* Wisconsin
* Madison
* March 31, 1999
* WIMA9903.31
Number: 608-255-2476
Reports: 608-255-2476
Compiler: Madison Audubon
Coverage: south-central Wisconsin
Transcriber: Chuck Heikkinen (Reiki@Inxpress.Net)
BIRDS MENTIONED-
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Harrier
Canvasback
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Lesser Yellowlegs
Hooded Merganser
Redhead
Eastern Bluebird
Great Blue Heron
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
RED CROSSBILL
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Rusty Blackbird
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Belted Kingfisher
CAROLINA WREN
Fox Sparrow
Slate-colored Junco
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Killdeer
PEREGRINE FALCON
American Coot
Herring Gull
Ruffed Grouse
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
American Woodcock
Brewer's Blackbird
Turkey Vulture
Northern Flicker
Broad-winged Hawk
Pectoral Sandpiper
Lapland Longspur
Horned lark
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Common Snipe
Green-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
LOCATIONS MENTIONED-
Governor Nelson State Park
Hoyt Park
Williamson St
James Madison Park
Stricker's Pond, Middleton
9 Springs Sewage Plant
Walking Iron Park
Old Sauk Rd
Blue Mounds State Park
Cherokee Marsh
Swan Pond
Lake Wingra
Lake Barney
Harrison St
UW Arboretum
Seminole Hwy
University Bay
Devil's Lake State Park and area
Odana Hills Marsh
Schroeder Rd
Rowan Park
Cty DM & Harvey Rd
Mud Lake, Columbia County
This is the Birding Hotline Report of the Madison Audubon Society for
Wednesday, March 31st. What with the warm weather and south winds,
migration seems to have rushed into the area recently, bringing large
numbers of newly reported birds. Thanks to your tremendous support in
calling, the number of reports has been so large, we ran out of tape to
record them. Our apologies if your report is one of those lost in
telephonic space.
Peter Bridge, last Wednesday, March 24th, found 6 singing EASTERN
MEADOWLARKS out in the open at Governor Nelson State Park. On the 25th, he
saw an EASTERN PHOEBE at Hoyt Park, a NORTHERN HARRIER flying overhead on
Williamson Street, and 33 CANVASBACKS, 15 COMMON GOLDENEYES, and a pair of
COMMON MERGANSERS on Lake Mendota off James Madison Park.
Ginny Nelson & Julie Pesch spotted a COMMON LOON on Stricker's Pond on
Friday the 27th. Also on the 27th, Thomas Koslowske went to the 9 Springs
Sewage Plant and observed a LESSER YELLOWLEGS plus numerous waterfowl,
including a HOODED MERGANSER and 4 REDHEADS. The same day, Sylvia Merrick
and Nancy Hayden went to Walking Iron Park and saw 2 Pasque Flowers in bloom
along with a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, several EASTERN PHOEBES, and a
number of Anglewing butterflies. On their way home they spotted a GREAT
BLUE HERON in a small pond on Old Sauk Road.
On the 28th, Dave Fallow visited Blue Mounds State Park and observed his
first YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER of the year, and also found a PILEATED
WOODPECKER and a pair of RED CROSSBILLS. He also found 10-20 GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS at Cherokee Marsh, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD at Swan Pond, 3 RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERS on Lake Wingra off Knickerbocker Street, and then saw a white
goose that may have been a partially albino Canada Goose or a cross, if
possible, between a Canada and a Snow Goose, at Lake Barney.
Kathy Minor was at Lake Wingra on Saturday, the 27th. She reported 2 HORNED
GREBES in winter plumage. She also noted that a BELTED KINGFISHER has been
heard on Lake Wingra since the 21st.
Gary Turk reported the CAROLINA WREN along the railroad tracks off the
Harrison Street/Old Bridge area on Madison's near west side on Monday, the
29th. The bird was seen foraging in leaves but not singing. 2 FOX SPARROWS
just beginning to sing were spotted in the same area.
Sylvia Merrick visited the UW Arboretum on Sunday, the 28th. She found a
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 2 RED CROSSBILLS, an
EASTERN PHOEBE, SLATE-COLORED JUNCOS, and SONG SPARROWS. She also noted
that she has a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in her yard that's been there most of
the winter.
Nan Brandenburg called in 2 KILLDEER that she saw off Seminole Highway on
the 27th, and a PEREGRINE FALCON which she observed at the UW Arboretum on
the 28th.
On the 29th, Julie Pesch saw several GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS at Stricker's
Pond in Middleton, and 1 EASTERN PHOEBE.
Peter Bridge and Cynthia Renk birded Cherokee Marsh on the 29th, and
reported, among other birds, a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and 3 GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS. At University Bay, Peter reports seeing 370 AMERICAN COOTS, 1
male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, a female COMMON GOLDENEYE, and a HERRING GULL.
Chuck Heikkinen and Delia Unson went on the Ice Age Trail portion of Devil's
Lake State Park on the 27th and reported finding an EASTERN BLUEBIRD and 2
RUFFED GROUSE. They also spotted a RUSTY BLACKBIRD at the Old Schoolhouse
Restaurant. On their way home, near a pond on Highway 113 they watched a
flock of 100 WOOD DUCKS in a field and 5 BLUE-WINGED TEAL nearby. Chuck
went to Devil's Lake the next day and found an AMERICAN WOODCOCK doing its
courtship flight on Burma Road, and 6 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, an EASTERN
PHOEBE, 12 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 2 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and 2 FOX SPARROWS
elsewhere in the Park.
Chuck also reported incoming sightings at Odana Marsh on the 28th and 29th
that include: RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 7 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 2 EASTERN
PHOEBES, 2 TURKEY VULTURES, a NORTHERN FLICKER, 2 FOX SPARROWS, and a
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. Since then, he's identified there 2 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, 2 HORNED GREBES (one in breeding plumage), a PIED-BILLED GREBE, and an
EASTERN MEADOWLARK.
Marty Evanson went to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Schroeder Road
on Sunday, the 28th. He found 60 SLATE-COLORED JUNCOS, 30 SONG SPARROWS, 3
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 3 FOX SPARROWS, and an EASTERN PHOEBE there. North
of the Post Office on Struck Road, he found a flock of around 20 SONG
SPARROWS and an EASTERN MEADOWLARK. On the 29th and 30th, he reported 2
COMMON LOONS on Lake Monona in front of the Convention Center.
Bob DeMars reported that he found 1-2 AMERICAN WOODCOCKS calling near the
northeast corner of Rowan Park on Wednesday, the 31st, and he also had a
BROAD-WINGED HAWK flying over Bordner Drive.
Peter Bridge birded Columbia County with Libby Zimmerman on the 30th. They
found 5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS southeast of Harvey Rd & County DM, 30 LAPLAND
LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS in nearby fields, and 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE, 3 COMMON SNIPE, and 1 NORTHERN HARRIER off Tollefson Road near Mud
Lake in Columbia County.
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The WSO Hotline in Milwaukee (414) 352-3857, as of March 26th is reporting a
Townsend's Solitaire in the Mauthe Lake area, 2 Ross's Geese in the Goose
Pond area along with Greater White-fronted Geese, and Lesser Black-backed
Gulls in Port Washington and Milwaukee. Please call the Hotline for details.
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The next Madison Audubon Society Field Trip will be Saturday, April 3rd,
Bird Watching for Beginners, led by Allen Holzhueter. Focus will be on
Picnic Point. Meet at the parking lot by the 1918 Marsh at 8 a.m. If you
have questions, please call Allen at (608) 238-0546.
Also remember that April has Scope Viewing days every Sunday from 2-5 at
Goose Pond. There will be spotting scopes set up and volunteers to help you
identify birds migrating through. To get to Goose Pond, take Highway 51
north into Columbia County. Turn left (west) on County Highway K. After 2
miles, turn right (north) on Goose Pond Road. The sanctuary will be just
over the rise.
Good Birding!