black-capped Chickadee  
Horned Lark  
Tree Swallow  
Red-breasted Nuthatch  
White-breasted Nuthatch  
House Wren  
European Starling  
Gray Catbird 
Eastern Bluebird  
American Robin  
Cedar Waxwing  
House Sparrow  
House Finch  
American Goldfinch  
Chipping Sparrow  
Field Sparrow  
Song Sparrow  
Red-winged Blackbird  
Black-and-white Warbler  
Tennessee Warbler  
Common Yellowthroat  
American Redstart  
Magnolia Warbler  
Palm Warbler  
Northern Cardinal  
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  
Indigo Bunting  

Most images © 2021 Mike McDowell