September Sightings

It always amazes me how quickly the spring and summer flies by in the midwest.  Everyone I know packs as much as possible into the three months of "nice" weather; including me.  Here we are in the month of September and my first extended time to do some local bird watching.  So after work on Monday, I drove to the small parking lot which is accessed by driving under the Harmonee Avenue bridge in downtown Wauwatosa, WI.

The first thing I noticed on my walk was that the foliage I encountered in May had grown incredibly tall and thick along the sides of the trail. Entire sections of the foot/bike path were almost overgrown.  I also saw that the generally brimming and fast moving Menomonee River (Underwood Creek) was very low with much of its bed showing vast stretches of exposed rock and boulders.  Cedar waxwings were plentiful high in the trees along the riverbank.  They took turns alternating between the branches taking acrobatic short flights back and forth to catch afternoon insects, as American robins ate the juicy dark blue berries of the invasive Common Buckthorn tree.

I spotted a Black and white warbler and an American redstart above my

head with a trio of Black-capped chickadees chattering away. White-breasted nuthatches climbed trees behind me and the chattering call of the Red-bellied woodpecker from across the water caused me to get out my binoculars for a look.  New England asters and goldenrod grew in large patches along the trail and many varieties of tall grains and grasses filled the detention pond basin. Cabbage white butterflies flitted here and there in search of the aforementioned asters or cruciferous vegetables it would not find here as the occasional Monarch drifted by on its own secret mission.

Milkweed pods were in abundance along the top ridge of the basin on either side of the trail.  Monarch butterflies aren't the only insect to favor them.  The large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, is colored orange-red and black. It has a long proboscis and is a piercing sucking insect. It feeds on the seeds, leaves and stems of milkweed (Asclepias). It is found in small groups on milkweed often on the stems, leaves and on the seed pods. The bodies of milkweed bugs contain toxic compounds derived from the sap which they suck from milkweed. They feed on the seeds by piercing the seed pod and can be found in all stages of growth on the plants in mid to late summer. Milkweed bugs are more of a nuisance than a threat to milkweed plants. In the course of feeding these bugs accumulate toxins from the milkweed, which can potentially sicken any predators foolish enough to ignore the bright colors which warn of their toxicity.

Eggs are a light lemon yellow changing to a reddish color. Incubation period is about four to five days. Each molt lasts five to six days. An adult will live for about one month. The insect overwinters as an adult.Eggs are laid in milkweed seed pods or in crevices between pods. About 30 eggs are laid a day, and about 2,000 over a female's lifespan, which lasts about a month during the summer. One or more generations per year.

They overwinter as adults. They can't survive cold winters, so they migrate south in the fall. They overwinter in the southern Atlantic and Gulf coast states where they feed and breed and gradually migrate north again in the spring and summer.

Cicadas could still be heard in the trees as the temperature was warm despite the afternoon waning sunshine.  Men on mountain bicycles in search of exercise and adventure came up from behind me on the trail shouting, "on your left" as I dodged into the brush to avoid being struck.  Others walking dogs both on and off leash strolled by me as I stood from time to time staring into the trees after a quick movement was noticed.  Getting out into the woods is very refreshing and regenerating after a long day in the office.

The Menomonee River was low

Cabbage white butterfly

Beautiful grains and goldenrod

If I stay still...no one will see me.

Here is the list of birds I saw on this 2-hour walk:

1. American robin
2. Bluejay
3. American crow
4. Common grackle
5. Song sparrow
6. White-breasted nuthatch
7. Black-capped chickadee
8. Cedar waxwing
9. Red-eyed vireo
10. Belted kingfisher
11. Great blue heron
12. Mallard
13. Mourning dove
14. Red-bellied woodpecker
15. Black and white warbler
16. American redstart
17. Hermit thrush
18. Cooper's hawk
19. Hairy woodpecker
20. Chimney swift
21. American goldfinch

Flickers and Springtime Ants

yellow-shafted Northern flicker

I have seen Yellow-shafted Northern flickers in groups on the ground before; but until today I didn't know why.  In the past at Havenwoods, Barbara and I witnessed about five under a tree in the grass.  When we approached they flew and that was that. I came upon this one on a narrow dirt path along the side of a detention pond near the Milwaukee County grounds.  Because I didn't want to scare it and I wished to get a picture; I stayed plenty far back and observed with my trusty Bushnells.  Even at the distance I was, I could not discern exactly what it was up to.  I assumed that it was eating in some way because it kept spearing its beak at the ground, but until I moved in closer I couldn't tell what.  When it had finished doing whatever it was; it moved away and I moved up.  I discovered the reason it was riveted to the spot; ants!  The bird had been pounding away on the entrance of an ant colony and was busily lapping the creatures up as fast as it could.  As I rounded the corner and down the berm I witnessed another flicker taking a dirt bath on the side of the road near the old cemetery.  I had never seen that before either.

Ant hill meal for a Northern flicker

FOY (first of the year) birds were plentiful on my little bird watching tour of the parkway.  I saw Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, and Black and white warblers.  Blue-gray gnatcatchers were busy in the trees as well as a wonder opportunity to take a photo of a Rose-breasted grosbeak.  Red-winged blackbirds were by far the most numerous bird in the cattail basin of the detention pond area. Savannah sparrows and Barn swallows were also plentiful.  I stood and watched for about 20 minutes as four small Mallard ducklings with no parental supervision; swam around in circles in the eddy of the Menomonee River.  I was worried about their safety, but powerless to do anything about it as the water was very high and the depth unknown.  I just hoped that they'd have enough sense when they grew fatigued to get to the shore somehow.

The BIRDSTUD in the flesh at the County Grounds of Milwaukee

The next cool thing I witnessed was a FOY Brown thrasher as it worked through its repertoire of double songs of other bird species.  These birds always impress me whenever I am fortunate to hear them. 

Enjoy a few photos I took 

of some of the birds I saw:

American Robin - My Favorite Bird

Baltimore Oriole

Black and white warbler

Blackburnian warbler

Bluejay

The Blue-gray gnatcatcher takes flight

Brown thrasher

Eastern phoebe

House wren

Magnolia warbler on the wing

Magnolia warbler

A red-tailed hawk gets chased by Red-winged blackbirds

Savannah sparrow

Song sparrow

Rose-breasted grosbeak (m)

Here is my (impressive) list of 40 species seen during just 2-1/2 hours of birding after work:

1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Mourning Dove
4. Chimney Swift
5. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
6. Spotted Sandpiper
7. Ring-billed Gull
8. Black Vulture
9. Cooper's Hawk
10. Red-tailed Hawk
11. Red-bellied Woodpecker
12. Downy Woodpecker
13. Northern Flicker
14. Eastern Phoebe
15. Blue Jay
16. American Crow
17. Tree Swallow
18. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
19. Barn Swallow
20. Black-capped Chickadee
21. House Wren
22. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
23. Hermit Thrush
24. American Robin
25. Brown Thrasher
26. European Starling
27. American Goldfinch
28. American Redstart
29. Magnolia Warbler
30. Blackburnian Warbler
31. Yellow Warbler
32. Chestnut-sided Warbler
33. Savannah Sparrow
34. Song Sparrow
35. Northern Cardinal
36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
37. Red-winged Blackbird
38. Common Grackle
39. Brown-headed Cowbird
40. Baltimore Oriole

Multi-cultural Birding - With Tian Yu

Birding, (bird-watching) as do many other human passions like art, music, theater, sports, etc. crosses all geographical boundaries, cultures, races and languages.  This is a fact which I have been personally witnessing; particularly in the past two years.  The real key to meaningful participation is to make yourself available, and to just say “yes.” 

When these unique opportunities present themselves; I am humbled.  What I find most humbling as a “typical American” is how I have somehow managed not to learn anyone else’s native language in my 54 years.  It often makes me wonder what I have been spending my time doing.  I suppose it’s a question many people ask themselves; but I am determined not to let it scare me away from any multi-cultural experience; especially bird-watching.

That brings me to my new Chinese friend Tian Yu.  He reached out to me through my website (www.birdmilwaukee.com ) to ask if I had the time to go bird watching with him.  He wrote me an email (in English) explaining his reason for being in Milwaukee (staying with his girlfriend who is attending UWM) and that he was interested to connect with someone from the area to watch birds with.  Now (my fellow typical Americans) just consider even that premise for a moment…you are in a foreign country and take a huge risk reaching out to a complete stranger in your best (written foreign language) to ask about an opportunity to meet and (fill-in-the-blank).  That takes courage people; particularly if you have a vivid imagination like mine!  I worry that if I get confused in one of the “Mexican” grocery stores in Milwaukee that I won’t be able to properly “ask” where the corn tortillas are, without being laughed at and secretly mocked by the native-speaking store employees.

I have figured out that the very least I can do (when given these unique chances) is to be gracious and accommodating.  Such was the case when I set up a date and time to meet Yu and his girlfriend for some good old-fashioned American bird-watching.  I drove to pick them both up after my usual work day on a Thursday in April.  They were both standing outside her building eagerly looking into the street for my truck as I approached on foot on the sidewalk (I had parked a block back from their building).  How scary that might have been for them right?  Each not knowing exactly what they had gotten themselves into; who was this man they had decided to trust their safety and lives with?  It takes incredible guts and faith.  Good thing I’m such a pussy-cat and all around good guy.

After introductions and my feeble, “Ni Hao,” we drove to Lake Park and watched birds together for several hours.  His girlfriend (I wish I could say her name properly; but it sounded like “We-belo” to me) took a spare pair of his binoculars and attempted to be interested in what we were doing.  Yu and I (of course) needed very little dialog, as the birds did the talking between us birders.  He spoke English very well and only needed some minor help from We-belo to make a finer point of clarification.  We both took photos of what we had seen (with me providing the narrative and identification for his blue spiral-bound loose-leaf notebook of avian sightings).  I found that speaking slowly and using exaggerated hand movements and body language sufficed as I (the typical American) communicated with them.  Humbling.

Too bad when I got home that evening to show Barbara the Chinese people and the birds from Lake Park; I sadly discovered that I didn’t have an SD card in the camera!  All that shutter-noise clicking was just that – clicking noises…no actual images.  Rats!  What a doofus! Plus, since I’m not a very good drawer; I couldn’t even sketch a crude artist-rendering of our time together.  That’s what buying a new DSLR camera and not knowing its dos and don’ts will get you.  At least I didn’t spend the money to actually visit China and have that same (doh!) experience right?

I thankfully had another chance to redeem myself when Yu emailed me again two weeks later to ask about birding.  Jumping at the chance to hang out with him again; I picked him up in my (new-used 2006 Dakota truck) on Milwaukee’s east side (on the 29^th of April) to show him one of my more favorite and productive birding spots; the Menomonee River (Underwood Creek) Parkway and County Grounds in Wauwatosa, WI.  After work, I drove to get Yu at the usual place.  We then stopped briefly off at the house to take Opie for a potty break.  He presented me with a gift of Asian incense sticks; telling me that Chinese monks could control their dreams when smelling this scent.  I laughed about that and accepted it as a treasured memento.   I needed to fetch my binoculars, before driving to SPT (Silver Pick-up Truck) eventually into the shadows of the Harmonee Avenue Bridge to park.  The weather was cool and somewhat overcast as we walked along the railroad tracks to the west to look for birds.  Yu was wearing the Phillips 66, blue, U.S.-themed, baseball cap I had given him the last time we met.  I had impressed on him the value of having a sun-brim when bird watching.  He listened.  He also wore his trusty back-pack and carried his Panda 10X50s and his Fuji DSLR camera.

We walked along the Creek/River as I would normally do; but at a slower pace due to Yu’s swollen ankle.  It seems that the 25 year-old, electrical engineer had been playing a spirited game of American soccer with men from UWM when he was violently kicked.  He unfortunately was dealing for the past two-weeks with that nagging injury.  The first bird we encountered was predicted by me.  As we rounded the corner from the rocks that line the railroad tracks to the woodsy pathway; I told him about the possibility of seeing and hearing the clattering call of a Belted kingfisher.  

On cue; Yu saw one sitting still on a thin branch above the rushing water.  We both took pictures.  From our vantage point I could not determine the sex of the bird as the chest was not visible.  Otherwise the chestnut brown color chest-band of the females (if there) would have made that possible.  Belted Kingfishers breed from Alaska eastward across southern Canada and south throughout most of U.S. They spend winters on the Pacific coast north to southeastern Alaska, and throughout the south, north to the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast to New England.   These have been sighted here in this place for many years, regardless of the depth of the creek/river.

At one point along the walk, I heard the sound of an American robin alarm-whistle.  I immediately

stopped and told Yu to look for a hawk and explained that the whistle alerts all sorts of avian creatures to the presence of a dangerous raptor.  Yu spotted a Cooper’s hawk across the water sitting high in a tree.  Yu definitely has good vision for single birds highlighted against the sky.  We watched and he photographed for a moment, before it flew off to the north.  The robin was relieved and stopped his whistle.  We moved on.

One bird however eluded Yu’s attempt to see it for quite a while; the Song sparrow on the far bank.  I spotted it because it was moving.  That’s my birding Achilles heel; I need to see movement or I miss a lot of birds.  That’s why I’m always super glad to go birding with Barbara – she sees still (unmoving) animals.  I pointed across the river/creek in that wildly unhelpful way that excited birders do; saying things about dirt patches, bushes, and finally the position of a clock face; all to no avail.  Yu just could not see it.  I finally resorted to taking a picture first, then showing him on the screen by pointing to it.  That helped immensely and he finally saw it; taking a digital photograph.

Do you see the Song sparrow?

How about now?

We passed many joggers, dog-walkers and bicyclists on the dirt pathway as we stopped to stare at a bunch of Common grackles, Red-winged blackbirds, and Ruby-crowned kinglets.  We finally ended up at the railroad tracks and crossed them on the way to the County Grounds retention basin area.  Once there, I marveled at the amount of Cattails in the basin that had self-seeded over the past five years.  Yu told me that in China; they are called “dog-tails.”  We saw many robins walking along the clear areas, and even heard the” whinny” call of a Sora rail buried somewhere in the reeds.  This area is definitely turning out to be a marvelous ecosystem for bird life.

It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was threatening to set within the next 30 minutes.  The temperatures were cooling off as we returned to the SPT.  We had seen quite a few birds in a few hours.  Many of these would be Yu’s first ever.  Two FOYs for me were the Rough-winged sparrows and the single Palm warbler.  Yes, it was a great walk indeed.  As I began to take off my own birding gear, I wanted to give Yu another gift so I unhooked my Eagle Optics birding binocular harness and handed it to him.  I asked if he would accept it.  He looked slightly stunned and graciously told me he would.  We hooked it to his Pandas and I fitted them to his body with the adjusting elastic straps.  It felt great knowing that he would head back to China and have a special gift from me with him, each time he went out bird watching.

Tian Yu, Chinese Birdwatcher

Blue Jay

Here's a list of the birds we saw at Lake Park on the 16th and Menominee River Pkwy on the 29th:

1. Pied-billed Grebe
2. Canada Goose
3. Mallard
4. Greater Scaup
5. Common Goldeneye
6. Common Merganser
7. Turkey Vulture
8. Cooper's Hawk
9. Red-tailed Hawk
10. Sora
11. Ring-billed Gull
12. Herring Gull
13. Rock Pigeon
14. Mourning Dove
15. Belted Kingfisher
16. Red-bellied Woodpecker
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. Northern Flicker
20. Blue Jay
21. American Crow
22. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
23. Black-capped Chickadee
24. White-breasted Nuthatch
25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
26. Hermit Thrush
27. American Robin
28. Palm Warbler
29. Chipping Sparrow
30. Song Sparrow
31. Dark-eyed Junco
32. Northern Cardinal
33. Red-winged Blackbird
34. Common Grackle
35. Brown-headed Cowbird
36. House Finch
37. American Goldfinch
38. House Sparrow

Song Shu in a nest cavity

"Birding Pals" from around the globe

My first experience with being a local birding guide occurred on Saturday, May 17th 2014.  I had been

contacted a couple weeks earlier (via email) from a gentleman who was in my area visiting his daughter from Germany, and wished to go out and see some of the local birds.  He contacted me through a web service called "Birding Pals" that offers birders from around the globe an opportunity to connect.  I had signed up over a year ago and had basically forgotten it but was thrilled to see an email land in my inbox from a requesting bird watcher.  Of course I replied, "yes" and that I would love to go out birding together.  

The following is direct from the BirdingPal website and describes what exactly it is:

"The History of Birdingpal 

Birdingpal.org was started year 2000 by Knud Rasmussen, a Canadian birder, who found himself alone in British Columbia, Canada with a day to spare for a little birdwatching.  Spending most of the time driving around trying to find good birding spots, he realized that if there had been an existing website, he could have contacted a local birder via the internet from his laptop. The day would not only have been more productive, but also a good chance to meet a new person with the same interests as himself. This gave him the seed of an idea for a birdwatching website.

Within a month, he launched Birdingpal, a global site for traveling birders.  Today, Birdingpal has more than 3200 contacts in 156 countries including all the US states and Canadian provinces, and provides an important source of information for the traveling birder.  Birdingpal is ideal for business/conference travelers, who like to take a day or two for their favorite hobby while in a new place, but who do not have the time to do extensive research before they leave.  Many birders are retired people, who like to travel, and Birdingpal is the perfect tool to assist them in planning a trip that gets the best out of birding and provides an opportunity to meet local people.  It is not unusual for birders, who have met each other on Birdingpal, to become good friends and even visit each other. 

What is a Birdingpal?

Someone who signs up to be a Birdingpal is a local birder, who, regardless of his/her experience, is prepared to answer email inquires to the best of his/her ability, and possibly agree to show a visitor around.  Many Birdingpals are highly skilled birdwatchers with many years experience. Some are keen photographers, and others are heavily involved with habitat and wildlife protection. Many members have been Birdingpals for years.  A professional Pal will charge a fee, but whether or not to bird with a professional is, of course, entirely up to the person contacting them.  Birding with a local Pal, not only makes birdwatching more productive, but also safer, since they are familiar with their own customs and environment."


I met 66 year-old, retired pharmacy supervisor, Andreas Bader from Bielefeld, Germany at the Hart Park Senior Center at 8:30 AM.  His daughter dropped him off when they spotted the WPT.  We greeted one another as his daughter drove off (apparently satisfied that she hadn't delivered 'ol Dad into the hands of a serial killer) and that was that.  We strapped on our various birding gear and began walking West out of the park and towards the Menomonee (Underwood Creek) waterway section that I frequent nearer to Hoyt Park.  Andreas' spoken English was 1000 percent better than my one or two German phrases I absorbed from my children's four-year German studies; so we had no trouble communicating.  Andreas told me that he'd been birding a long time and that he had a rather extensive Life List, but he had not really ever sat down to compile one.  It was on his German equivalent of a bucket list, now that he had retired.

Thankfully the weather was completely cooperative (sunny, cool and a bit partly cloudy with low wind speeds) as we walked.  I set my typical slow bird watching pace, and that seemed to suite Andreas just fine.  We encountered several groups of walkers, dog walkers, runners, joggers, and a guy collecting Morel mushrooms in a black silken sack.  The guy graciously opened it up so I could see what one looked like and told me that this very weekend was the Muscoda, WI 32nd annual Morel Mushroom fest and that he was bummed to be missing it.  Yeah, I could understand that...missing something like that when it was your hobby is a real downer.  Who knew that Muscoda was the Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin?  Plus, it's in Grant County; a place where I have visited and love to hang out in.  Now, it's on my own list for the near future, for sure.

We walked my usual pathway and traversed the same general circuit which Barbara and I have made many

times.  The birds were diverse and plentiful!  There were far more Baltimore orioles than I have ever seen in my ten years of walking along the river (creek).  Andreas had never seen a Wood thrush, so first I heard one and then we tracked one down so he could actually see it.  He had with him, two digital cameras; one quite large and expensive looking.  He was able to get some rather nice images as we walked and paused for picture taking.  We chatted a bit (about birds) as we moved from area to area; me preparing him for what he'd most likely see before we reached the spot.  A cool wind kicked up a bit in the open "prairie" area of the County Detention Pond, so we were both glad we had dressed in layers and had worn a hat.  

Sora rail (photographed in FL - 2010)

It was there that I heard and identified the "whinny" of at least one if not two Sora rails in the marsh grass.  Andreas had never heard one before, but was soon imitating the sound.  These small birds are quite elusive. and from the distance we were to them; we had no chance to eyeball any.  He also was able to see his first ever Eastern kingbird, Savannah sparrow, and Lincoln's sparrow in this area.  He was thrilled.

Chestnut-sided warbler

We spent about three hours on the trail before deciding to retreat to town.  We both were hungry so I suggested a new place that neither he nor I had been in called Cafe' Bavaria in downtown Wauwatosa.  Of course its the coolest thing ever to go to a new "German" restaurant (or even an old one) with an actual German guy right?  I suggested we order beer and a Bavarian pretzel with mustard and cheese.  Andreas agreed and the two of us sat there enjoying our food and drink while looking at the images we had taken earlier.  Andreas picked up the tab and we walked back to the WPT sitting in Hart Park parking. I then drove him to his daughter's house to bid him farewell, but not before he gifted me with authentic Storck chocolates from Berlin.  All in all, the entire experience was enjoyable and rewarding for the both of us.  Now, each of us has a "BirdingPal" in another country; and fond memories to cherish always.

The WPT (Birdstud-mobile) - Andreas photo

Here's our list for the morning:

1. Mallard
2. Canada goose
3. Solitary sandpiper
4. Northern cardinal
5. Tree sparrow
6. Lincoln's sparrow
7. Savannah sparrow
8. House sparrow
9. Barn swallow
10. Northern rough-winged swallow
11. Tree swallow
12. Eastern kingbird
13. Cedar waxwing
14. Red-bellied woodpecker
15. Downy woodpecker
16. Hairy woodpecker
17. Blue-gray gnatcatcher
18. Wilson's warbler
19. American redstart
20. Wood thrush
21. American robin
22. American crow
23. Black and white warbler
24. Common grackle
25. European starling
26. Mourning dove
27. Black-capped chickadee
28. American goldfinch
29. House finch
30. Alder flycatcher
31. Least flycatcher
32. Blue jay
33. Sora rail
34. Red-winged blackbird
35. Marsh wren
36. House wren
37. Common yellowthroat
38. Baltimore oriole

American Redstarts F (left) and M (right)

Andreas' Kingbird - Photo by him