"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity."
― John Muir
Last weekend I spent a day at Devil's Lake State Park. There have not been many reports in Wisconsin this fall for Townsend's Solitaires, so I thought I'd take a look at one of their traditional overwintering spots in our state. When I do find them, it's often along Balanced Rock Trail at the top of the south shore bluff. Devil's Lake is about the closest thing one can experience to a western highland hike in southern Wisconsin. The bluffs trails aren't super challenging, but when you're hauling a bunch of gear it can get a little arduous at times. Nearly every year there's a climbing accident on the bluffs resulting in serious injury or death. Know your limits!
Though seasonly pleasant, there was a blustery wind throughout the outing. At times I suspect the gusts may have reach over 40 MPH. A few weeks ago I got on a K2 and Everest documentary kick and pondered how dangerous those situations must be when caught in a blizzard at over 20,000 feet. I find the idea of mountain climbing intriguing, but I doubt that's something I would ever do. It's astounding to note that nearly a quarter of K2 climbers perish in the attempt. That's just crazy! But what an achievement if you manage pull it off and survive to tell the tale. At Devil's Lake you merely have to be cognizant of your footing when admiring the stunning scenery.
I saw a couple of Red Squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, but no Townsend's Solitaires were observed. I may have gotten a glimpse of a fly-over bird, but I wasn't able to get a good look at it. There were a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding on juniper berries, plus a few Black-capped Chickadees, and a single Cedar Waxwing. American Crows seemed to be playing in the wind, which was kind of humorous to watch. The berry crop is about the best I have seen, which could mean that it's the same at other locations. A couple of birders did find a solitaire just yesterday at Observatory Hill State Natural Area, so maybe they're around but it was just too windy for them on this particular day.
I will never forget the amazing looks at solitaires I got at Gibraltar Rock a few years back. Apart from closeup views of the bird that overwintered in 2018 at the UW Arboretum, these are my favorite photographs I've taken of this western thrush species.
The view from the top of the bluff at the woods below is always pretty spectacular ...
The view from the top of the bluff at the woods below is always pretty spectacular ...
Eventually comes the time to head down and then home. Though hiking up the bluff requires more physical endurance, the trip down is a bit trickier for me ― I slipped a few times. As far as the bird goes, perhaps I'll make another outing yet this year to find a Townsend's Solitaire. Maybe I'll try Gibraltar Rock again, or perhaps the bird found at Observatory Hill. Heck, it doesn't even really matter if I don't see one at all this year ― the beautiful scenery is enough.
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell