Patch Madness

Well I better get in the saddle and ride this thing, this blogging business.

Wow. Time keeps on rolling forward and I along with it. Over the past few months, both inertia and paralysis prevented me from settling down to edit photos, write, and attend for more than a few minutes to the box of light and madness we call the computer. But here I am, back at it. The worst of winter 2018 is surely behind me.

My Wisconsin birding efforts were rather subdued throughout January and February. I pretty much stuck to low-key birding in my neighborhood, knowing that most of the bird species seen during these months would be present when the weather was more favorable. My most notable neighborhood bird observation from this time period was a wintering Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Birding was low priority taking a back seat to hibernation. I opted to spend many a morning sleeping well into the 9 o'clock hour, enveloped in the comfort of my heated mattress pad and the confines of my house. Oh sure, I ventured out some to see the winter field birds, Lapland Longspur, Horned Lark and Snow Buntings. I also ventured to southern Dane County to see the Short-eared Owls that were plentiful this winter at Brooklyn Wildlife Area. But mostly I continued to settle into my new house, paint, attempt to make order of chaos...and sleep.

I made some time for a couple of extended bird trips. Enticed by the owl irruption to our north, I traveled solo to Sax-Zim Bog after a several year hiatus of avoiding the growing owl paparazzi. But that story is for another time...

Also in late February I returned to the Lower Rio Grande Valley to visit my winter Texan parents where the birding and butterflying is spectacular. I amassed many photos. Per my usual I have not found the time to compose a blog post about my travels here. I've logged over a dozen trips to the valley without a single post dedicated to the amazing birds and butterflies. Perhaps one is in the works...For now I'm bogged down with identifying all the butterflies I photographed from this region.

And that brings us to March. I returned from the Lower Rio Grande Valley early in the month just in time for a late winter walloping of snow in the Upper Midwest. Despite the snow storm, spring thaw was in progress. Many birders in my home county were flocking to Lower Mud Lake (Dane Co) to view the waterfowl that concentrates here annually on the lake's early thawing waters. I resisted the trip reasoning that I could eventually see most, if not all those species, in my 7.5 mile radius local birding patch. Patience and restraint! And with that, the birth of my patch madness grew. I began an obsession with restricting much of my birding to my new local birding patch. The 7.5 mile radius patch is Wisconsin's effort with standardizing patch birding. It began in 2014 and was modeled after Texas's local patch challenge. My interest in patch birding and has waxed and wane over the few years since its inception in Wisconsin. But as of this month it has become the focus of my birding.

A compelling landscape of rock out-croppings and a gorge in my local patch

Most of March I have been consumed with exploring unfamiliar and familiar parks, natural areas, fluddles, and ponds within my patch. I've been energized by discovering under-birded and compelling natural areas in what is a relatively heavily-birded county as far as all of Wisconsin is concerned. While the well-known hotspots in my patch certainly have their allure, I'm intrigued to see what warblers and other passerine migrants I can find in some of the natural areas off-the-beaten path.

Up until the last week, I was cranking out new patch and year species almost daily. However when one birds daily during a time period of rather stunted migration, the law of diminishing returns applies. Sure I could bird once a week and be at or near the same number of species with far less checklists. Instead I've been checking hotspots in my patch with some redundancy. I've also committed myself to eBirding regardless of whether anything new or interesting is present. Afterall, selectively entering checklists based on how impressive the birding is in terms of quality and quantity of species present only serves to introduce more bias into the data.

Waterfowl has been the theme most of the month. It's actually my least favorite group of birds (so no duck photos-BORING!). Estimating ducks numbering in the 100s is painstaking and borders on being work, not leisure. I keep telling myself if I regularly check the fluddles, lakes and ponds in my patch, I will eventually turn up some rare to uncommon loon, duck or other waterfowl. Think Cinnamon Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Eared Grebe or Red-throated Loon. I would much rather find some sweet passerine or sexy shorebird, but waterfowl is the predominate trend for now. Thus far, passerines and shorebirds have been slow to arrive. Eastern Phoebe and Wilson's Snipe are recent arrivals, present only small numbers.

Eastern Phoebe, Gardner Marsh 24March2018

Wilson's Snipe, Hwy 14 ephemeral pond, Middleton, WI 26March2018

Speaking of shorebirds, while my patch lacks the northern Dane county ponds and fluddles which attract a good number of rare shorebirds, Nine Springs with its impoundments and shorebird habitat is included. Some years the water levels at Nine Springs can be rather disappointing. Other years this spot has produced notable birds including godwits, red knot, whimbrel and white-faced ibis. I plan to be there looking for these gems!

Earlier in March I struck patch gold when my friend Shawn texted with information regarding a Snowy Owl present on Lake Wingra. Though this species had an impressive irruption south this winter and was quite common, seeing this one was still thrilling. Finding one in the areas comprised within my patch can be difficult even in an irruption year.

Snowy Owl, Lake Wingra, Madison, WI 13March2018

Another good year for Northern Shrikes in southern Wisconsin. Early in March I found myself fretting I would not find a Northern Shrike in my patch before they left for their northern breeding climes. Shovelers Sink had been a territory for one last year and just this past December I observed one up the road from my house in the University Research Park Prairie. I had checked both these spots dipping on all occasions. Finally on a recent trip to Shovelers Sink a distant shrike obliged me. It was perched in the same patch of dogwood as last year. Of course within days of seeing the Shovelers Sink shrike, I had the serendipity of finding one singing at Dorn Creek Wildlife Area.

Northern Shrike, Dorn Creek Fishery Wildlife Area, 16March2018

Then on March 28th, I saw what is likely the Dorn Creek bird at the adjacent Governor Nelson State Park. Once again, to my great delight, the bird was singing! I cannot think of anything more endearing or treasured about March birding than witnessing singing Northern Shrikes!

My shrike streak continued today. I found the presumably same shrike hunting near the entrance to Governor Nelson State Park. I relished in watching it hunt for a good fifteen minutes knowing within the next month, this favored species of mine will be absent in the state. Perhaps April will yield a few more observations. Wisconsin has a number of April shrike records mostly occurring in the first two weeks. I hit my personal late record for seeing Northern Shrike last year with an April 7th sighting at Perry/Primrose Bird Conservation Area.

Northern Shrike, Governor Nelson State Park, Dane Co, 30March2018

Though seemingly becoming more common in southern Wisconsin, Carolina Wren is another one of those species that gives me dipping angst each year. I did not encounter this species in Dane County in 2017. Therefore when I came upon the pair inhabiting the creek corridor of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, I was quite pleased. I was traveling light with my small mirrorless DSLR, but was glad to at least have some sort of camera on hand when the pair rewarded us with their presence and song.

Carolina Wren, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, 16March2018

Owls. By March Great-horned Owls are well underway with nesting and owlets begin to emerge. Observing the progression of any raptor nest but especially owls is quite the treat. When I viewed this nest in Middleton on March 19th, the down fluff of a chick was visible. However, I have not seen the owlet(s) since. I'm assured at least one owlet is present. A friend captured a nice image showing the face of the owlet on March 29. 

Great-horned owl with chick, 19March2018

Great-horned Owl sleeping on the job, 26March2018

Until a flock of blackbirds lands over head....

Meanwhile back at the ranch this is what's been happening in the yard.

Wild Turkey, Madison, WI 18March2018 

They are colorful, but quite the nuisance especially when 40+ are hanging out around the yard. Unfortunately my neighbor spreads corn for them almost daily.

And let us not slight our common and abundant Song Sparrows and American Robins. Numbers have markedly increased as March progressed. Breeding is underway for these species!

Song Sparrow, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, 28March2018

American Robin, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, 28March2018

Oh! And a non-birding observation! My first-of-the-year butterfly! March 18th I saw this Mourning Cloak at Black Earth Creek Wildlife Area. Then today while birding Pheasant Branch Conservancy, I spotted another!

Mourning Cloak 18March2018

Until the next time, bird on and be nice. BE NICE.