World Migratory Bird Day

Which is correct?

Harris's Sparrow, Harris' Sparrow, or Harris Sparrow?

"We are as often injured as benefited by our systems, for, to speak the truth, no human system is a true one, and a name is at most a mere convenience and carries no information with it. As soon as I begin to be aware of the life of any creature, I at once forget its name. To know the names of creatures is only a convenience to us at first, but so soon as we have learned to distinguish them, the sooner we forget their names the better, so far as any true appreciation of them is concerned."

- Henry David Thoreau

Do you agree with Thoreau?

Scarlet Tanagers Return!

Ahhh! There's nothing quite like a Scarlet Tanager in the sunlight!

Location: Pheasant Branch
Observation date: 5/6/08
Notes: Stream Corridor
Number of species: 67

Wood Duck
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Scarlet Tanager © 2008 Mike McDowell

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard

Every spring I observe birders with good intentions pull Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, but then leave piles of the invasive plant along the trail. This is a particularly nasty and resilient plant and to say that garlic mustard is prolific along the corridor trail is an understatement. If you're going to pull the plants, please bag and remove them from the conservancy – do not simply leave them lying on the ground. Plants that are pulled and left behind may still set seed and by doing so you may be unwittingly contributing to the garlic mustard infestation along the stream corridor.


One of the many Garlic Mustard Gardens at Pheasant Branch

When it rains, running water may wash the pulled plants (or seeds) off the gravel trail back to the soil. Also, not everybody who walks the trail knows what these piles of plants are and may kick them off the trail. With hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of garlic mustard plants, pulling a few dozen of them isn't going to dent the problem. But those who are pulling the plants out by the hundreds should plan on bringing bags and carrying them out of the corridor.


These plants might wash into the stream next rainfall.

Link: Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin

All images © 2008 Mike McDowell

A few weekend Photos...

Yellow-rumped Warbler


Palm Warbler


American Pipit


Wilson's Phalarope

All images © 2008 Mike McDowell

No Border Wall

As many other birder bloggers are doing, I'm posting about the completely asinine Texas Border Wall our federal government plans to install along the Rio Grande River. In the process, they're going to severely compromise and destroy sensitive habitat, and literally hand Sabal Palm Sanctuary over to Mexico. Many other natural areas and wildlife in the region will be adversely impacted and you can read about the whole awful mess at No Border Wall website and blog. It may be too late to do anything about it, but there is now an on-line petition you can sign to express disapproval of the planned destruction.

Link: Sign the Audubon Action Petition

Link: Sabal Palm Sanctuary

Link: No Texas Border Wall

May 1st Field Trip Results!

Participants of this morning's Madison Audubon field trip at Pheasant Branch were thrilled to see a beautiful male Cerulean Warbler foraging low. We had 9 other warbler species this morning, including Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler (sang later), and both waterthrush species. Thanks to all who attended and helped make it a special day!

Here's a frame/screen capture last night's bird migration on NexRad:

Link: NexRad (radar) Ornithology Tutorial

Location: Pheasant Branch
Observation date: 5/1/08
Notes: Madison Audubon Field Trip
Number of species: 55

Wood Duck
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Cerulean Warbler © Robin Street-Morris