Report: Duck Watch 2/13/10

Lake Park birders,

Dennis Casper and I met just north of Bradford Beach at 11 AM on
Saturday, February 13, 2010 for the 5th of 6 monthly Duck Watches
this fall and winter. Sorry for now publicizing it well this time.

I am not sorry, however, for neglecting a notice of the Duck
Watch on January 23rd. Judith Huf and I cancelled the Watch within a
minute of meeting at the shore of Lake Michigan. We could only see
about 30 meters into the lake through the fog and mist.

After scoping the rafts off of Lake Park between the Linwood
water treatment plant and Bradford Beach on 2/13, Dennis Casper and I
called Todd Wilson to ask if he had seen the female Harlequin Duck
again in harbor adjacent to Lakeshore State Park, also known as
Harbor Island. Todd reported it early in the week, but had not seen
it since. Todd is doing nearly daily surveys of the park this year
to assist the park manager in documenting bird species seen in the park.

Dennis and I enjoyed views of Common Mergansers near the red
lighthouse and under the Hoan Bridge at the harbor entrance, but no
usual species. The light was bright and air was clear enough to
actually see the green sheen on the head of the Greater Scaup that
come within 50 meters.

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

Please donate to the bird seed fund:
Write your check out now to "Lake Park Friends"
and put "Bird Seed Appeal" on the memo line. .
Mail it to: . . . . Lake Park Friends, PO Box 71197, Milwaukee WI 53211
=====================================================

Bradford Beach - North Point
2/13/10, 11:00 AM, 40 mins

2 Canada Goose
1500 Greater Scaup
30 Bufflehead
300 Common Goldeneye
3 Red-breasted Merganser
1 American Crow

--------------------------------------

Milwaukee Harbor
2/13/10 11:50 AM , 45 minute(s)
1 Mallard
2500 Greater Scaup
400 Common Goldeneye
4 Common Merganser
4 Red-breasted Merganser
350 Herring Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull flew slowly around bridge in good light.
Size: slightly smaller than Herring G.
Shape: longer, thinner wings.
Plumage: late first year, dull brown, minimal "M" pattern on upper wing.

12/5/09 Milwaukee, Lake Park Duck Watch

Wisconsin birders,

See the list from the 12/5/09 Lake Park Duck Watch that I am
forwarding below.

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

12/5/09 Lake Park Duck Watch
Jym Mooney, Todd Wilson, Evan Barrientos, Judith Huf, Dennis Casper, ...

Location: McKinley Marina
3 American Coot
250 Ring-billed Gull
140 Herring Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Location: Bradford Beach - North Point
30 Gadwall
1 American Wigeon
1 American Black Duck
40 Mallard
3 Redhead
1000 Greater/Lesser Scaup
50 Bufflehead
100 Common Goldeneye
6 Red-breasted Merganser
15 Ring-billed Gull
3 American Crow
2 American Goldfinch

Location: Milwaukee Art Museum
300 Canada Goose
8 Mallard
40 Greater/Lesser Scaup
10 Bufflehead
40 Common Goldeneye
5 Red-breasted Merganser

Location: Milwaukee Harbor
Rainbow Trout with lamprey injury
1 American Black Duck
30 Mallard

Report of 11/14/09 Duck Watch

Lake Park birders,

See the message from Jym Mooney that I am forwarding below.

--- Paul Hunter
http://home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/lakeparkbirds.html
http://lakeparkbirds.blogspot.com/
=====================================================
The Lake Park Duck Watch this morning attracted 13 birders. Buffleheads, mallards, and gadwalls were the main ducks observed, although we did find a couple each of common goldeneye and greater scaup. At least one distant flight of ducks was identified as red-breasted mergansers. Most folks got looks at common loons (three total observed), and I found a red-throated loon and also saw a great egret fly overhead shortly before the group gathered.

Jym Mooney, Milwaukee

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

[Jym, Thanks for forwarding your list and leading the Duck Watch.]

Lake Park 11/14/09
10:00 AM
1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
Jym Mooney

80 Canada Goose
20 Gadwall
25 Mallard
2 Greater Scaup
50 Bufflehead
2 Common Goldeneye
10 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Red-throated Loon
3 Common Loon
1 Great Egret
X Ring-billed Gull
X Herring Gull
2 American Crow

kestrel 11/7/09

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jym Mooney <hopmoon@milwpc.com>
Date: November 8, 2009 4:45:48 PM CST

Had a flyby kestrel yesterday morning at Lake Park, and astoundingly
good
looks at an adult Cooper's hawk. I flushed it walking up Locust
Ravine. It
perched on a bare limb between the two feeder sites, and allowed me to
circle it (at a respectful distance) and get excellent views from all
angles. Sparrows were almost non-existent yesterday morning
(although the
Cooper's may have had something to do with that), but I did find two YR
warblers still hanging around.

Nelson's sparrow at Lake Park, 10/31

On Nov 1, 2009, at 10:54 AM, Jym Mooney & Carol Lee Hopkins wrote:

Hi Paul & Brian,

I got back supportive comments from John I., Steve Lubahn, and Peter
Fissel,
and I feel more confident that I did indeed find a Nelson's sparrow
yesterday at Lake Park. I plan to submit a report to WSO since this
appears
to be a fairly late migrant.

Very exciting to add another life bird to my list. I was actually
searching
the rocks and brush along the lakefront yesterday hoping I might find a
Harris's sparrow for my year list, but what the heck, I guess I'll
take a
Nelson's!

Jym

-----Original Message-----
From: Jym Mooney & Carol Lee Hopkins [mailto:hopmoon@milwpc.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:38 PM
To: 'steven lubahn'; Wisbirdn
Subject: Possible Nelson's sparrow at Lake Park, 10/31

I had an intriguing sparrow this morning on the lakefront along the
soccer
field east of Lake Park. It first popped up onto a rock within brushy
vegetation on the north end of the shoreline, just before the water
treatment plant. This was the only chance I got to get any optics on
it (my
bins). My first impression was a buffy face, not otherwise heavily
marked,
and I caught my breath as I realized it might be a Nelson's or LeConte's
sparrow. The bird quickly dropped and kept low and moving in the brush,
finally flushing about ten feet into some tall dry grasses and brush
closer
to the fence. I thought I had lost it, until while circling the
grassy spot
I suddenly realized it was just a few feet in front of me, lurking
down low
in the vegetation. For the next 15 minutes I was able to get fleeting
glimpses, just eyeballing, as I was too close for optics. Finally a
large
SUV came around the corner in the water plant side of the fence and
the bird
flushed into the long row of bushes that parallels the fence, and I
did not
find it again.

My impressions were that this was a very small sparrow, and very
secretive.
Once I saw it run quickly a couple of feet within the grass and
brush. The
bill looked proportionate to its size (not stubby like a LeConte's).
The
top of the head was dark with a grey crown stripe, and once I saw the
bird
from behind and noted a grey nape as well. The back was dark with a
couple
of rough white streaks; I was reminded of the "saddle" on a marsh
wren by
the pattern, although on this sparrow the whole back had the
pattern. When
it flushed the first time I noted that the spread tail feathers seemed
pointy and separate (not an even end of tail edge like most of our
common
sparrows).

I did not get a look at the breast or belly of this bird. What holds me
back from being sure it was a Nelson's was that the face color was
not the
bright orange that Sibley illustrates. It was more buffy. (The
light was
not optimal, as it was overcast this morning when I found the bird.)

I have never seen a Nelson's sparrow before, so before I make the call I
wanted to solicit comment from some of our sparrow experts out there.

Thanks for any suggestions/comments.

Jym Mooney, Milwaukee

Lake Park, Milwaukee 11/1

------------------------------

From: "Jym Mooney & Carol Lee Hopkins" <hopmoon@milwpc.com>
Subject: [wisb] Lake Park, Milwaukee 11/1
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 11:56:09 -0600

Lake Park was noticeably quieter this morning. Buffleheads, which I
first
saw yesterday, now number around 40, and there were also gadwalls, a
wigeon,
and greater scaup on the lake. The highlights of the morning were a
beautiful orange-crowned warbler and a juvenile red-headed woodpecker.

Jym Mooney, Milwaukee

eBird Report - Lake Park - Locust Ravine , 11/2/09

Lake Park birders,

See the message from Wis Bird Net that I am forwarding below.

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

Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:38:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Mike Goodman <goodman4835@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [wisb] Fw: eBird Report - Lake Park - Locust Ravine , 11/2/09

Mike Goodman,South Milwaukee

North Point very quiet- Bufflehead,mallard scaup

Location: Lake Park - Locust Ravine
Observation date: 11/2/09
Notes: RH woodpecker Immature
Number of species: 13

Canada Goose 10
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
American Crow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 3
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 5

Also seen [8] chipmunks & [9] squirrels

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