One of my birding stops today gave nice views of a Mute Swan at Frame Park on the Fox River in Waukesha. The river was almost wide open around noon when I was there. There were some ducks present but off a ways, species I saw were Common Goldeneye, Lesser … Continue reading
One of my birding stops today provided nice looks at 4 Sandhill Cranes in Waukesha County. These 4 never migrated and have hung around all winter in the area. The weather today, -8 degrees when I was there and for the next week is very cold for them. I hope … Continue reading
While out birding one of my stops today was to check on a nest that Red-tailed Hawks used last year. I was curious to see if they were on the nest yet. To my surprise a Great Horned Owl was sitting on it like it owned the place. Typically Great … Continue reading
Out birding today I came across a Long-eared Owl. I found it perched and it was still perched when I left the area. A chilly day to start with cloudy skies, the sun warmed things up a little as the day went on. Images were taken on January 20, 2021.
On one of my birding walks today I was happy to encounter a beautiful Barred Owl. The owl was quietly roosting in a tree which is what this species does during the day. At night they are hunters for small animals and rodents. It was an overcast day with very … Continue reading
Eastern Screech Owl, a red morph just hanging, catching some rest in Milwaukee County on January 14, 2021.
One of my birding stops today was at Greenfield Park to see if the Spotted Towhee was still present and it was. I hung around for about 20 minutes before it came out of the bushes just west of the waterfall. It gave nice views at that time. This was … Continue reading
A stop at McKinley Beach this morning produced 1 American Pipit. It was digging through algae on the beach finding things to eat. It is considered a rare bird on this date at this location because it is a late bird. It was a beautiful January day with temps around … Continue reading
As I thought my birding day was winding down I got a message from Jacob C. that a Spotted Towhee, a hatch year bird was found by an unidentified birder at Greenfield Park. I made the quick run over and the bird was present near the small waterfall. We both … Continue reading
My birding morning started off in Milwaukee County. Common birds that are expected to be seen this time of year were found. A couple stops in Waukesha County on my way home produced a beautiful Great Horned Owl. It was sitting in a pine perched pretty and was there when … Continue reading
I have put together a collection of some of the Wisconsin birding moments from the year 2020. The collection includes vagrants, special visitors, or just the beautiful birds that nest here or migrate through the state of Wisconsin. All images were taken in 2020. It was a very exciting year … Continue reading
The 1st year male Harlequin Duck put on a nice show today at Port Washington. It hung with Mallards feeding, resting and moving around near the north beach area. For the most part it would be in the middle of the groups of Mallards, must have made it feel safe … Continue reading
A stop today at Port Washington gave nice looks a Long-tailed Duck. This stunning male has been seen for a few days on and off recently. It fed many times on fish while I was present. It was a cloudy day, very cold around 18 degrees when I arrived. A … Continue reading
The report of the Allen’s Hummingbird had me very excited, and a 1st state record for Wisconsin too. The normal range for this hummingbird is the coast of California, SE Arizona and Mexico. It is so far out of it’s range! I hope it survives in the days ahead and … Continue reading
I saw a report of a Bullock’s Oriole in Sturgeon Bay, it had only been seen once yesterday, Sunday. The Bullock’s Oriole is a western bird that typically does not come this far east. It was so exciting to hear of this bird in the state, it’s a beautiful young … Continue reading
One of my birding stops today produced a beautiful Snowy Owl. A female, at the Lake Express Ferry along the Milwaukee lakefront. There was very little action from this bird while I was present. Who knows, it maybe just had a big meal before arriving and was just kicking back … Continue reading
Birding along the lakefront in Milwaukee near the Summerfest amphitheater I came across some recent reported Common Redpolls. They were a large flock of 50 plus birds. They fed on flower and weed seeds along the south end of the amphitheater. They did not hang around long while I was … Continue reading
Checking out the bird feeder at Grant Park in Milwaukee today there was 1 Evening Grosbeak, a nice looking female. There have been some reported at this location so it was not a big surprise. But it is a nice surprise to have them in our area at this time. … Continue reading
While birding Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee I came upon a lone Sanderling at the beach. A late one for sure migrating south, here for a stop. I only hung around for a minute and a couple quick photos, I never saw it on shore, it only stood in the … Continue reading
Birding out in Waukesha County this morning I came across a family of 4 Sandhill Cranes. There were 2 adults and 2 juveniles. They were feeding in a field finding things to eat and actually came across a small spot where some corn was spilled. They hung around the corn … Continue reading
