Our neck of the woods...

Red-Headed Woodpecker

2010-07-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

May 20, 2010 - I was on my way out of the house to attend a Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin field trip hoping to see a Kirtland's Warbler when I took a quick look in the backyard and spotted a Red-headed woodpecker at a feeding station. I had never before had this bird in my yard and could hardly believe my eyes! I was gone all weekend (and DID see the Kirtland's Warbler!) but when I returned home this fellow was still hanging around. Managed to get a few photos from quite a distance and was thrilled to have this as my 27th species in the yard during spring migration.

Funky Nests in Funky Places

2009-08-03T15:52:00.001-07:00

Celebrate Urban Birds on Facebook
Check out the Funky Nests in Funky Places photo album.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=95365&id=71397573269

photos from Celebrate Urban Birds

Bathing Beauty

2009-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

This American Robin (Wisconsin's state bird) seemed to be enjoying his bath more than the look on his face would lead you to believe. Photos of birds galore can be enjoyed at Bird Photography Weekly - go check it out!

Three Stages of Song Sparrows

2009-07-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Song Sparrow seemed to be my "bird of the week" last week. First, a colleague mentioned that she had a nest in her holly bush with some just-hatched chicks in it. She invited me over to take a look - and a photo. I couldn't tell what they were just by looking at these blind and naked little bodies with gaping mouths but within a few minutes a chirping adult Song Sparrow could be seen perched nearby and then coming and going from the bush. At home I consulted my book on nests, hatchlings, etc. and this nest type seemed to fit the bill for Song Sparrows. This weekend while walking down the driveway a lot of chirping from a tree caught my attention and I spied this juvenile Song Sparrow at the edge of our swamp. This must be a favorite spot for them since I see them here every summer. A little farther down the road, I saw this adult sitting on a branch and realized I had come full circle with this bird. Nest, hatchlings, fledgling, adult. A pretty common little bird but not every week that you see all the stages in their life cycle! Check out more birds and their photographer's stories at Bird Photography Weekly.

Cedar Waxwings

2009-07-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

I happened upon a pair of Cedar Waxwings while on a hike in our neck of the woods this holiday weekend. They seemed to be collecting nesting material and I thought they were getting kind of a late start but then read the following information regarding their nesting habits: Late Nest Builders Waxwings generally nest later in the summer than most songbirds since they synchronize hatching with fruit development. Both sexes bring nest material but females do most of the nest building, lay 4 or 5 pale blue or blue-gray eggs with black or gray blotches and incubate them for 12 days. Nestlings spend another 13 days in the nest before fledging. 1 - 2 broods raised. This makes sense since the big pin cherry tree in our yard is full of fruit that is not yet ripe. The cherries usually ripen up mid-July and I've seen loads of Cedar Waxwings feasting there in the past.

Coincidentally, there was a nest visible very near where I spotted these two. I think this nest might belong to a Red-eyed Vireo however. Fly over to Bird Photography Weekly for more bird photos from all over the world.

Golden-winged Warbler Banding

2009-06-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, I had the privilege to participate in a Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin field trip banding Golden-winged Warblers. The GWW are being studied by Amber Roth, Forest Science PhD candidate out of Michigan Tech University, as part of her work on cellulosic ethanol. With growing interest and small-scale use of forest waste and biomass for electricity generation and cellulosic ethanol for automotive fuels, it is important that we understand the demands and management tradeoffs this requires of our northern forests. In particular, can we find a balance between biomass extraction for bioenergy and the habitat needs of forest birds?

The first bird in the mist net was a bird Amber had banded in 2007. New data was collected and stats on this bird were updated.

A short while later an unbanded bird hit the mist net. It was banded, had blood and feather samples taken, weighed and greatly admired by all in attendance. It was a new life list bird for me - #146! Find interesting stories and great bird photography at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly - Common Loon on Nest

2009-05-26T18:33:00.001-07:00

We've had a pair of loons nesting in the bay of the lake we're on for several years now. Last year they successfully raised one chick. This past weekend, I was lucky enough to catch them changing places on the nest. Not being very well suited to walking on land, it was quite a process! The adult that left the nest and took to the water kept a watchful eye on the sky and sent up an alert call when an eagle was overhead. The adult on the nest left it and swam a short distance away. As soon as the eagle moved on, the nest was once again occupied. To see more interesting birds from all over the world, visit Bird Photography Weekly.

Birds Return to Northwoods

2009-05-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

I spent all of last week in the Wisconsin Northwoods and although the weather was just too cold to do much serious birding outdoors, the birds seemed to come to me. I kept a list of all the birds I could see from the deck and came up with 24 species. The highlights were the Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers that were everywhere; the three male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks; the Baltimore Orioles and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Our loons are nesting nearby again this spring - hope the eagles will leave them alone so they can raise a couple of chicks. Heading back up for the Memorial Day weekend and the weather forecast looks good. Good birding to you!

Bird Photography Weekly: Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2009-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

My FOY Rose-breasted Grosbeak showed up at the backyard feeder Saturday morning. I'm anxiously waiting for Baltimore Orioles and Hummingbirds that have been reported back in the SE Wisconsin area!

Bird Photography Weekly - Evening Grosbeaks

2009-04-13T16:01:00.001-07:00

I was searching through old photos albums tonight for pictures of my Dad. He is dying and I am putting together a slide show of photos for his memorial service. This is sad, but he is nearly 80 years old and has lived a very healthy life on his own terms. While looking through those old albums, I came across these photos of Evening Grosbeaks, taken during the winter of 1987-88 in Lake Tomahawk, WI. These birds were abundant that winter but sadly, I have not seen one since. I hear that they are still common in some parts of the Northwoods but I am now only a weekend resident there once or twice a month during the winter and they are not coming to my feeders during these visits. Still, I remember how much we enjoyed them that winter in the late 80s. My Dad enjoys birds too. I put up a feeder at his window in the hospice house where is now living and he passes the time watching the chickadees, the goldfinches and the pine siskins that come for the sunflower seeds we offer. He says it is better than watching TV. I think he is right. Find more bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly - Pine Siskin

2009-03-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

Like a goldfinch in camouflage. Despite its color pattern, the siskin acts like goldfinches and often flocks with them in winter. (Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America)

These siskins, captured at our feeder in northern Wisconsin, show off their yellow coloring in the wings and tail. Photo credit on the siskins goes to teenage son again this week.

Look for more interesting bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly - Blue Jay

2009-03-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Blue Jays are very common in our neck of the Wisconsin northwoods but it is very rare for me to see one in the southeastern part of the state. This blue beauty was photographed up north last fall by my 15 year old son.

See more amazing bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly - Bald Eagle

2009-03-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

This WisconsinBirder is proud to feature a photo taken by her son last summer in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. If you are interested in eagles, you might enjoy the live streaming eagle cam at Xcel Energy web site. And be sure to take a look at all of the bird photos posted at Bird Photography Weekly this week. Happy migration and good birding!

Bird Photography Weekly - Song Sparrow

2009-03-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

This song sparrow took up residence last summer near the end of the drive at our place "up north". I was playing with my new I-Flyer when I spotted him flitting about in the trees. He became quite defensive when hearing the call of another song sparrow coming from the I-Flyer. I assumed he was defending his nesting territory. He got pretty close which allowed for a couple of good photos but not wanting to upset him too much I stopped calling. Birding ethics has been a very hot topic this winter in Wisconsin, especially in regard to photography of the numerous Snowy Owls in the state. Photographers were seen approaching the birds too closely, releasing pet store white mice into the fields where they were hunting, trespassing on private property to get a better photo op and the like. This all seems very contrary to how "real" birders behave when in the field. What are your thoughts on birding ethics? Stop by Bird Photography Weekly at www.birdfreak.com for more links to some great bird photography!

Gray Catbird for Bird Photography Weekly

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

This cute little catbird welcomed us to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, FL last March. It flew out of a tree and landed on the fence rail at the visitors center where you pick up the boardwalk and start the tour. Take a look at all of the interesting bird photos posted this week at Bird Photography Weekly.

Owl Cam

2009-02-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

It's not every day you can peek inside the nest of a Great Horned Owl and watch the chicks growing on an hourly basis. Oh wait, yes it is! Wisconsin's own WE Energies provides a web cam photograph of the goings on inside an owl nest and several Peregrine Falcon nests at their various power plant facilities around the southeastern Wisconsin area. This adult was captured catching a nap up close to the camera lens. The nest appears to have three young owls. Most of the time they look like a fuzzy white pile of dryer lint but they will mature quickly.This is a Peregrine Falcon at the Pleasant Prairie location.

Bird Photography Weekly - Snowy Egret

2009-02-23T09:13:00.001-08:00

SE Wisconsin got more than five inches of new snow Saturday and it was 10 degrees this morning so I'm digging into my Florida Birds file for this week's posting. This Snowy Egret was photographed on the Naples beach last March. Ahhhhhhhh.... Go check out all of the fantastic bird photos posted at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly - White-winged Crossbill

2009-02-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah! I had almost given up hope of seeing these birds this winter. It is a huge year for White-winged Crossbills in Wisconsin. There are reports on our birding network every day of people practically tripping over them on their way out the door and I have spent weeks scanning the top of every cone-laden spruce tree I passed but had not been able to spot even one - until Sunday. On my way home from the northwoods (where I had been doing my GBBC) I saw a flock of birds fluttering around the tops of some spruce. Oh happy day, there they were! I watched and watched (two passing cars stopped to ask if everything was ok) and got the best photos I could considering the distance. Find more bird photos from all over the globe at Bird Photography Weekly.

Great Backyard Bird Count 2009

2009-02-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

It was a great weekend to count birds in Northern Wisconsin. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up at my feeders but I finally managed to stumble across a flock of white-winged crossbills - my first! This is the list I submitted to Cornell along with a couple of photos of those counted.

Chickadee - 14
White-winged Crossbill - 12
Blue Jay - 5
Goldfinch - 5
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 2
House Finch - 2
Bald Eagle - 2
Common Redpoll - 1

Bird Photography Weekly - Snowy Owl

2009-02-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

After weeks of reading the numerous Snowly Owl sightings in southeastern WI reported on our Wisconsin Birding Network, I finally had a day off to try spotting one for myself. It was only because two very experienced and knowledgable birders were willing to spend their morning acting as my guides that I was able to see not one, but two, of these beautiful birds. The one pictured here was just snoozing in the sun on top of an electrical pole next to the raod. We drove right under him and he barely opened his eyes.(I wish the photo quality was better.) The other was spotted on the ground way out in the middle of a field. Without hesitation,my guide jumped out of her car and set up her spotting scope just so I could get a better look than the bins were offering. As a bonus, they also knew just where to look for horned larks, snow buntings, and rough-legged hawks so I added four new birds to my list last Friday. Thanks Marilyn and Kathy-birders are the best! Check out all the bird photos this week at Bird Photography Weekly.

A Rare Winter Visitor

2009-02-02T11:40:00.001-08:00

I don't know what brought this little lady to the north woods of Wisconsin mid-January when she should be somewhere in the Pacific northwest but she is causing a real stir among birders there. This female Varied Thrush was first noticed in the yard of Rhinelander resident Brian Karnosky on January 17 and he immediately knew this was something way out of the ordinary. The news travelled fast and for the last three weeks, Brian and his wife have graciously welcomed birders into their home to get a look at the bird they've affectionately dubbed "The Diva".
Not only was I was lucky enough to visit the Karnosky's and have the chance to see her this weekend, she cooperatively sat still just long enough for me to take a couple of photos. Check out Bird Photography Weekly for more bird photos.

Bird Photography Weekly - Common Redpolls

2009-01-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of excitement in southeastern Wisconsin this winter about Common Redpoll sightings. I saw them for the first time at my feeders in northern Wisconsin during the winter of 2007. We generally only visit the place "up north" once a month or so during the winter but have seen them fairly regularly when we're there.
They have not yet shown up at my feeders in Wauwatosa (at least not when I've been home to notice) but I'll keep watching!

Bird Photography Weekly

2009-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

A new backyard bird frequented our feeders during the deep freeze last week - the red-bellied woodpecker. While we occasionaly saw them in the nearby parks we had not had one in our yard at our feeders before. He spent so much time at the suet feeder that getting photos was easy and because school was cancelled due to the cold temperatures and windchill factor I was home to take full advantage of the photo opp.

The subzero temperatures increased our feeder activity in general. We were visited by dozens of goldfinches, juncos, house finches, and house sparrows. Thankfully it has warmed up over the last few days but it was back to work today. For more brilliant bird photos from all over the world check out Bird Photography Weekly.

My Power Bird

2009-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Wendy over at Musings on Nature had a link to determine your Power Bird. I took the quiz and found out my Power Bird is a Vulture. A vulture, really? Here is the description that was returned. All good characteristics but for some reason I just don't think vulture when I read it!

You are always changing your life and the lives of those around you.
You aren't afraid to move on from what holds you back.
Energetic and powerful, you have a nearly unlimited capacity for success.
You know how to "go with the flow" and take advantage of what is given to you.

Bird Photography Weekly

2009-01-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to post photos of eagles gathered along the Wisconsin River near Praire du Sac this week. We field tripped there on Saturday to eagle watch and did indeed spot 4 or 5 from three different viewing stations but none were close enough to make a photo possible so I'm offering Loons instead. We always have a pair who nest on our lake "up north" and this summer they had one chick survive. We saw all three of them as late as the end of October.

More info on eagle watching at Prairie du Sac can be found at this link. This weekend is the official Eagle Festival. A very nice side trip can be taken to the nearby Wollersheim Winery. They offer free tasting and produce a seasonal wine called Eagle White. A portion of proceeds from sales of Eagle White wine are donated to support local eagle habitat. For more great bird photography, visit Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly

2009-01-05T10:53:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! This lovely Flicker was photographed in northern Wisconsin, obviously in warmer weather. I was in the frozen northwoods last week and enjoyed the constant company of the chickadees, goldfinches, nuthatches (white and red breasted), the downy, hairy and pileated woodpeckers, the blue jays, even a pair of purple finches for a couple of days. Really looking forward to May and spring migration. Find more fantastic bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

Bird Photography Weekly

2008-12-22T12:18:00.001-08:00

Blue-winged Teal - photographed in May at the Horicon Marsh during their annual birding festival. Did anyone do a CBC this past weekend? My group went out Saturday morning and had quite a bit of luck considering Friday we got a foot of new snow. Our list included all of the usual suspects you would expect to see in southeastern Wisconsin in December - chickadees, house finches, house sparrows, cardinals, bluejay, woodpeckers (downy and red-bellied), herring gulls, crows, mourning doves, pigeons, mallards, juncos, and three hawks (red tailed, coopers and sharp shinned). The biggest surprise for me was the large group of robins (at least 25) all hanging out together in the park just blocks from my home. I wish I had been carrying my camera - a missed opportunity! To see more bird photos visit Bird Photography Weekly at BirdFreak.com.

Bird Photography Weekly

2008-12-15T09:13:00.001-08:00

This Wisconsin Birder wishes she was back in Florida where she was when she photographed this Osprey with a fish, between Naples and Marco Island, last March. Wisconsin is in the deep freeze today with a temperature of 5 and a wind chill of -15 degrees. Too much Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr for birding! Find more great bird photos at Bird Photography Weekly.

2008 Christmas Bird Count

2008-12-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

It is almost that time of year again...time to get up unreasonably early, layer up in as many articles of warm clothing you can move in, head out into the cold (at least here in Wisconsin)and count birds! 2008 will be my second year participating in CBC. I'm counting with fellow Enderis Park Bird Club members Joe & Nola Devereaux and Julie Ristow. We're meeting at 7:30 am on Saturday, Dec. 20th at Cranky Al's on North Avenue...Join Us! For more information on this year's CBC, click on the CBC badge to the right.

Bird Photography Weekly #15

2008-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

My featured bird this week is the Bobolink. I photographed this fellow in May 2008 at the Horicon Marsh,during their annual birding festival. More than 290 species have been documented at Horicon Marsh making it one of the top birding hotspots in the Upper Midwest. For more information on the 2009 festival, scheduled for May 8-11, visit the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. Take a look at all the great bird photos this week at Bird Photography Weekly.

Skywatch Friday

2008-12-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

This sunset photo was taken on Tuesday this week at the end of a particularily stressful day...it was just what I needed to calm my nerves and regain perspective. TGIF everybody! For more views of skies around the world visit Skywatch Friday.

Bird Photography Weekly #14

2008-12-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

I photographed this Yellow-headed Blackbird on Big Muskego Lake in southeastern Wisconsin last summer. It was the first time I went out in search of a specific bird. What a thrill it was to find it and get a photo! It is reminding me of summer on this very snowy December day. See more bird photos from all over the world at Bird Photography Weekly #14

Bird Photography Weekly

2008-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

Happy to have found Bird Photography Weekly...love both birds and photography! My first post is an Ovenbird I photographed this summer on the Bearskin Trail in northern Wisconsin

MyWorld Tuesday

2008-11-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

Winter has arrived in Wisconsin. The first real snow signals the start of winter around here and it seldom waits until December 20.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone...hope you can find much to be thankful for in YourWorld. For more views of the world visit the MyWorld blog at showyourworld.blogspot.com.

Skywatch Friday

2008-11-20T12:21:00.001-08:00

The end of daylight savings time brings sunset to southeastern Wisconsin just before 5 pm these days. This was the scene as I left my office the other day, headed for home. We had our first accumulation of snow this week, just a little that is gone...for now. For more Skywatch Friday photos from all parts of the world visit www.skyley.blogspot.com.

MyWorld Tuesday

2008-11-18T08:53:00.001-08:00

MyWorld is in Wisconsin, USA. This is a scene taken in July on the Bearskin Trail, one of Wisconsin's "rails to bike trails" that runs between Rhinelander and Minocqua in the northern part of the state. This is a popular summer vacation destination for biking, boating, fishing and other outdoor activities. I would be interested in knowing if you've ever been in this area. Go and check out more MyWorld images at the MyWorld Site!

Happy Birthday Gordon Lightfoot

2008-11-17T11:28:00.001-08:00

Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot turns 70 today. His first hit in the US was If You Could Read My Mind which went to number 5 on the charts. I have been lucky enough to see him in concert twice and have enjoyed hearing dozens of his best songs sung live. My favorites: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Rainy Day People, Fine As Fine Can Be, The Circle Is Small. Speaking of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - that disaster on Lake Superior happened 33 years ago on Nov. 10, 1975.

Skywatch Friday

2008-11-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

I've linked up to Skywatch Friday...a place to enjoy skies and views from all over the world. Anyone with a blog can post a photo featuring sky on Fridays and link up to skywatch.
My first sky photo comes from my friend Stephanie Weaver who moved from Wauwatosa, WI to Hill City, KS in August. Her husband Mark is the park superintendant at Nicodemus Kansas. Stephanie took this beautiful photo earlier this fall.

Kurt Goes to Homecoming

2008-10-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Little Kurty Wurty went to his first high school dance Saturday night - Homecoming at Tosa East. A group of about 30 met for photos before going to The Chancery for dinner. The parents stand around like papparazzi taking pictures. Here is a sampler...Kurt is the tall one in the back row with the white shirt and black tie.

Time Flies

2008-10-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Wow...where did the summer go? Haven't posted anything since June. The Bokerns had one of the best summers on record. Bill and Kurt took a one week canoe trip to Quetico with friends the Schaeffers and the Cockerhams. Then it was off to Camp Highlands for four weeks for Kurt. He went on another canoe trip to the Boundary Waters and earned an honor tripper award (so proud!).

There were lots of long weekends spent in Lk. Tom that provided the chance to see family on both sides. Labor Day weekend was a blast with the Schaeffers and Dues.

Went intentionally birding on Sept. 20 in Lk. Tom, binoculars ready, camera in hand. My first photo opp came when I spied an adult sapsucker and two immatures probing their chicklet-like holes for bugs. Great, I thought, I don't have any sapsucker photos! I lowered the binoculars and got the Cannon in position. Power on, uh try that again, power on. Power on, damnit! No power on. I checked the battery compartment to find one of the double A's missing. Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurt you're gonna get it! Kurt is 15 and a talented artist with a very creative eye. He likes to use my camera because of its superior zoom capabilities. He usually takes pretty good care of it but in a pinch he is not above "borrowing" a battery needed for his Wii-mote. Ugh...no photos on this birding excursion. In addtion to the photos of the sapsuckers I didn't get to take, I also didn't get to take any of the numerous Kinglets, Ovenbirds and Yellow-Rumped Warblers that I saw that day.

At the feeder now...just started seeing the White-crowned sparrows and white breasted nuthatches this week at the feeder in Wauwatosa. Have had lots of goldfinches and siskens, house sparrows and cardinals. Juncos showed up at the feeders in Lk. Tom after being away for the summer.

Fall colors are at their peak...a great time to turn off the TV, forget about politics and Wall Street for awhile and get outside.

Birding 9-1-1

2008-06-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Fathers Day weekend in Lake Tomahawk was one bird emergency after another! I discovered these two unfortunate red-eyed vireos laying on the front porch when I got up Friday morning. What happened? How could the same fate have befallen not one but two of these tree-top singers? Was it a case of lost love, like Romeo and Juliet? One flew into the house and the other decided it couldn't live without the other? I don't know but I felt terrible about it and carried them both off to the woods where they could rest in peace together.

Then on Saturday, I'm putzing around in the house while the guys are out fishing and I hear a tell-tale BAM! and knew something had hit a window. Sure enough, a belted kingfisher was sprawled out in the Adirondack chair on the deck...not looking so good. Thankfully in just a short time the bird righted itself and was sitting up. I thought this was a good sign but still wasn't sure what would happen. Would I be on my way to the wildlife rehabilitation center with a brain damaged kingfisher? After taking almost 20 minutes to regain its senses, it was able to fly up to the deck railing. It sat there for just a moment and then flew into a nearby tree where it took another minute to rest before heading off across the lake. A happy ending.

I hope this weekend at the lake provides only live bird watching opportunities!

Recipe For A Great Weekend

2008-06-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Don Schaeffer, Jill Schaeffer, Max Schaeffer, Julie Ristow, Randy Ristow, Clayton Ristow, Joe Devereaux, Nola Devereaux, Max Devereaux, Brian Due, Jill Due, Chris Due, Jaime Due, Jaime's friend, Steve Fronk, Kay Fronk, Willie Rohrer and Eric Pintar.

Assemble all of the above for two days in Lake Tomahawk under (mostly) sunny skies and engage in a variety of activities including birding, biking, canoeing, boating, kayaking, fishing, eating, relaxing, game playing, campfire building, a little Guitar Hero, movie watching and more.

This was what we did over Memorial Day weekend. The Devereauxs and the Dues brought their campers, the Schaeffers and the Fronks put up tents, the kids completely took over the basement and it all worked out just great.

The birding was fantastic - we must have hit the peak of spring migration. As a club, EPBWC members participated in the Wisconsin Humane Society's Avian Odyssey count. During our 24 hour count period we observed 53 species in less than a one mile radius from the house. The list of birds, in the order we saw them is as follows:

Blue Jay
Goldfinch
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black-throated Green Warbler
Warbling Vireo
Least Flycatcher
Oven Bird
Phoebe
Common Loon
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Canada Goose
Willow Flycatcher
Song Sparrow
Whippoorwill
Pileated Woodpecker
Purple Finch
American Crow
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Ruffed Grouse
Swainson's Thrush
Brown-headed Cowbird
White-throated Sparrow
Magnolia Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Chickadee
Mourning Dove
Chipping Sparrow
Raven
Northern Harrier
Nashville Warbler
Tree Sparrow
Great Blue Heron
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Blue-Headed Vireo
Turkey Vulture
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Bald Eagle
Hairy Woodpecker
Mallard
Common Merganser
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Wood Thrush
Downy Woodpecker
Barred Owl
Red-Winged Blackbird
Yellow-shafted flicker
Red-eyed Vireo
Eastern Wood Pewee

In addition to this list, we saw several more species after our official count period including a Blackpoll Warbler, a Scarlet Tanager and what we are 90% sure was a Red-naped Sapsucker. These additions, and a few others, brought our total up to almost 60 different species.

Randy Ristow has bragging rights for catching the biggest fish - a 34 1/2" musky right off the end of the new pier that Bill and Kurt put in the weekend before when the temperature was 40 degrees and it was windy and sleeting.

Tammy accomplished two of her summer goals - biking into Lake Tom and trying kayaking. With those two already checked off the list, what is next?

When it was time to leave on Monday, we were already talking about the next time we would be up and we were wishing the same thing we always wish as we are heading down the driveway... that we had just one more day to spend at Muskellunge Lake.

Horicon Marsh Birding Festival

2008-05-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

We were up early this past Saturday morning and on our way to Horicon at 7:00 a.m. to take in some of the activities associated with the Horicon Marsh Birding Club's annual festival. Spring migration is at its peak and the variety of birds that can be found at the marsh is amazing.

We arrived just after 8:00 am and checked in at the DNR office where some dedicated birders were holding a Big Sit. They began at midnight and had counted 59 species by 8:00 am.

A pontoon boat tour of the marsh was next on our agenda. We boarded at 9:00 am for a two hour birding adventure. The tour was a little disappointing in that there were way too many people on board and the boats had canopies overhead making it very difficult to see anything above. Still, we counted 44 species, some just by audible identification but most we got at least a glimpse of most. The highlight of the boat tour was the sighting of a Marsh Wren and a Swamp Sparrow - two new birds for my list. We heard the Sora Rail but it never came out to let us get a peek at it.

After the boat tour, we drove up the west side of the marsh to Hwy. 49 and hiked the floating boardwalk where we saw many yellow warblers, coots, geese, a blue grey gnatcatcher, blue-winged teal and, on our way out, Bobolink, who cooperated nicely while I took their photos.

Signs of Spring!

2008-03-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Spring must be right around the corner...the birds are coming back. This little hermit thrush was on our suet feeder Sunday in the midst of quite a snowfall. Haven't seen him since, maybe he decided to go south again for a couple of weeks. The weather man on channel 6 last night also reported seeing Red-Winged Blackbirds back in the area. Another good sign!

In other news, the Wauwatosa Red Raiders Boys Basketball team won the WIAA Division 1 State Basketball Championship Saturday night at the Kohl Center in Madison! All of Tosa is buzzing and so proud of our team! Kurt took one of seven student fan busses over to Madison last Thursday night for the quarter-final game. He and his buddies watched the semi-final game and the championship game on TV from their suite at the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells on Friday and Saturday. Who has it harder than that kid?

We are really looking forward to our Spring Break trip to Florida next Saturday (3/22). Not sure what we will do with ourselves for five whole days without snow on the ground and crater-sized potholes to negotiate while driving around town. Hoping that most, if not all, of our snow is gone when we get back and we can turn our attention to the yard and the garden.

Hope you have had a meaningful Lenten season. I have enjoyed a book study at church on John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. Our last session is tonight and I hate to see it end. Palm Sunday this week already! Bill and some of the other men of our church will be up before the crack of dawn making fresh hot crossed buns for our coffee hour after the service. They are so delicious!

Happy Easter

Great Backyard Bird Count

2008-02-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

Do you have 15 minutes this weekend to watch the birds at your feeder or in the park? Then think about participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

How to Participate
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes during February 15–18, 2008. Count birds at as many places and on as many days as you like—just keep a separate list of counts for each day and/or location.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time, and write it down. (You can get regional checklists at http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist).

3. Enter your results through the web site at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Why Count Birds?
Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.We need your help. Make sure the birds from your community are well represented in the count.
It doesn't matter whether you report the 5 species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.

Sugar coated / We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup. Do the risks go beyond our waistline?

2008-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

Sugar coated / We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup. Do the risks go beyond our waistline?

Say NO to high fructose corn syrup

2008-01-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of months I have become aware of not only how bad high fructose corn syrup is for you, but also just how prevalent it is in food products. It is in things I never would have suspected until I started reading the ingredient labels on everything I buy. The higher up on the ingredient list, the more of it there is in the product. It is in several varieties of Brownberry Bread marketed as health breads. It is the first ingredient in Hershey's chocolate syrup! It is in ketchup, pasta sauces (not Paul Newman), salad dressings, jams and jelly, barbeque sauce, ice cream, non-diet soda, fruit juice blends, even so-called health bars or energy bars and more!

Since the first of the year, we have gone through our kitchen and pantry and have eliminated everything containing HFCS. It is not that difficult to find alternatives, you just need to read the labels. Anything labeled organic certainly doesn't contain HFCS so that is always a safe bet.

If you want to find out more, read the article at the link on the post above. This is just one of many that comes up if you Google high fructose corn syrup.

If Americans stop buying products contaminated with this stuff, manufacturers will stop making it! We need to stop and think about what we are putting inside of our bodies. If the ingredient list has 25 things and you can't pronouce most of them, don't eat it!

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/18/FDGS24VKMH1.DTL - 54k

Kurt takes off!

2007-12-26T08:09:00.001-08:00

Just dropped Kurt off at church where he joined up with the other members of the Mission Mazahua team and headed for O'Hare. (He is second from the left in the back row.) Please keep him in your thoughts for the next eight days. For a look at where he is going to be and what it is all about click on http://home.woh.rr.com/mazahua/mazahua.html. We are on our way to Lake Tom. today. Happy New Year!

December 22

2007-12-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading an interesting and very entertaining book, The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. The author, a self described agnostic Jew, decides to spend one year obeying the Bible as literally as possible.

From the book jacket: The resulting spiritual journey is at once funny and profound, reverent and irreverent, personal and universal and will make you see history's most influential book with new eyes.

I know everyone is going to be cheering for the Packers tomorrow right? And also for Carolina! Retailers in Wisconsin can't keep Favre merchandise on the shelves for Christmas - reports are that Favre jerseys and the new sideline hat are going for ridiculously high prices on ebay. You can read about it at http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/12587236.html

The northwoods is expecting 5-8 inches of snow tomorrow. Looks like we'll have no trouble doing some cross country skiing during Christmas break! I'm anxious to get up to the lake and see if the Pileated Woodpecker is still coming to the deck for suet.

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 15

2007-12-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

Kurt had a JV wrestling tournament today. I guess about 8 or 10 teams competed. He wrestled at 135 and earned a silver medal. He had two pins and then a loss in the third round.

This is him (on the top!) just before he pinned his second match.

Tammy was up before the birds today to take part in the Christmas Bird Count. She and three other members of the Enderis Park Bird Watching Club, Joe and Nola Devereaux and Julie Ristow, met at Jacobus Park and counted, then went over to Hart Park and counted. Because it was snowing like crazy the birds we could actually see were few and far between but we had fun walking through the parks looking and especially enjoyed the coffee break at the One Way Cafe in the village. The biggest surprise was a group of five robins at Jacobus. Also on our list were mallards, mourning doves, downy woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, house sparrows, and a gull. Joe had some better luck later in the day in another location where he spotted ten cardinals and cedar waxwings and a bunch of robins all hanging out together. The Christmas Bird count runs through January 5th. For more information go to http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/. For a full report on the EPBWC results visit the web site at http://www.epbwc.com/Pages/EPBWC_CBC_Page_2007.html

Bill was in the stands for the duration of Kurt's tournament today. In addition to snowblowing, shoveling and making dinner, he started a new batch of home brew - a dortmunder - should be ready to drink by Groundhogs Day!

Tomorrow is Packer Sunday - the Devereaux's will be joining us for the game and a half-time meal. GO PACK GO!