Fwd: Report - Warbler Walk , 5/8/10

Begin forwarded message:

From: Paul Hunter <phunter1@wi.rr.com>
Date: May 11, 2010 9:19:49 PM CDT
Subject: Report - Warbler Walk , 5/8/10

Lake Park birders,

See my report on the Warbler Walk on 5/8/10 below.

--- Paul Hunter
Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
http://home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/lakeparkbirds.html

Warbler Walks at Lake Park, - Saturdays, 8:30 to 10:00 AM
Spring 2010: April 17 JM, April 24 PH, May 1 DC, May 8 PH, May 15 PH,
May 22 DC
Leaders: PH = Paul Hunter, JM = Jim Mooney, DC = Dennis Casper
=====================================================

Report of the Fourth Vernal Walk Warbler of 2010 on May 8th
at Lake Park in Milwaukee by Paul Hunter

Some 20 or so birders, including two first-time Warbler Walkers,
braved the cold northwestern breezes to see a reasonable smattering
of hardy avian migrants.

Buzzy calls of White-crowned Sparrows at the feeders in Locust Ravine
greeted us as we ventured out from the Warming House. A Red-headed
woodpecker made a brief appearance at the suet feeder. Jym Mooney
pointed out an Ovenbird walking among the leaves. In the tree top
above that Paul Hunter found a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

As we made our way down Locust Ravine, Judith Huf brought our
attention to the Phoebe nest under the wrought iron bridge. At the
base of the Grand Staircase we looked up to see a Turkey Vulture
chased by crows. The bushes behind the Wolcott Statue yielded 3
Brown Thrashers, but were otherwise quiet, presumably from the breeze
and lawn mowing.

The northwesterly breeze concentrated the warblers and swallows below
the bluffs where the sun struggled to provide warmth out of the
wind. Sam Corbo diligently scanned the swallows literally swirling
over our heads and at our feet to find the Cliff Swallows. Judith
Huf pointed out the many Barn Swallows skimming over Lake Michigan
just off shore. We all strolled slowly along the bluff working hard
to find the Wilson's and Blackburnian Warblers.

Turkey Vulture 1 - chased by crows
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull (American) 4
Caspian Tern 2
Chimney Swift 6
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
American Crow 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 20
Barn Swallow 250
Cliff Swallow 3
Black-capped Chickadee 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8
American Robin 6
Brown Thrasher 3
Nashville Warbler 3
Yellow Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 20
Black-and-white Warbler 4
American Redstart 2
Ovenbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 5
Chipping Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 6
White-crowned Sparrow 12
Northern Cardinal 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 2

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

After five hours of tramping around the park, Jym Mooney saw 57
species and added the following to the list above:

Mallard 4
Red-breasted Merganser 16
Double-crested Cormorant 16
Blue Jay 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 4
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1