Stakeout: Townsend's Solitaire

A few days ago birders found a Townsend's Solitaire foraging on juniper berries in the Longenecker Gardens at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison, WI. In most years one must make the strenuous hike up and down the bluffs at Devil's Lake State Park in order to catch a glimpse or hear the "toot" calls of this species during the late fall and winter months in Wisconsin. Having one conveniently located within my 7.5 mile radius birding patch a short walk from parking is certainly pure gold.

Townsend's Solitaire, UW-Arboretum, Dane co, WI 15Dec2017 

Birds of North America Online states the Townsend's Solitaire winter diet consists of "various berries and small fruits, especially fleshy female cones ("berries") of juniper" and that the "diversity of juniper species may have greater effect than juniper abundance on solitaire winter habitat preference." The species account goes on to state "optimal winter habitat should contain not only abundant food, but also prominent singing and surveillance perches to reduce costs of territorial defense." Areas with scattered tall pines in addition to juniper berries are posited as being among the more optimal winter habitat for a solitaire. The BNA account of Townsend's Solitaire winter habitat essentially describes the pinetum section of the Longenecker gardens. It's no wonder this species finally found its way to this superb winter resource. Tall pines are scattered along a gentle slope. Toward the top of the rise is a stand of various juniper species, there for a solitaire's gorging pleasure. Fruit crops were good this year. So berries abound. And should the bird decide it has a hankering for other fruit, it can always find copious amounts of crab apples a mere couple hundred feet from the junipers in the impressive orchard.

Townsend's Solitaire on its first perch before descending to the junipers

Today was the first morning I could try for the bird. I arrived the arboretum by 8:15 and by 8:48 I was joyously and frigidly watching the Townsend's Solitaire which is a Dane County and birding patch lifer. I allowed myself an hour to search for and absorb the glory of seeing an uncommon bird for Wisconsin before I scurried off to work. I would have liked more time to capture better images, but I think the cold would have thwarted any continued effort. My fingers were painfully cold! Perhaps I will return for another round with the solitaire at a later and hopefully warmer date.

What is it about certain milestone birds that elevates the spirit? I've been riding a high all day over this gray-toned rather drab bird.

Townsend's Solitaire (the only digiscoped image in this series)

I suppose some of the exuberance came from human reconnection as well. When one is in the mood for socialization, bird stakeouts can provide that fix. Such was the case this morning. I rarely run into the vast number of Madison-area birders and am isolated from some of the prominent social media birding groups. Therefore it's easy to often feel disconnected from the birding community. But not today. Today was about connection. I happened upon a great group of birders to share the solitaire with, old birding friends and acquaintances, some who I have not seen in a year or more, all who I regard with great fondness. It was a pleasantly perfect convergence of good birding souls.

Townsend's Solitaire on the perch of missed photo opportunities.
This perch offered the best light, but I was too distant with my DSLR and too slow to execute a digiscoped image.
Damn cold fingers. 

I'm glad I didn't try for the bird in the afternoon because 1) I likely would not have seen it and 2) I would have likely been a theft victim. Ouch. I heard from two different people of car break-ins this afternoon in the Wingra Woods parking lot. I guess luck was on my side for once, unbelievable.