Zoo-zee, zoo-zoo-zee!

With its black bib contrasted against a predominantly (and vibrantly) yellow colored head and face; the Black-throated Green warbler (BTGW) is an eye-catching bird indeed.  

To be clear; only the top portion of its yellow head is actually remotely "green" in a kind of dull olive shade.  It's unique spring song of,  "zoo-zee, zoo-zoo-zee!" is also one that even the novice birder can easily recognize, after hearing it only a few times.  This colorful wood warbler breeds in northeastern coniferous forests and covers a great section of the United States beginning this time each migration. The male actually has two songs it sings: "zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee" and "zoo-zee-zoo-zoo-zee." The individual notes are rather fuzzy, however the last note of both songs ends higher.

Today (May 3, 2014) although still somewhat windy, was apparently the day to find them at Lake Park as at least 15 were tallied by the Lake Park Birders by the end of their spring Warbler Walk.  While I didn't tag along as I often do on these Saturdays; I did enjoy seeing my own BTGWs during my solo walk around the expansive Olmstead-designed park, with an accompanying small (par-3) golf course.  A healthy hatch of fresh insects had spread itself throughout the woodlands, and the many spring avian migrants were taking full advantage of the flying bumper-crop.  My first reaction to stepping from the WPT (White Pick-up Truck for you newbies to this blog)  and seeing all the birds flitting around the leafless vegetation was, "Wow...Warbler Mania!"

Brown-headed cowbird
mad-dogging another male

At every turn of my head there was another FOY (First of year) bird!  Of course I'd rather expected that kind of experience having been at Lake Park at this time of year before, however as any true dyed in the wool birder will enthusiastically tell you, "It's like the first time, each time."  The wind was huffing up from the south and pushing along with it a welcome 50 degree temperature.  One man holding a pair of binoculars I briefly talked to, said he'd "predicted this kind of fall out today."  While I'm no meteorologist and don't play one on TV; I had no quarrel with his logic as the proof was clearly in this natural pudding, at Lake Park.

Lake Park trail renovations

Apparently Milwaukee County had come across some funding for Lake Park trail improvements as the beejeebers was torn out of a great majority of them; large stones, missing asphalt, tilled ground and yellow caution tape were ever present on the southernmost end of the foot bridge.  Joggers and walkers zigzagged as best they could to avoid the debris and construction.  Birders took to the ravine below and the grass areas above to circumnavigate the path and extensive road work.  Thankfully, none of this manmade inconvenience seemed to bother the birds; they were plentiful and varied in species.

Hermit thrush

Chubby solitary Field sparrow

Yellow-rumped warbler

BTGW - Front view of black "bib"

Here is my amazing list, from Lake Park:

1. American robin
2. Black-throated Green warbler
3. Ovenbird
4. Brown creeper
5. Hermit thrush
6. Wood thrush
7. Brown thrasher
8. Louisiana waterthrush
9. Vesper sparrow
10. Chipping sparrow
11. House sparrow
12. Field sparrow
13. Ring-billed gull
14. Herring gull
15. Double-crested cormorant
16. Mallard
17. Spotted (eastern) towhee
18. White-breasted nuthatch
19. Downy woodpecker
20. Hairy woodpecker
21. Black and white warbler
22. Blue-grey gnatcatcher
23. Black-capped chickadee
24. American crow
25. Broad-winged hawk
26. Chimney swift
27. Nashville warbler
28. Brown-headed cowbird
29. White-throated sparrow
30. Northern cardinal
31. Mourning dove
32. Tree swallow
33. Barn swallow
34. American goldfinch
35. Ruby-crowned kinglet
36. Yellow-rumped warbler
37. Common grackle
38. European starling
39. Northern flicker
40. Red-bellied woodpecker
41. Red-winged blackbird
42. Blue jay
43. Song sparrow
44. Eastern phoebe
45. Palm warbler

Spring Mimic of Havenwoods State Forest

On this Saturday before Easter; the weather finally lent itself to my first decent birding opportunity.  I could have gone to Lake Park to attend the first warbler walk of the new season, but instead I chose one of my favorite avian haunts; Havenwoods State Forest.  I arrived at around 9:00 AM and parked in the lot.  There were two other vehicles there, but no humans in sight as I strapped on all my gear.  Sure a person can go bird watching with little to no "gear," however I am not that person...I love gear.  Two binoculars (one for close viewing and another for long viewing, my camo fanny pack that has my guides in it, my snazzy patch-ensembled birding vest, and my always reliable Fuji Finepix digital camera.)  I always wear a brimmed hat (most often a ball cap) and my trusty hiking boots for the oft-muddy conditions.

Almost as soon as I walked away from the WPT, I heard several Black-capped chickadees singing their spring "hey-sweetie" song.  That is a sound that I dearly love to hear each year.  The next birds I saw were a pair of FOYs (first of year) Brown-headed cowbird males.  Their bubbly "tinkling" vocalizations are another welcome sound.  I began walking north around the community garden (like I always do) when I "thought" I heard the faint double sounds of a Brown thrasher. Having seen them at Havenwoods in the past; I decided to walk in that direction to see if I could see one.  With the deciduous trees completely leafless; it's always a tremendous opportunity to be able to see an elusive thrasher.

While I walked along, I heard and saw numerous other species.  It appeared as though the Red-winged blackbird male's long wait for female company had finally born fruit as I saw several near their male suitors. Still; they looked as though they were acting aloof and coy by sitting off to one side in the branches, enjoying the attention being payed to them.  One bonafide "pair" did seem to have come a mutual agreement and hopped from branch to branch together as I watched.  That's when I heard the thrasher very clearly.  It must have situated itself in a tree it fancied and decided to begin its song, or should I say "songs."  Brown thrashers are a larger bird (11-1/2" long) and belong to the same family as mockingbirds, but unlike the mockingbird sing their songs in stanzas of two.  Thrashers have been known to have over 1,100 songs in their repertoire.  The oldest known Brown thrasher was nearly 12 years old when it died.  These birds are so darned amazing to listen to that one can stand for many minutes, completely enthralled at their incredible ability.

Another interesting thing happened when I spotted a "snake board" lying on the grass.  I carefully lifted it to see if there may be a snake lying just underneath and to my surprise; I discovered three woolly bear caterpillars that must have overwintered there.  A pair of opportunistic Tree swallows decided to perform an early-bird check-in at one of the bluebird houses next to the large pond.  I figured it wouldn't be long until someone connected with monitoring the trail evicted them unceremoniously.  A Belted kingfisher clattered by and a trio of Rough-winged swallows skimmed the water's surface looking for an early hatch of flying insects.

A took a walk to the far north of the forest along the train tracks and discovered the remains of a white tail or two.  I surmised that the animal must have been struck by the train and summarily dismembered and eaten by Havenwoods many coyotes.  I also wandered into what looked like an illegal pot growing operation that was now abandoned.  The ancient infrastructure of a bisecting train trestle quietly rusted overhead as I inspected the colorful graffiti below on the concrete abutments.  My eyes were also drawn to a curious sight in the surrounding trees. This was something that might have escaped the casual onlooker's notice, however these objects were not merely hanging from branches; two rubber automobile tires were suspended some twenty feet above the ground as if they had been "ringed" over small emerging saplings in the distant past.

These two trees are tired

Oh Deer!

Woolly Bear all curled up in a ball for warmth

This guy's nobody's sucker...just a bit sappy

I finished my two and a half hour walk totaling thirty species.  I was completely impressed and satisfied with the variety I had encountered, this early in the spring:

American crow

American goldfinch

American robin

Belted kingfisher

Black-capped chickadee

Blue jay

Blue-gray gnatcatcher

Brown creeper

Brown thrasher

Brown-headed cowbird

Common grackle

Downy woodpecker

European starling

Golden-crowned kinglet

Hairy woodpecker

House finch

House sparrow

Mallard

Northern cardinal

Northern flicker

Red-bellied woodpecker

Red-tailed hawk

Red-winged blackbird

Ring-billed gull

Rough-winged swallow

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Sandhill crane

Song sparrow

Tree swallow

Turkey

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Yellow-rumped warbler