justnorth posted on April 14, 2007 11:17 :: 1818 Views
Cold temperatures and snow have thrown a wrench into the typical bird migration patterns for this time of year. Short-distance migrants that made it to Wisconsin prior to the cold are having to deal with 3-plus inches of snow and cold temperatures. Many birders are reporting robins, tree swallows, phoebes, yellow-rumped warblers, kinglets, meadowlarks and other birds resorting to alternate foraging strategies as they deal with this temporary bought of winter. Birders checking large lakes are finding large numbers of common loons, diving ducks and horned grebes as migration has stalled out a bit. Birders discovered a beautiful adult male Eurasion wigeon in Shiocton along Van Patten road along with a nice mix of American wigeon, gadwall and other puddle ducks.
Despite the snow and cold the first great-horned owl chicks are beginning to leave the nest and sandhill cranes are starting to build nests and sit on eggs. Next weeks return to normal temperatures should bring an influx of migrants including yellow-rumped warblers, pine warblers, brown thrasher, eastern towhee, American bittern, Virginia rail and possibly our first upland sandpipers and Henslow's sparrows of the year. Birders checking wet, muddy areas should be on the lookout for both yellowlegs, snipe and pectoral sandpipers. As always, please report your sightings to www.ebird.org/WI to help track bird populations as they return for another nesting season.
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