Who Says You Can't Go Birding in Weather Like This?

Destination Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI.  Saturday, April 2, 2016.  (8:00 - 11:30)

The weather man said that it would be cold (29 degrees) and snowing...he was right.  My co-worker, Robert Massey and I had made plans earlier in the week to go birding on this particular Saturday morning and we were determined not to let his first time at Havenwoods be a bummer; regardless of the semi-foul weather.  Oddly enough our area was having what might be referred to as an "early spring."  The temperatures had been into the high 50's with sun and fair conditions before Mother Nature had decided on this post-Easter (April-fool's) meteorological prank.

Crazy birders on a snowy April day

We had accidentally stumbled upon the fact that each of us had a common interest in bird watching.  I think it was mainly because Robert was going my way home one afternoon and noticed how gregariously I had festooned my truck with a large black decal of a bird on the driver's door.  Either that or the full-size set of silver hands holding a pair of 12 X 50 Bushnell's I had affixed to the hood as an ornament.  Regardless; there's nothing like a completely unorthodox decorated vehicle to strike up conversation.  After a few minutes chatting about all things bird; we had decided that it would be fun to "go birding sometime," and this was that some time.

Robert is a very capable and knowledgeable bird watcher.  He is particularly adept at seeing raptors and other birds that I would miss standing still.  We had a great morning watching birds!  Here are a few of the images I took while we crisscrossed the varying snow-covered ecosystems of Havenwoods.

Havenwoods in the snow - 2016

The stream...

Robert Massey stands on the snow-covered bridge and looks for birds

These snow-covered (last year's) thistles await the sun

Far off Northern flicker sits in a snowy tree.

We were stalked by a Turkey...but only its tracks gave it away

The elusive Brown creeper is here!

Single Mallard (L) and three Blue-winged teals (R)

Mr. Robert Massey

The "cute" Black-capped Chickadee

One feather out of place on this American Robin

Havenwoods with an American Kestrel in the foreground

The Song sparrow sings his tiny heart out!

The determined Downy woodpecker

Three Canada geese  (flying north?)

Eastern Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebird

The majestic American Robin

Robert and I tallied a very respectable 32 species!

1. Mallard
2. Blue-winged teal
3. Great Blue heron
4. Cooper's hawk
5. Re-tailed hawk
6. American kestrel
7. Ring-billed gull
8. Herring gull
9. Rock pigeon
10. Mourning dove
11. Downy woodpecker
12. Red-bellied woodpecker
13. Northern (yellow-shafted) flicker
14. Eastern phoebe
15. American crow
16. Black-capped chickadee
17. White-breasted nuthatch
18. Brown creeper
19. Ruby-crowned kinglet
20. Golden-crowned kinglet
21. Eastern bluebird
22. American robin
23. Brown thrasher
24. European starling
25. Yellow (Myrtle) warbler
26. Song sparrow
27. Dark-eyed junco
28. Northern cardinal
29. Eastern meadowlark
30. Common grackle
31. House finch
32. House sparrow

Makin' Tracks - (Reading the freshly fallen snow)

If we take time to notice the signs, the story becomes clear...

I often go to Havenwoods State Forest.  This you know if you read this blog.  One of the last times I visited, it was a day after a goodly amount of fresh snow had just blanketed the landscape. The hue of all around me was a beautiful ice-blue. Pulling on my brown Sorel boots, and fitting a warm hat upon my head; I walked off the plowed road into the deep white.  I was here with full intentions of birding, however it wasn't too many yards into the woods where I decided to chronicle instead, the magnificent drama all around me captured in the snow.  It would have been easy to discount or even miss entirely, but I was in no hurry and the afternoon sun was doing its best to warm the air making it quite comfortable.   I was ready for a new and delightful adventure as I always am.  Perhaps I am all too easily amused?

The first tracks I encountered were coyote...lots of coyote.  In and out of the scrub, back and forth in a serpentine manner; these skulking creatures wound their way in search of preferred scent.  Smaller prey had made zig-zag patterns which the coyote seemed to zero in on...probably rabbits by the look of them.  The coyote seemed to have covered quite a bit of territory, for the tracks were numerous and the meanderings ceaseless.  Whether or not the rabbit ever became a meal was not in evidence, but its attempts at evasion were obvious.  I marveled at the tenacity which the coyote tracks displayed in their relentless, nosey pursuit.

Next to pique my interest were the Whitetail prints.  Plentiful and much different than the coyote; these animals walked gracefully amongst the trees and bushes.  Droppings and deer "beds" could be seen and in one extremely curious spot, it appeared that something caused one animal to leap an incredible distance.  (see image) It covered over 15 feet from jump-off point to landing!  I was impressed.

It seemed that even the tiniest of woodsy creatures came out to forage after the heavy snowfall.  Small clumps of thistle and other grass plants which still poked through the cover, provided an oasis dinner table for these mini-mammals of the forest.  Their wandering and winding tracks twisted back and forth in search of sustinance.

The shadows grew longer as I continued to examine the secret stories told by the remnants of these unique footprints.  I wondered as I walked back to the WPT, whether the "tracks" we humans leave (as we move about our days), appear anywhere near as deliberate as these in the snow of Havenwoods, and would anyone even care to notice?

Here is a nice desktop image in high resolution if you'd like...

Thanks for reading and have a great day of discovery!!

Birdstud