Worm-eating Warblers in Madison!

Absolutely amazing! There are two Worm-eating Warblers present on the Grady Tract at the UW Arboretum. Apparently, one of them was observed there by Sumner Matteson on May 14th, so it's possible these birds are on territory. Don't they like Baxter's Hollow any more? It's been years since I've seen (or heard) one there.





I visited the Grady Tract today to try to get a photograph of one of the warblers, but the lighting wasn't very good and the most vocal and obvious of the two spent its time foraging and singing way up in the canopy. At one point the bird came down mid-story, but it was too far away for a close-up portrait. Instead, I opted to capture a video of it singing:



And who said warbler migration is over? While waiting for the Worm-eating Warbler, I heard Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Canada Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Blackpoll Warbler. It isn't over yet!

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

What is it?

Taken this spring at Pheasant Branch Conservancy.

All of the Prothonotary Warblers I've observed so far this spring have had what appears to be a reddish-orange stain above the bill, sometimes extending over the head. I've recently observed the same feather feature in prothonotary photographs taken by other birders as well.

I first noticed this "field mark" a few years ago on a bird at Pheasant Branch Conservancy (see photograph below), but it was faint enough that I thought it was merely a plumage characteristic, perhaps something adult birds acquired over the course of subsequent molts. However, photographs I've taken this year show that it isn't just coloration, but appears to be something sticky that’s matting their feathers.


Just a hint of the stain is visible on this 2011 bird.

While conducting researching on the Internet, I discovered a message thread on the Illinois Birders’ Forum about a "weird prothonotary warbler" regarding this plumage mark. An experienced bird bander who has handled many Prothonotary Warblers had this to say about the mark:

"Having handled a few hundred male Prothonotaries over the past 8 years in southern Illinois, the brown feathers at the base of the bill like the Busey bird are fairly common. As they commonly stick their head in small nooks and crannies amongst the foliage at the water edge, they will routinely 'foul' their head feathers. This can last for weeks, but will wear off over time."

What do you think it is, though? Dirt? Tree sap? Something else?

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Scarlet Tanagers!

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life."

~ John Burroughs


Pheasant Branch Conservancy creek corridor

While Pheasant Branch Conservancy is a wonderful natural area to view and photograph a wide variety of songbirds, it isn't always the most tranquil place. The multi-use creek corridor trail is quiet for the first hour or so of daylight, but eventually it becomes a busy place with bicyclists, joggers, and dog walkers. Even the seasonal influx of birders and photographers can add to the cacophony of interfering human noises. But for an escape to genuine woodland solitude, Baxter’s Hollow in the Baraboo Hills is a relatively short distance away.



The plan for my day off was to first go birding with my friends at the conservancy, and then head up to Baxter’s Hollow to photograph wildflowers and Scarlet Tanagers. I found tanagers at both locations, but they were actually much more cooperative at the conservancy.





Right now there’s a lovely variety of wildflowers along Otter Creek, including Jacob’s Ladder, Spring Beauty, Marsh Marigold, and Nodding Trillium. For me, though, the best part about a trip to Baxter’s Hollow is to find a comfortable place to sit and listen to the songs of birds and be idle for as long as possible.


Otter Creek at Baxter's Hollow




Jacob's Ladder


Spring Beauty


A place to decompress!

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Madison Audubon Warbler Walk: Results!

Baltimore Oriole

Around 60 birders attended the Madison Audubon Warbler Walk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy this morning and observed at least 22 warbler species. A Mourning Warbler was reported, but only a few people got to see (or hear) it. New for spring were Wilson's and Canada Warblers. There was an influx of vireos, but we still haven't seen many thrushes like Swainson's and Gray-cheeked. I wish I had the entire day to bird there because things were hopping!

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
May 14, 2013 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM
74 species

Wood Duck
Mallard
Green Heron
Broad-winged Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


Trillium

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Creek Corridor Beauty!

Pheasant Branch Conservancy creek corridor

Though there is a lot of honeysuckle, garlic mustard, and other invasives along the creek corridor trail of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, it's still a treasure trove of Nature's wild gifts. May is a great time to live in Wisconsin. Having traveled half the states in our country, nothing beats Wisconsin. I'm grateful to witness our state's phenological progression through spring every year. Though there are familiar colors, shapes, and forms, each spring renders a few surprises and carries elements of unpredictable uniqueness.


Colorful Tree Lichens


Violets are finally blooming.


Mink!

I was finally able to capture a photograph of a creek corridor mink. This particular one appeared to be protecting a meal that was stashed behind the rocks. An enthralled and amused group of observers watched, but were never exactly sure what it was carrying in its mouth. Some thought it might have been a baby squirrel that had fallen out of its nest.


Wood Ducks

A pair of Wood Ducks relaxed in the late afternoon light. It's comforting to know their lives aren't always filled with skittishness and that there are moments for them to simply enjoy being ducks. I seldom ever observe them being so docile, especially when they first arrive at the creek corridor in early April.


Bay-breasted Warbler

This Bay-breasted Warbler put on quite a show for a group of birders along the east trail between the first two bridges. A fine bird, indeed, but I was more captivated by a Black-and-white Warbler probing its bill into the crevices of tree bark. At one point he stuck is entire head into a small cavity and found something to eat, perhaps a nice juicy spider.


Black-and-white Warbler


Black-and-white Warbler


Black-and-white Warbler


Least Flycatcher

Shortly after I took this photograph, this Least Flycatcher got harassed by a House Wren. While the wren was no match for the flycatcher's agility, the commotion between the two attracted the interest of a nearby Song Sparrow, who began to chase the House Wren! The flycatcher perched higher up, as if to observe the melee from above and perhaps reassess the situation. The wren dashed for cover under a fallen log, but the sparrow perched on top of it and waited. Once the wren reemerged, the sparrow took off after it again. This went on for several more minutes until the sparrow declared victory with a burst of song. Calm restored, the flycatcher resumed looking for flying insects to eat.

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Creek corridor Barred Owls: Update!

Prey item looks like a species of sucker.

Bird activity this morning at Pheasant Branch Conservancy was slightly subdued, but I still managed to find 18 warbler species which included a singing Cerulean Warbler. At least one Black-throated Blue Warbler was still present and a Cape May Warbler continues to favor a particular hackberry tree near the frog pond on the west trail. Overall numbers have been dwindling the past few days, but I suspect the next big wave will arrive on Thursday.



I photographed Barred Owls for a couple of minutes this morning. I don't like to stand in their presence for very long because they're busy bringing food to their young and I want to keep disturbances to a minimum. Still, these owls are attracting a lot of attention from curious onlookers. One couple I spoke to drove up from Iowa to see this family of owls. A couple days ago I seized the opportunity to provide an educational moment and also let kids look at the owls with my spotting scope. They were in awe and it was cool to share enjoyment of these birds in the glow of their enthusiasm.


Youngster awaits a meal from its parents.

As you can see from the pictures, sushi was on the menu this morning. I remember the night I walked through Pheasant Branch and observed one of the Barred Owl fishing. Prior to that, I thought they only ate small rodents and birds. They are opportunistic predators. In addition to fish they also eat small reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like crayfish and large insects.

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Score!

Newspapers, magazines, calendars, DVD & CD jackets, and now beer!

Friday, May 17th 5:00-7:30pm

LOST OWL LAGER HOOTENANNY: A Fundraiser for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon

If you're one of the hundreds of people who flocked to the Brewery to see our very own Lost Great Grey Owl, this event is for you! Join us for the Lost Owl Lager Hooetenanny: A Fundraiser for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, featuring live music and a raffle to win one of the fibe great prizes: Binoculars donated by Eagle Optics, Case of Lost Owl Lager donated by Capital Brewery, Free Big Day Field Trip of yur choice for up to 4 people donated by the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, Free Field Trip of your choice for up to 4 people donated by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Fabulous birding books donated by Steve Betchkal. All proceeds help bird conservation in Wisconsin.

Link: Order Lost Owl Lager today at Capital Brewery!

The Warbler Parade continues!

Black-throated Green Warbler

It was another thrilling morning of warbler watching at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. I didn’t cover much ground because most of the activity was occurring between the first and second bridges on the east creek corridor trail.


Magnolia Warbler

The light was good and the birds were foraging relatively low once again. I got a couple of nice images of Black-throated Green and Magnolia Warblers, but my favorite of the morning was a Black-throated Blue Warbler.


Black-throated Blue Warbler



There were two of them, actually. Both birds were singing and making their way closer to the trail. Eventually, patience paid off and the handsome warbler perched in the open for a nice portrait.



All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Warbler Weekend!

Tree buds opened virtually overnight, decorating branches with every shade of green imaginable. It was a veritable warbler bonanza on Saturday, but things were a little slower today and most of the White-throated Sparrows apparently moved out of the conservancy for destinations further north. I'll miss their sweet melancholy songs early in the morning.


White-throated Sparrow


Dutchman's Breeches


Dutchman's Breeches


Trout Lily

More spring ephemeral wildflowers have blossomed. I thought about heading up to Baxter's Hollow to photograph more, but I stayed at Pheasant Branch to digiscope warblers. Somehow I missed seeing Dutchman's Breeches at the conservancy in past years, but there they were right along the creek corridor trail. There's also a nice Mayapple patch near the east entrance that's coming up nicely.



The warblers were plentiful and cooperative. Though we experienced warmer weather this weekend, the birds were still foraging close to the ground. My hunch is that there haven't been adequate insect hatchings to lure them back up to the canopy. Warblers favor Hackberry trees for foraging. Perhaps they're finding juicy spiders or midges hiding in bark crevices.

And now for the birds!


Blue-gray Gnatcatcher


Yellow Warbler


Yellow Warbler


Palm Warbler


Palm Warbler


Black-and-white Warbler


Nashville Warbler


Black-throated Green Warbler


Black-throated Green Warbler

The above bird photographs were taken with a Swarovski ATX 85 spotting scope, Nikon 1 V1 & 18.5mm f/1.8 lens, and Swarovski DCBII adapter. This combination renders less magnification compared to the Swarovski TLS APO, but it provides faster shutter speeds and makes framing fast-moving songbirds considerably easier. Once I managed to get a bird in the frame, I would increase the eyepiece magnification from 25x to as high as 40x depending on the composition I was going for.

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
May 4, 2013 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
89 species

Canada Goose 
Wood Duck 
Mallard 
Blue-winged Teal 
Green-winged Teal 
Lesser Scaup 
Pied-billed Grebe 
Great Blue Heron 
Cooper's Hawk 
Bald Eagle 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Sandhill Crane 
Killdeer 
Spotted Sandpiper 
Solitary Sandpiper 
Ring-billed Gull 
Rock Pigeon 
Mourning Dove 
Great Horned Owl 
Barred Owl 
Belted Kingfisher 
Red-headed Woodpecker 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Hairy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
American Kestrel 
Least Flycatcher 
Eastern Phoebe 
Eastern Kingbird 
Blue-headed Vireo 
Warbling Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 
Tree Swallow 
Barn Swallow 
Cliff Swallow 
Black-capped Chickadee 
Tufted Titmouse 
White-breasted Nuthatch 
House Wren 
Carolina Wren 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
Eastern Bluebird 
Veery 
Wood Thrush 
American Robin 
Gray Catbird 
Brown Thrasher 
European Starling 
Ovenbird 
Northern Waterthrush 
Golden-winged Warbler 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Tennessee Warbler 
Orange-crowned Warbler 
Nashville Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
American Redstart 
Cape May Warbler 
Northern Parula 
Magnolia Warbler 
Yellow Warbler 
Blackpoll Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Palm Warbler 
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler 
Chipping Sparrow 
Clay-colored Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Lincoln's Sparrow 
Swamp Sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
White-crowned Sparrow 
Dark-eyed Junco 
Northern Cardinal 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Common Grackle 
Brown-headed Cowbird 
Baltimore Oriole 
Purple Finch 
House Finch 
Pine Siskin 
American Goldfinch 
House Sparrow 

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell