Birdstud's Birdchat: Campfires, Fresh Air, and Leisure With Leann (while watching birds of course)

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Campfires, Fresh Air, and Leisure With Leann (while watching birds of course)

Leann, Opie and Barbara

A scheduled September visit from So-Cal daughter Leann was the perfect excuse to plan the camping trip to Kohler-Andrae State Park just a bit south of Sheboygan, WI. The 988 acre parcel of donated land, located on the Western shores of the mighty Lake Michigan is a very popular destination for many. I had booked the four-day trip more that six-months prior just to secure the particular site we had erected our tents upon. Several years ago we had the fortune of coaxing dozens of birds into the site with a bag of seeds and I was hopeful we could have a similar experience with Leann in attendance.

Black-capped chickadee

The weather was appropriately warm during the days and cold enough to make the campfires more enjoyable. There was hardly an annoying bug as we relaxed in our anti-gravity lawn chairs, hiked the trails through the woods and on the boardwalk over the dunes, and ate many tasty meals on the picnic table by lantern-light. The straight and tall Red Pines that lined the sandy ground we temporarily lived among; whispered in communion with the soft breezes overhead. Thankfully, our section of the campground was the more peaceful and less "family-centered." We just had the occasional walked-dog saunter by, to stir up a barking fit from Opie, our 11 year-old miniature poodle.

Downy woodpecker

As I had hoped; the pines were alive with a variety of bird life. The fact that I had sprinkled a quality Scott's birdseed at the base of many of them; helped lure in the avian feeding frenzy. Red and White-breasted nuthatches flew back and forth from seed pile to tree bark, alternating seed-hiding and seed snatching. Northern cardinals and Black-capped chickadees flitted about; also eating their fill of the tasty nuggets. Each one of these flying creatures brought their own kind of amusement to Barbara, Leann and me. Some with their communicative squeaks and others with the way their unruly feathers were arranged. I took dozens of pictures for no real reason; other than the fact that I like to do it. There's always the chance for that one extra-special image that makes it into a frame to help decorate the house.

Kohler-Andrae State Park is also home to the Black River Marsh boardwalk (of which I have written before in this blog). One of the more successful experiments conducted there, has been the near eradication of the invasive Purple Loosestrife plant via the introduction of a European beetle that feeds exclusively on it. Cattails have now begun to grow with wild abandon along with other natives; to assist with the bio-cleaning of the groundwater. The only issue I have is the height of them at the end of the boardwalk screening the open water from view. I have seen some interesting waterfowl in the past and if I stand on my tiptoes and peek between the wind-blown greenery; can still kinda' see a Wood duck or two.

The open grass areas next to the roadway near the big water, provided a multitude of other bird life to be seen. Clay-colored sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds, Nashville and Palm warblers flitted about catching insects while someone was busily setting up the reservable Park shelter for a wedding event. Grasshoppers and Monarch butterflies hopped and flew from place to place. A Black and white warbler twirled its way around a dead-fall in search of something suitable to eat. I kicked up an Osprey that was sitting, looking over the lake. It flew away with me clicking the shutter trying to salvage a shot.

To the victor...

ToAll in all, the trip was amazingly relaxing and restorative. Leann beat Barbara and I at Ladder Golf so that's something. Our firewood lasted until we packed up and drove like a bat, to get back to Milwaukee for the first Green Bay Packer game of the season. So try Kohler-Andrae State Park if you can; for great camping and great birding too.

Bird List for this trip: