Outdoor News Archive

Great horned owl, raven, and eagle chicks are being reported in some nest, and wild canids such as wolves, coyotes, and fox are giving birth to their young in dens.

Male ruffed grouse are reaching the peak of their annual breeding activities known as drumming. Males locate a downed log, tree, or rock on which to display. Males attract females with a series of repeated, rapid wing strokes with 3 to 4 minutes between series. As their wings compress the air, they create a vacuum, which results in a thumping noise.

Tom turkey are actively displaying. Youth turkey hunters were met with chilly temperatures for last weekend’s youth hunt, but most hunters still reported fair gobbling action.

Warmer temperatures and south winds have brought many new birds into Wisconsin over the last week. Forest migrants include hermit thrush, yellow-bellied sapsucker, kinglets, winter wren, fox sparrow and yellow-rumped warblers. American bitterns, sora and Virginia rails and other marsh species have returned to southern Wisconsin.

The annual migration of tundra swans is well underway with large numbers of birds seen in flooded agricultural fields from Green Bay west and northwest to Burnett County. Breeding activity is also picking up for birders who like to watch displays of woodcock, prairie chickens, sharp-tailed grouse, cranes and other early breeders.

Ruffed Grouse drumming has also begun in earnest now in many areas of the state. Northern Wisconsin birders are still reporting redpolls, evening grosbeaks, and a few lingering northern shrikes. Next week should bring the first push of early shorebirds and upland sandpipers, grasslands birds (Henslow's sparrow), and more of the early forest migrants including blue-gray gnatcatcher, house wren and a few early warblers along with broad-winged hawks and short-eared owls. Please report bird sightings to eBird (www.ebird.org/WI) to help better track bird migration this spring.