Doing some general birding I was surprised to look up and see a Northern Saw-whet Owl. It is always a situation that almost takes your breath away and life gets very serious for a few minutes. I immediately backed away from the bird to be at a distance. Then to … Continue reading
I came across a pair of Sandhill Cranes probing the ground, finding grubs and eating them in Waukesha County. It was a very close up experience and they did not mind that I was present, I just sort of blended in at this location, they just went at it. It … Continue reading
It was a fun few minutes photographing the beauty of the Wood Ducks in Milwaukee County. The fall colors add an extra dash of color to these beautiful ducks. They were very active at times and sometimes just doing nothing but hanging out. It was mostly sunny with temps at … Continue reading
In Marquette County on an early morning bird walk my eyes caught a Eastern Phoebe diving over a small waterhole catching tiny insects. As it continually perched after getting each insect a took a few of quick photos. It was a beautiful morning with pleasant temps of 48 degrees, partly … Continue reading
My first stop birding this morning was at Grant Park in Milwaukee County. It did not let me down with nice looks of two Black-bellied Plovers. They were at a distance finding things to eat when I arrived. As I watched them they took a short fight in front of … Continue reading
This morning along Lake Michigan’s lakefront in Milwaukee, McKinley Beach had 3 Sanderlings, other stops were quiet. The birds moved up and down the shoreline finding things to eat as I just sat there. They needed to get some food and rest as this is just one of many stops … Continue reading
One of my birding stops along the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning gave nice views of a Red Knot feeding along the shoreline. This bird is considered a rare sighting as the normal range for this species is east and west coasts of North America. Another beautiful shorebird coming through … Continue reading
This morning I hit some local birding spots in Waukesha and then wondered where to go next. There was a reported Swallow-tailed Kite in Jefferson County recently seen on and off for the last 3 weeks and sometimes even two of them. I had some time, might as well give … Continue reading
This morning one of my birding stops was Lakeshore State Park along the Lakefront in Milwaukee. I heard of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper being reported there so I thought I might as well check that out. I talked with a group of birders on their way out of the park and … Continue reading
One of my birding stops this morning was McKinley Beach along the Milwaukee lakefront. Looking for shorebirds this time of year and there were 2 present. Two Semipalmated Plovers. They were feeding when I arrived but then almost immediately went to rest. Watching them from a distance their eyes were … Continue reading
Some typical stops at beaches along the Milwaukee lakefront this morning gave nice looks at a 1st summer Great Black-backed Gull. It is the largest gull in North America with a wing span of 65″ and you can see that when you scope the beaches, this gull stands out. It … Continue reading
One of my birding stops of the day was Grant Park. The Oak Creek outlet to Lake Michigan small beach area at Grant Park had 4 Killdeer chicks. They ran around the beach area getting things to eat. An adult Killdeer was also present in the area. A Great Blue … Continue reading
A roadside pond in New Berlin provided nice looks of a Great Egret. While I was there it hunted for food in the pond and found things to eat there too. It was a cloudy day with mild temps and low winds. Images were taken on June 26, 2026.
A Great-tailed Grackle was reported early morning on June 16 at a private residence near Red Cliff Wisconsin. This bird’s normal range is Iowa and then to the SW USA. This female bird is Wisconsin’s 4th state record. I saw the ebird report at the end of that day and … Continue reading
There were a nice number of Black Terns on the boardwalk on the Auto Tour. They perch on the boardwalk posts for great looks and then you see their flight action over the water near you looking and getting things to eat. Listed as endangered species here in Wisconsin. I … Continue reading
I stopped at a Great Blue Heron rookery in SE Wisconsin to see if there were any herons present. There were about 16 active nests and there were some large chicks and some small. That tells me some were maybe late hatching or some failed earlier maybe with a storm? … Continue reading
I had not been up to Horicon Marsh yet this year so a last minute decision was made early in the morning to make the trip up. I arrived at about 6:15 AM. My first stop was Old Marsh Road on the east side. A species I was hoping to … Continue reading
As I walked out of my garage in the morning I heard the call of a Great Crested Flycatcher. Wow, how exciting as I have not heard the call in the yard for a few years. I looked out across the front yard and I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher … Continue reading
The last few days I have birded Wehr Nature Center and a couple of other areas in Milwaukee County plus focusing on warblers and other species present. All and all it has been a fun warbler season so far. As you know what will be there as far as warblers. … Continue reading
The last couple of days I have birded at Wehr Nature Center and the surrounding area for warblers. Things have picked up some for warblers with a couple warmer days now. Still not like the warbler days back 4-5 years ago but still a fun time to be out finding … Continue reading
