March (2022) Has Come and Gone…

… and I almost forgot to write about it.

Like many March months that I have experienced, this March was a combination of slow birding times interspersed with birding moments of great excitement.

When I am able to get good pictures of birds, even the “normal” birds, I forget to be antsy about waiting for the unusual birds. Thus, this little Black-capped Chickadee made me very happy as I wandered about looking for rarities.

Similarly, I had great fun watching a crow harass a wintering Rough-legged Hawk.

My first “chase” of March was to try to see one of the Long-eared Owls that I was told were wintering this winter near Milwaukee. I understood the location to be known to some birders, and possibly to vary from year to year, but information on the birds’ location was deliberately not widely disseminated. Suffice it to say once I learned about it, I drove down there on March 4th, found the wooded area, and slowly walked in on the very icy trail. Not a bird was to be seen, until suddenly I saw one, then another and then a third Long-eared Owl, all quite close together! They were all apparently sleeping and never moved. I was very quiet, just aiming my camera, and leaving the area. I love owls!!

I was also glad to re-see the Carolina Wren that I had first seen in Wausau in late February, when I went back again on March 10th, where I found in singing high in a street-side tree.

On March 11th, I drove east to the Lake Michigan shoreline area to bird alone for a while and then to join a WSO (Wisconsin Society for Ornithology) field trip on the 12th. The weather was very cold (about 10 degrees with a strong wind off the mostly frozen lake). Highlights included my first Eastern Meadowlark of the year on the 11th and two Harlequin Ducks seen both days, as well as the amazingly hardy Wisconsin birders on the field trip.

As the month progressed, Sandhill Cranes, which I first saw on March 5th, began to be more and more evident, usually seen flying over or standing hopefully on ice-covered lakes.

Nearly every day, ducks were reported arriving across Wisconsin, most of which could eventually be found in Marathon County where I live. One of my favorites that I was able to photograph is Wood Ducks.

Ross’s Geese, clearly less common here than Canada Geese, were sporadically reported on the rarity lists, usually only one seen at any one place, and usually seemingly disappearing shortly thereafter. At least that was my experience as I drove a couple of long trips to the south and east without finding a Ross’s Goose where they had been reported. Then I was happy to see another report of one west of Wausau, where I had not yet birded, and so I went off to Dunn County on March 19th. Dwarfed by a large flock of Canada Geese, I finally found the lone Ross’s Goose foraging in an old corn field.

A few days later, someone reported a Little Gull on Lake Wisconsin, south a few hours’ drive. There was another scheduled WSO field trip coming up soon that included that area. I decided to drive down early, worried that the gull would disappear before the field trip. I was joined on my first hunt for the gull by two other birders (Mary K and Anne M). We were able to find the Little Gull, which was still present the next day for the field trip. It was absent when the three of us first got there, but when seen it was typically flying near the causeway with the similar sized Bonaparte’s Gulls. Its rounded black underwings were clearly visible, leaving no doubt as to its identity.

As often occurs with birds that are difficult to find, once one is found others are quickly seen. This was the case with Ross’s Geese, of which there were at least four among the zillion White-fronted Geese (also a bird I had difficulty finding earlier in the month) along the causeway.

Eurasian Collared-Doves are increasing in numbers across the US. In the 90s when I drove from Madison to Wausau to visit my parents, one of my birding side-trips was to find one of these doves that had been reported at a farm. I had not seen another one in Wisconsin since we moved back last May, but had been regularly looking for one since then. Although I was able to see one in a neighboring county in February, I kept hearing that they came to feeders in a town just a short distance from Wausau. I tried many times to find one, but did not succeed until March 28th. I believe there were two of them going into this spruce tree and then flying away and returning, maybe building a nest.

I conclude with the photo above, taken mid-month, of a Short-eared Owl hunting one morning over a friend’s prairie back yard in southern Wisconsin. As I said earlier, and say often, I love owls!

Late February 2022 Highlights

(Written February 28, 2022)

The last half of February began delightfully with the viewing on the 16th of a cuddly-seeming Eastern Screech-Owl peering from the kestrel box of a local birder. I learned that a screech-owl, maybe the same one, has been using this box as a winter roost spot for a number of years.

The next day I wandered around areas of Marathon County south and east of Wausau, seeing Horned Larks and Snow Buntings, a perched Merlin, and the previously reported Belted Kingfisher fishing in a small area of open water on the Plover River.

On the 18th I made an unsuccessful attempt to see a reported Slaty-backed Gull in Mayville, some 150 miles south of Wausau. Since I was in the area, I went over to Sheboygan to see if perhaps the gull had wandered over there. There were no remarkable gulls there, but I was happy to see an American Black Duck in with the Mallards, and a little flock of White-winged Crossbills.

Back at home, the Varied Thrush was there again on the 19th (and also later in the month on the 25th), valiantly working to get a few of the remaining fruits on our neighbor’s tree. I find it remarkable that this bird has been coming so infrequently but regularly to this same tree for over a month.

On the 20th, I went to Milwaukee to try to see the reported Ross’s Goose, but arrived a couple of hours after anyone reported it. I spent the afternoon of that day and the next day not seeing the goose, but was able to see my first Long-tailed Ducks for the year (and for the state, I believe).

The final exciting bird of the month was today’s Carolina Wren in Wausau. I learned about it two days ago, and spend almost an hour then, another half hour yesterday, and about two hours today in the neighborhood where it had been reported before finally seeing it late this morning on my second visit there today. I had heard it on my first visit there early this morning, but gave up without seeing it and wandered off to bird elsewhere. While I had not seen one in the county before today, I learned when talking to other local birders who have lived here longer than I have that there are numerous instances when these wrens have been seen here in previous years.

Leaving birds for moment and going to mammals, a couple of days this month an opossum came to an area in our back yard where I throw birdseed on the ground under two of our feeders. It came in the late afternoon, allowing photographs, but the raccoon that also was new for us in our yard came much later, when it was too dark. We regularly have deer, up to 10 of them a few evenings, also coming to munch birdseed under the feeders. It’s not looking too good for my gardening plans for the summer.