Category Archives: Bird Categories

Mandarin Duck at South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee Wisconsin on December 29, 2022

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Word was out that a Mandarin Duck was present at South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee. I have never seen one and being considered one of the most beautiful ducks I decided to make a run down to see if it was present. Yes it was, along with other birders and photographers. This bird is not a wild bird and considered an escapee, still fun to see. What a beautiful bird!! Nice sun in the morning and warming temps near 50 expected. Images were taken on December 29, 2022.

Preening…

In the water at a distance…

Red-headed Woodpecker in Marquette County Wisconsin on December 12, 2022

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Spending a couple of days in Marquette County it was nice to see a Red-headed Woodpecker still hanging around. Every year is different, this species is hit or miss here in central Wisconsin if they hang around for the winter. We are down to one bird as of now. It was a pretty good year for acorns so we will see. Images were taken on December 12, 2022.

 

Eastern Screech-Owl, red morph in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on November 16, 2022

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While out doing some everyday birding I stumbled across a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl. What a surprise to be walking slowly through some woods and to look up and see this bird up in a tree right in front of you but only the back of it at first. Backing off and circling around to the front of this bird at a distance it gave a couple of hard to get quick photos before leaving the area quietly. Nice to see a Screech Owl out a tree cavity for a change. This owl would have been so easy to miss but I just happened to look up at the right time. First sighting this fall-winter of a screech-owl for me. This bird has not been reported that I know of. A cloudy day with low winds. Images were taken on November 16, 2022.

When I first saw this owl up in the tree…

Hooded Merganser, juvenile female in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on November 14, 2022

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While out birding I came across a beautiful Hooded Merganser that was a juvenile female. It gave nice views for a few minutes before moving off. It was a partly cloudy day with low winds but temperature were around 37 degrees, sorta chilly. Images were taken on November 14, 2022.

The Hooded Merganser…

Down for a drink…

Some preening…

More preening…

In coming…

Nice looking duck…

Just a little shaking off…

Wood Ducks and Mallards in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on October 4, 2022

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It was a fun day photographing the beauty of the Wood Ducks and Mallards at a city park in Milwaukee. They were very active at times and sometimes just doing nothing but sitting around.

Wood Duck, male with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, female with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, male…

Mallard, female with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, male…

Mallard, female with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, female with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, male stretching…

Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, male with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, female

Mallard, female with a crab apple…

Mallard, female, crab apple that got away…

Mallard, female with a crab apple…

Just a good looking Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, male…

Wood Duck, female…with a crab apple…

Wood Duck, male…that wind…

Wood Duck, male…talking…

American White Pelican at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin on September 27, 2022

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While birding Lakeshore State Park the surprise bird of the day there was an American White Pelican. I found this juvenile bird at the pebble beach at the park and it was just standing there.  After a while it took a swim to the other side of the lagoon and jumped up on the rocks literally. It did some preening and a little resting and then went back out in the water. It swam to the south end of the lagoon and then took off, did a loop over the lagoon and then flew over to the lighthouse water. I watched it drift to the south. It was a partly cloudy day with a good wind and cool temps around 55 degrees. Images were taken on September 27, 2022.

At the pebble beach, the juvenile American White Pelican…

Moving about the lagoon off of the pebble beach…

Preening on the rocks on the west side of the lagoon…

And more preening…

That eye…

Back in the water…

Moving towards the south end of the lagoon…

Lapland Longspur at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin on September 27, 2022

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A stop at Lakeshore State Park this morning in Milwaukee provided nice views of a Lapland Longspur. I found this bird on the south end of the park moving around on the rocks finding things to eat. This is a typical location to find this species this time of year. It was a partly cloudy day with a good wind and cool temps around 55 degrees. Images were taken on September 27, 2022.

The Lapland Longspur giving nice views…

Great Blue Herons at Greenfield Park in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on September 9, 2022

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A few juvenile Great Blue Herons have been present at Greenfield Park lately. They have been not very active but on a few occasions I have caught them catching fish. Most of the time they are just standing in the water waiting for something to come by to eat and I really think fish numbers are down in the lagoon. Maybe that could be one of the reasons there has been little action as it takes awhile for fish to come by. No adults around as there were earlier but they must have moved on or are heading south. Skies have been mostly sunny and light winds. Images were taken on  September 7-9.

A nice catch by this juvenile Great Blue Heron…

Just waiting for the next fish…

Drying off those wings…

More waiting…

What??

Another nice catch!

Walking along the island shore hoping to get a nice catch…

Just moving along the shoreline in water…

Great Egrets at Echo Veterans Memorial Park in Burlington Wisconsin on August 26, 2022

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I made a run down to Echo Veterans Memorial Park in Burlington to see if there were any Great Egrets around. They are typically present near the dam this time of year or out on the lake. There were about 30 present when I arrived. They kept to the south end of the dam or out on the lake in trees most of the time I was there. They were not as active as I would have liked but with a few fishermen around the area or visitors to the park walking around the birds seems skittish for the most part. A couple of times the Great Egrets came over to the north side fishing for food but their stay was short lived. Still a great visit to see these beautiful birds hanging out in nice numbers near the dam. The morning started out cloudy giving way to some sun on and off while I was there. Actually I had to go to my car to get a coat as it was too cold with a breeze off the lake there for just a tee shirt. Images were taken on August 26, 2022.

The Great Egret coming in for a landing at the dam…

The elegant Great Egret…

Typically what I saw when I was there…

Circling near the dam…

Waiting for a fish to be seen…

Below the dam just looking pretty…

Some serious fishing being done here, waiting for a fish to be seen…

Some preening…

Getting those feathers in place…

A photo down the lake at one of the trees they perch in…

 

Common Nighthawk at Greenfield Park in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on August 27, 2022

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I made a stop at Greenfield Park this morning and the bird of the day there was a Common Nighthawk. It was perched in a deciduous tree giving great looks. While I watched it, it preened a short time, nice to see it with its eyes open. These days right now, mid to the end of August this species migrates through the state and looking up into the sky before dark you may see them flying in all directions but slowly moving south. Not uncommon to see 100 at a time. I heard peak day for migration is August 25th. I saw many last night over Waukesha County up high in the sky just looking for a few minutes. It was a day of sun with passing clouds, temps around 80 degrees, low winds. Images were on August 27, 2022.

The Common Nighthawk perched pretty…

Some of that tail showing…

Some preening…

More preening…

Another shot…

Juvenile Green Herons at Greenfield Park on August 15, 2022

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A stop at Greenfield Park in Milwaukee County gave nice looks at a couple of juvenile Green Herons. They did some fishing for food but came up empty each time as they are still learning how to get their food. They are cute with the fuzz on their heads. It was a sunny morning with temps around 70 degrees, low winds and sunny. Images were taken on August 12, 2022.

Green Heron, juvenile, fuzz on head…

Green Heron, juvenile walking down a stick in search of food…waiting for something to come by…

Goes for something here…

The Green Heron went for something  but it was a miss, came up empty…

Black-crowned Night-Herons at Humboldt Park in Milwaukee County Wisconsin August 16, 2022

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One of my birding stops today was Humboldt Park and the highlight there were a family of Black-crowned Night-Herons. 2 Adults and 4 juveniles hung out on the side of an island. They flew a few feet here or there but no major show by them. Maybe they had already eaten this morning but I saw no food being gone after or consumed. Some preening did occur. It was a beautiful morning with a light breeze, some sun, and mild temperatures. Images were taken on August 16, 2022.

Black-crowned Night-Heron #1, adult…

Some preening…

Stretching…

Stretching…

Black-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile…

Black-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile…

This one up in a tree, Black-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile…

Looks like it was watching for something to eat…Black-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile…

Black-crowned Night-Heron #2, adult…

Brown Booby on the Black River in La Crosse Wisconsin on August 11, 2022

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When I saw the report of a Brown Booby being reported in La Crosse Wisconsin it sounded impossible! A bird that lives south of the US in the oceans of Mexico, east and west was a bird I wanted on my WI life list. It was too late in the day to make the run up there as it would be dark but put together a trip for early morning. Jym and Nathanal went along for the ride with me. Leaving at 3 am from Waukesha and arriving at 5:30 am worked out well, a few minutes before light. After about 20 minutes the bird was found opposite the eagle watch parking lot on the other side of the Black River perched in a tree. After about 15 minutes the bird left the perch and flew around some over the open water, eventually landing in the water. The next couple of hours the bird repeated the flying and landing on the water giving excellent views and pretty far for photos every 10 minutes but never came close up but remained towards the other side of the river or body of water opening. What a great find, the original finder of the exciting bird was Tim Collins, and it was actually found 2 days earlier, this being the 3rd day. A big thank you to Tim for getting the word out on this bird. It was a beautiful morning with temps around 60 degrees and no wind and some clouds. I hope it hangs around for a while for others to enjoy. Life bird #370 for my Wisconsin life list.

At first decent light, the Brown Booby was found perched in a tree on the other side of the river…

Brown Booby during one of its flights over the river at a distance…

In flight…

Just floating around, the bird seemed to be comfortable…

In flight, the bird put on a great show!

In flight…

Wisconsin Native Wildflowers 2022

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Wisconsin has so much to offer with native wildflowers blooming spring through fall, I thought I would share a few. Most were taken in the yard here in Waukesha County and some were also taken in some local parks.

Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum

Wild Blue Indigo, Baptisia austrlis, native south of Wisconsin

Smooth Phlox, Phlox glaberrima interior, endangered species in Wisconsin…

Spiderwort, white, Tradescantia ohiensis, white found in the wild

Cream Wild Indigo, Baptisia leucophaea

Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta

Royal Catchfly, Silene regia

Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea

Yellow Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata

Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium

Prairie Blazingstar, Liatris pycnostachya, a butterfly favorite…

Turk Cap’s Lily, Lilium michiganense

Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa

Rosen Weed, Silphium intergrifolium

Wild Petunia, Ruellia humilis, endangered species in Wisconsin…

Black-headed Gull at South Side Municipal Beach in Sheboygan Wisconsin on June 13, 2022

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I saw a report of a rare Black-headed Gull found at Sheboygan’s North Point late evening. I got up early and headed to Sheboygan and was there at sun up. After doing some searching at different locations and coming up empty I got a message that there were a lot of Bonaparte Gulls at South Side Municipal Beach. I checked it out and there were a 1,000 gulls there! I messaged a bunch of birding friends that were at North Point and they came over to help in the search. After looking about 45 minutes the gull was found. We all stayed very far away from the gulls as they took a large section of the beach shoreline, not wanting to flush them. It was preening most of the time and hard to spot. All I could capture was one photo from the event but it was enough to make it my 369th Wisconsin life bird. It was a gorgeous morning with temps around 58 degrees, low winds and sunshine. Images were taken on June 13, 2022.

The Black-headed Gull in the middle of the photo with the reddish bill…

A small part of the overall gull population on the beach…

One time a walker flushed the birds, they took to the sky but returned…

In search of the Black-headed Gull…the gulls a long ways away…

Cassin’s Kingbird in Marathon County Wisconsin on June 6, 2022

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The Cassin’s Kingbird, so very rare to the state of Wisconsin, in fact the 1st state record seen on June 6. This birds normal range is southwestern US. At 2:15 AM, Greg and I made the run up to Marathon County with hopes to see the bird on the second day. The bird was seen in the area northeast of the intersection of Huckleberry Road and Chestnut Hill Ln. just east of Colby, WI. After arriving about 5:30 AM, and 2 hours of searching and rain, I spotted the Cassin’s at the same location it was seen yesterday. It must have been perched out of site until found this morning or off somewhere. It gave nice but distant views for well over an hour and we never really lost sight of it as it moved back and forth over the road, telephone wires, high trees etc. Dan B originally found this bird yesterday looking for Dickcissel’s.  A big thank you to him for the find and getting the word out for others to see. Wisconsin life bird #368 for me. A day of rain the whole time we were present and a breeze too. Images were taken on June 6, 2022.

The Cassin’s Kingbird in the rain…

The Cassin’s Kingbird way out in a field on a perch, it stayed here to quite a while…

The scene as it was, birders looking at the Cassin’s Kingbird near the edge of the grass in the field about 150 feet down the road…

Bobolinks at Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha County Wisconsin on May 31, 2022

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It was that time of the year and I thought I would check to see if the Bobolinks are back at Retzer Nature Center. They were giving nice views from a distance. Males were chasing around some females. These are interesting birds to follow as they move to different spots, the males calling to the females. There is no sense in trying to figure out where they will land next. I stood at one location and they once in a while landed near me for a couple of photos. I think I saw 5 of them, 3 males and 2 females. Always fun to watch these birds. It was a cloudy day with some good breezes at times, making it seem tough for these birds to hang on to lanky old flower stalks from last year’s wildflowers, but I’m sure they are used to it. Temps around 70 degrees. Images were taken on May 31, 2022.

The male Bobolink calling to the female a ways away…

In between calling…

The female Bobolink perched in some old Yellow Coneflower stalks from last years wildflowers looking at the male…

The female perched a distance from a male…

From a distance the male hangs on tight calling…

The female…

The male hanging on with a good wind…

A look back for a female…

Flying by…

Female just trying to hang on…

Male calling…

Lark Bunting at the Lake Express in Milwaukee Wisconsin on May 23, 2022

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Birding some of the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning a stop at the Lake Express was well worth it. A Lark Bunting, male had just been seen by Jym M. but was not currently being seen. What a great bird and find! I thought I would hang around to see if it returned and after about 30 minutes I decided to check out other places along the lake. After checking some beaches I returned to the Lake Express and once again, I had just missed the Lark Bunting. This time I was going to stick around for a while. A short time had passed and I spotted the bunting in a nearby small tree. It moved around some and gave nice views for just a couple of minutes and then was out of sight. It also fed with some House Sparrows on the lawn near the building area in the shade. A Wisconsin life bird for me, #367. I will say, it has been a great year so far for state life birds, I hope this continues. It was a sunny day, with a cool breeze and temps around 50 degrees. Images were taken on May 23, 2022.

The Lark Bunting, male…

Another view…