Birding some of the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning it was basically quiet. On my second run to McKinley Beach I got a text from Mike W. He had seen a Horned Lark. I arrived seconds later and it was still present in the beach area. It fed along the … Continue reading
Birding along the lake this morning was quiet for the most part. McKinley Beach had 3 Sanderlings. These numbers seem to change daily there at that beach. Lakeshore State Park still had the Redhead Duck and 2 Pied-billed Grebes along with many American Coots and Double-crested Cormorants. A few American … Continue reading
A stop at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee provided nice views of both the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. A total of 4 Greaters and 1 Lesser. When I arrive early about 7:15, just the 4 Greaters were present. After a few minutes the Lesser Yellowlegs showed up. They look tired … Continue reading
A stop at McKinley Beach this morning in Milwaukee provided nice views of a Lapland Longspur. It seemed to be hanging with a couple of Killdeer. It continually fed in a short grass near the beach area eating seeds and then moved to a parking area. That is where the … Continue reading
I made a stop at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee for a first stop checking the beach area this morning. The beach was quiet. I ran into Dave G there and I said I was heading to McKinley Beach, he said he was there earlier this morning and it was … Continue reading
A stop at McKinley Beach this morning in Milwaukee gave brief views of 8 Sanderlings feeding pretty much non-stop. Also present were the commonly seen Ring-billed Gulls at this location. After only a couple minutes a dog approached the area and all the birds flushed with the Sanderlings heading south. … Continue reading
A Great Blue Heron was seriously fishing this morning at Greenfield Park putting on a great show while I watched from a distance. This young bird ate and ate with very few misses and twice captured 2 Flathead minnows at once while I was there. It eyed some of its … Continue reading
Heading down to the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning my first stop was Lakeshore State Park. A Black-bellied Plover, juvenile was present at the beach area. The Black-bellied Plover fed back and forth on the beach. Also present was the first Northern Shoveler for the fall at the park. It … Continue reading
A brief stop at the McKinley Beach this morning provided nice views of 2 Sanderlings and 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers. One of the Sanderlings was transitioning into nonbreeding plumage and still had some of its breeding plumage, an interesting look. The birds fed on the algae mat at the beach. Other … Continue reading
A stop at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin provided some nice views of Sanderlings. They fed along the algae mat in the beach area. A stunning shorebird species close up that moved quickly along the beach area. Images were taken on September 3, 2017.
I stopped at Greenfield Park in Milwaukee this morning to see what was going on. A Black-crowned Night Heron, Green Herons and Great Blue Herons were present. They gave nice views, being the Black-crowned Night Heron and Great Blue Heron were immature, there was not much action. They just were … Continue reading
My first stop this morning on Milwaukee’s lakefront was McKinley Beach. Guess there were at least 25 shorebirds. Mostly Sanderlings, a Least Sandpiper, and few Semipalmated Plovers. Also present were 2 Ruddy Turnstones which are always exciting birds. They feed in the more stony areas of the beach turning over … Continue reading
The Whooping Crane juveniles, 7 of them, have been in training at the White River Marsh State Wildlife Area for the last couple of months. Viewing is now open to public. A birding friend of mine, Karen Schoenike reserved the blind and I was able join her for the big event … Continue reading
Stopping at a few locations this morning along the lake, Lakeshore State Park was the highlight with some beautiful shorebirds. The beach there gave nice views of the birds as they fed. Birds included a Least Sandpiper, mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers, a couple Semipalmated Plovers and a Sanderling. Images were taken … Continue reading
One of the highlights today at Greenfield Park was a juvenile Green Heron perched in a hedge north of the large pond. It was a highlight because it was a slower day than the usual there plus you typically see these birds on the pond perched on a stick. 4 … Continue reading
With the Showy Sunflower blooming away these days I took advantage of the opportunity and tried to make something with them. This sunflower, a stunning native to Wisconsin is Helianthus laetiflorus. Images were taken in Waukesha County on August 15, 2017. Showy Sunflower Binomial name: Helianthus laetiflorus Habitat: Prairie, grows … Continue reading
I saw a Giant Swallowtail in the yard hovering around the native Smooth Phlox this afternoon. I went out and took a few images of this stunning butterfly in action going from plant to plant gathering nectar. One thing to note is that the wings on this species never stop … Continue reading
With cloudy weather today and a good chance of rain I decided to try my luck at some Cup Plant in the yard. These plants are currently about 5-8 feet tall. Images were taken on August 6, 2017.
A stop this morning at Greenfield Park in Milwaukee County proved worth while. Juvenile Green Herons and a Black-crowned Night Heron gave nice views and put on some shows. The Green Herons fished for food, but came up with very little size wise if anything as they are still learning … Continue reading
The wildflowers are blooming away these days in the yard and every once in awhile a Ruby-throated Hummingbird puts on a show. They have not been seen often, but I did get a couple of shots yesterday of what I think is a juvenile on the Royal Catchfly. Images were … Continue reading
