Sunday, December 21, 2008

CBC results - Lake Park

Lake Park Birders,

Dolores reports the Lake Park list below.

--- Paul Hunter,
http://home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/lakeparkbirds.html
=====================================================

Begin forwarded message:

From: Doloresknopfel@aol.com
Date: December 21, 2008 10:41:17 AM CST

Here are the Lake Park totals we reported to Schlitz:
Greater Scaup - 140 - on lake
Bufflehead - 50
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-Tailed Hawk - 1 (seen by Todd)
Ring-Billed Gull - 22
Herring Gull - 6
Great Horned Owl - 1 (heard by Paul)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 7
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Black-Capped Chickadee - 29
White-Breasted Nuthatch - 6
Carolina Wren - 1 (seen by Todd. We also met another man who said he
saw
one;both were near the Locust Street
Ravine, so we counted just
one)
Dark-eyed Junco - 8
Northern Cardinal - 12
House Finch - 6
American Goldfinch - 3
House Sparrow - 87

CBC results - Milwaukee and Madison

Lake Park Birders,

Still waiting for a more complete report from Milwaukee, but see Mark Korducki's lakefront report below.  Tim Vargo led a bunch of us on a strenuous walk through deep snow on both banks of the Milwaukee River from North Ave to Capitol Drive and back, with a warm lunch at Baker's Square.  We saw a Hermit Thrush, Common Merganser, Winter Wren and Golden-crowned Kinglet.  Todd Wilson heard a Great Horned Owl along the river shortly after midnight.  I heard another at Lake Park at about 4:45 PM, just southeast of the wooden Rustic Bridge over Locust Ravine.

If you are looking for an adventurous counting experience come with Jym Mooney, Ron Gutschow, Brian Hansen, me and others to southern Adams County (north of Wisconsin Dells) on Saturday, January 3, 2009 for our third annual Friendship count.  For more info:


--- Paul Hunter,   
=====================================================
From: "Korducki" <korducki@earthlink.net>
Date: December 20, 2008 3:54:47 PM CST
Subject: Milwaukee CBC highlights

I covered the Milwaukee Lakefront today for the Christmas count.  Strong wind off the lake made it frigid but we had some good birds.  7 species of gulls including Great and Lesser Black-backed, Iceland, Glaucous, Thayer's.  2 swan species, nice male Wood Duck, Horned Grebe.  Steve Lubahn had a Snowy Owl.  Tom Prestby had White-winged Scoters at Doctor's Park.  The most unusual bird was a Monk Parakeet that we found east of McKinley Marina.  I heard it calling and then we saw it feeding on some fruit bearing tree.  Nice flash of color against the snow.  Probably an escaped bird but with a countable population in Chicago who knows?  Had a good time birding with Steve Lubahn and Tom Prestby.

Mark Korducki, New Berlin

====================================

From: Aaron Stutz <agstutz@sbcglobal.net>
Date: December 20, 2008 9:24:14 PM CST
Subject: Madison CBC Preliminary Results


Below are the preliminary results from the Madison CBC. Five areas have not reported in yet. Thus far we are at 75 Species.

Highlights include:

White-winged Crossbills--Gov. Island and near the intersection of County B and Lalor Road
Yellow-rumped Warbler--with the previous species B & Lalor Rd.
Red Crossbills
Chipping Sparrow--by the airport
Lincoln's Sparrow
Gray Catbird--Picnic Point
White-winged Scoter--see Andy P's post
Virginia Rail--Wingra Marsh
Northern Saw-whet Owl--UW Arboretum--Tom Uttech, thanks for the Hawk Owl tape suggestion .  The Saw-whet only did the scream call in response to the Saw-whet Owl Tape.  It started tooting like crazy in response to the Northern Hawk Owl tape.




Count Total                   Species
      American Black Duck
      Common Goldeneye
      American Kestrel
      Ring-necked Pheasant
      Wilson's Snipe
      Northern Saw-whet Owl
      Carolina Wren
   White-winged Scoter
   Gray Catbird
      Yellow-rumped Warbler
   Chipping Sparrow
   Lincoln's Sparrow
      Ring-necked Duck
      Eastern Screech Owl
      Barred Owl
      Northern Shrike
      Great Blue Heron
      Tundra Swan
   Virginia Rail
      Hermit Thrush
      Lapland Longspur
      Pileated Woodpecker
      Sharp-shinned Hawk
      Herring Gull
      Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
      Winter Wren
      Fox Sparrow
      Eastern Bluebird
      Common Merganser
      Red Crossbill
      Rough-legged Hawk
      Red-breasted Nuthatch
      Belted Kingfisher
      Tufted Titmouse
      Bald Eagle
      Great Horned Owl
      Swamp Sparrow
10        American Coot
10        Snow Bunting
11        Cooper's Hawk
12        Golden-crowned Kinglet
13        Mute Swan
25        Gadwall
25        Song Sparrow
26        Hooded Merganser
27        Northern Flicker
29        White-winged Crossbill
39        White-throated Sparrow
54        Cackling Goose
62        Red-tailed Hawk
72        Brown Creeper
83        Hairy Woodpecker
85        Common Grackle
96        Blue Jay
102        American Robin
105        Wild Turkey
125        Red-bellied Woodpecker
169        Cedar Waxwing
234        White-breasted Nuthatch
242        Rock Pigeon
252        Downy Woodpecker
388        Pine Siskin
480        Mourning Dove
612        Northern Cardinal
646        Mallard
652        American Tree Sparrow
667        House Finch
701        European Starling
821        American Goldfinch
916        Black-capped Chickadee
937        American Crow
1,076        Dark-eyed Junco
1,243        House Sparrow
1,934        Canada Goose

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Fwd: Long-tailed Duck in McKinley Marina

Lake Park Birders,

Looks like Todd Wilson added two new species to his BiGBY, Big Green Birding Year.

I believe the Long-tailed Duck and Hybrid Hooded Merganser X Common Golden-eye
put Todd over 160 species for his year of totally foot and bike-powered birding.
Just 18 more days till he can get in his car again to do birding ;-)

--- Paul Hunter,   
=====================================================

On Dec 13, 2008, at 11:35 AM, Todd Wilson wrote:

Just got back from a long hike to the lake and back. I had great views of a female Long-tailed Duck in close at the Marina. 

Also present was a Hooded Merg X Common Goldeneye hybrid.  I didn't get a pic but the bird looked pretty much exactly like this:
I googled it and it turns out to be a pretty common hybrid.
 
-T
 =========
From WikiPedia

Bigby is an acronym for birders doing a Big Green Big Year in which they attempt to build a long list of bird species without once contributing to green-house gas emissions ... ie: no cars or planes, simply walking, cycling, skiing etc to get around




Saturday, December 6, 2008

Lake Park (Milwaukee) Duck Watch - Report 12/6/08

Wisconsin and Lake Park Birders,
 
- The Duck Watchers on Saturday, December 6, 2008 popped in and out of their cars to stay warm.
- At Lake Park an elegant male Pintail displayed his feathery finery up close among the dozens of Mallards and a few American Black Ducks.  
- A large raft of scaup bobbed in the waves off Bradford Beach as we drove toward the marina at South Shore Park.
- Three handsome male Hooded Mergansers lurked under the docks at the marina.
- Near the Coast Guard station tuxedo-plumaged Common Mergansers patrolled and gray-sided Redhead slumbered.
- North of the Coast Guard and south of Petroleum Pier a large loose flock of mixed ducks mainly loafed, rather than sleeping or diving, in the relative calm water in the lee of the Hoan Bridge.
- Two Ruddy Ducks were among the closest ducks of another large loose raft in the similarly calm waters near the Milwaukee Art Museum.

--- Paul Hunter,   
=====================================================
Location:     Bradford Beach - North Point,      Observation date:     12/6/08
Notes:     Lake Park Duck Watch: Todd Wilson, Dolores Knopfelmacher, Jim and Carol Habeck, Judith Huf, Dennis Casper, Paul Hunter
Number of species:     14
Canada Goose - 40,    Gadwall - 15,   American Wigeon - 2,    American Black Duck - 4,   Mallard - 50,   Northern Pintail - 1,  Greater Scaup - 2000,   Bufflehead - 150,   Common Goldeneye - 400,   Common Merganser - 2,   Red-breasted Merganser - 3,   Ring-billed Gull - 20,   Herring Gull - 10,   Black-capped Chickadee - 1
=====================================================
Location:     South Shore Yacht Club,    Observation date:     12/6/08
Notes:     Lake Park Duck Watch:  Habecks, Judith Huf, Dennis Casper, Paul Hunter
Number of species:     11
Canada Goose - 40,   American Black Duck - 4,   Mallard - 60,   Lesser Scaup - 20,   Bufflehead - 10,   Common Goldeneye - 40,   Hooded Merganser - 3,   Common Merganser - 30,   Ring-billed Gull - 80,   Herring Gull - 100,   Rock Pigeon - 40
=====================================================
Location:     Milwaukee Coast Guard Impoundment,        Observation date:     12/6/08
Notes:     Lake Park Duck Watch:  Habecks, Judith Huf, Dennis Casper, Paul Hunter
Number of species:     5
Mallard - 6,   Redhead - 6,   Greater Scaup - 20,   Common Merganser - 20,   American Coot - 8
=====================================================
Location:     Petroleum Pier,   Observation date:     12/6/08
Notes:     Lake Park Duck Watch:  Judith Huf, Dennis Casper, Paul Hunter
Number of species:     6
American Black Duck - 2,   Mallard - 100,   Greater Scaup - 1000,   Bufflehead - 40,,   Common Goldeneye - 300,   Common Merganser - 30
=====================================================
Location:     Milwaukee Art Museum,   Observation date:     12/6/08
Notes:     Lake Park Duck Watch:  Dennis Casper, Paul Hunter
Number of species:     8
Canada Goose - 150,   Mallard - 12,   Greater Scaup - 300,   Bufflehead - 20,   Common Goldeneye - 200,   Common Merganser - 20,   Ruddy Duck - 2,   American Coot - 16

This report was generated by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)