Scoters Passerine 2010 Sept 13 16

Lake Park birders,

See the messages from
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/WISC.html
Wis Bird Net that I am forwarding 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
Fall 2010: Aug 21, Aug 28, Sept 4, Sept 11, Sept 18, Sept 25
Meet at the Warming House on the north end of the park.
=====================================================

From: steven lubahn <stevenlubahn@wi.rr.com>
Subject: [wisb] White-wing scoters- Milwaukee
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:35:23 -0500

Despite the distance, I am confident there were 20 White-wing Scoters
off of Bradford beach yesterday. This seems a bit early.

Steve Lubahn
Cudahy
------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:57:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2@yahoo.com>
Subject: [wisb] Milwaukee lakefront, 9/13 and 9/14 - Nine new BIGBY
species

Spent a lot of time birding in the beautiful Monday and Tuesday
weather. I was out for eight hours yesterday alone, starting at
5:30AM. I located nine new Milwaukee walking BIGBY species, bringing
my 2010 count to 135 species. (What's a BIGBY? See: http://bit.ly/
cn3cbv).

It's kind of funny how sometimes a simple thing can affect you
psychologically. On Monday I saw my first-of-season White-throated
Sparrow hanging out with a mixed flock of birds by the Lake Park
tennis courts. Didn't think anything about it at the time. Yesterday
the WTSPs were all over the place...including a single flock with
30-40 birds, with several singing snippets of their sweetly haunting
songs. The presence of so many winter sparrows made my brain shift
subconsciously into winter mode, and I was cold for the next half
hour or so.

Here are the Monday bird highlights (an especially birdy day):
...

* Lots of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, including one who burst into song
by the North Point Lighthouse.

* Six thrush species in Lake Park: Hermit, Wood (BIGBY #127),
Swainson's, Gray-cheeked, Robin and Bluebird).

* Five woodpecker species in Lake Park: Flicker, Sapsucker, Downy,
Hairy, Red-bellied.* Both nuthatch species, including 3-4 Red-
breasted. I don't know why it is, but when I see my first RBNU
migrants in the fall, my gut reaction is "chickadee". Maybe it's the
black and white pattern on the head. Then, a couple of seconds later,
it registers in the old brain.

* Fifteen warbler species. No new BIGBY species, but fun none the
less. This is the most warbler species I've ever had in one outing.
Most were in a flock by the Lake Park tennis courts: Cape May,
Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Palm, Bay-
breasted, Black and White, Redstart, Yellow-rumped, Nashville,
Blackburnian, Wilson's, Pine, and Common Yellowthroat.

* Blue Jay. Only the third one I've encountered in my six weeks
birding the lakefront.

* Turkey Vulture. Milwaukee walking BIGBY species #128, high overhead.

* Ruby-crowned Kinglet. BIGBY #129. Lake Park.

* White-throated Sparrow. BIGBY #130. One in Lake Park Monday.
Everywhere on Tuesday.

* Lincoln's Sparrow. BIGBY #131. South end of Lake Park, where the
upper part of the lake bluff is thick with foxtails.

And here are Tuesday's highlights:

* Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. BIGBY #132. Lake Park. As my Peterson's
says: "a wash of yellow from throat to belly." Eye ring had a slight
yellowish tint as well.

* Brown Thrasher. BIGBY #133. Flew by as I looked for sparrows in the
foxtails at the south tip of Lake Park.
...
Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee