Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Full Iowa and Wisconsin Species Lists

The following lists are the full species lists for Iowa and Wisconsin. The species listed in bold are new species that we did not previously post for the state. Between the two states we had 89 different species.


Female Baltimore Oriole
Iowa (May 25-31, 2013): 57 Species


Male and female rose-breasted grosbeak and female Northern cardinal
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Ring-Necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
 Killdeer
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Chimney Swift
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
 Pileated Woodpecker?
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted nuthatch
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
 White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
Veery
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Red-eyed Vireo
 Warbling Vireo
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissal
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
 Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow

 
Sandhill Cranes
Wisconsin (May 28-30): 79 Species
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Red-Tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Sandhill Crane
Sora
Mourning Dove
Rock Dove
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Black-Billed Cuckoo?
Chimney Swift
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
 Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
 Least Flycatcher?
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
 House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
 Red-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Blue-winged Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
 Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
 Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Wisconsin (May 28 - 30, 2013)

Every year we spend at least a week in Iowa, visiting family, but we rarely venture much beyond that. However, this year, we decided to spend a few days in Wisconsin. Our first stop was just over the border, at Wyalusing State Park. The park is located at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers which makes for some pretty impressive topography. We were looking forward to getting out and hiking around, but our main goal was to find the cerulean warblers that are known to nest in the park. To our delight, Sentinel Ridge trail, just off the Mississippi River, yielded several singing males. We had to fight through the thousands of flies and mosquitoes, but it was quite worth the hike to see these beautiful birds.
Other highlights included two pileated woodpeckers foraging on stumps and downed trees. We saw several other warblers including American redstart, prothonotary warbler, Kentucky warbler, common yellowthroat, and a blue-winged warbler (a lifer for both of us!). The blue-winged warbler was quite unexpected, and I only found it because I had listened to the song a few weeks ago when we went to Bankhead National Forest in Alabama. Their song is rather distinctive and oddly cute. We had a total of 46 species in just a few hours (see full list below).



Next we continued East and stopped at Barneveld Prairie. With all of the recent rain the grass was really wet and our shoes and pants were quickly soaked, but this little prairie remnant proved quite diverse. We saw/heard 37 species in just a couple hours (see full list below). The highlights included Bell's vireo, willow flycatcher, yellow warbler, bobolink, and a brief glimpse of what I believe was a black-billed cuckoo (another one of our target species for the state). We also found a male rose-breasted grosbeak sitting on a nest!


We stayed in Madison for the night and the next morning we went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, hoping our birding luck would continue. Unfortunately, we didn't see or hear much at the Arboretum, with just 27 species (see list below) and nothing note worthy other than all of the wild turkeys feeding along the roadside - they are clearly used to people!

The next day we headed back to Iowa but made a quick stop at Spring Green Preserve along the way. This unique area is sometimes referred to as the "Wisconsin Desert" because of its sandy soils and a plethora of prickly pear. We had heard it could be a good place to find various Wisconsin reptiles, so we arrived hoping the rains would hold off just a little longer. Unfortunately, our herping skills were definitely lacking this trip and since we wanted to stay on trail as requested by The Nature Conservancy, we were rather restricted on our search. However, despite the strong winds, the birding was okay with several grasshopper sparrows singing in the grasses along the trail and a few lark sparrows as well. We saw 20 species before the rains finally caught up with us and we had to head back to the car (see list below).

Overall, a very fun and productive trip! We look forward to visiting the area again and spending more time exploring the many natural areas available in southern Wisconsin.
 
Wyalusing State Park (5-28-2013): 46 Species
Pileated Woodpecker
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse?
House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-winged Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
 
Barneveld Prairie (5-28-2013): 37 Species
American Robin
Bell's Vireo
Song Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Brown Thrasher
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Gray Catbird
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Yellow Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-billed Cuckoo?
Willow Flycatcher
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Mourning Dove
Eastern Bluebird
Blue Jay
Indigo Bunting
House Wren
Bobolink
Eastern Towhee
Black-capped Chickadee
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Northern Cardinal
Common Yellowthroat
 
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum (5-29-2013): 28 Species
Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher?
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting?
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
 
Spring Green Preserve (5-30-2013): 20 Species
Eastern Meadowlark
Song Sparrow
Eastern Wood-Pewee
American Crow
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Bluebird
American Kestrel
Grasshopper Sparrow
Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
American Goldfinch
Indigo Bunting
Brown Thrasher
Tufted Titmouse
Lark Sparrow

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Ledges State Park

After two miserable days of cold and rainy weather with flash flood warnings across Eastern Iowa, I decided to make a run for Ledges State Park on Memorial Day to meet up with some friends and family I hadn't seen in some time. I anticipated another rainy day, but instead we were greeted by a beautiful, sunny day in central Iowa. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and a nice hike down to the flooded roadway.
When we got back, folks had to head home, but it was such a nice day, my mom and I decided to stay and try to hike further into the park from the other side. We were able to access areas in between the flooding via hiking trails along the sandstone cliffs.
We did some birding and found several snakes along the way.
Northern Water Snake
Overall, a very enjoyable way to spend the holiday.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ledges State Park (5/27/2013): 24 Bird Species, 6 Herp Species
Indigo Bunting
Scarlet Tanager
American Crow
House Wren
Chipping Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Wood Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Turkey Vulture
Willow Flycatcher
Gray Catbird
Thrush sp.
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
American Toad (seen/heard)
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (seen)
Eastern Gray Treefrog (heard)
Boreal Chorus Frog (heard)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Loggerhead Shrike

John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge
Jacksonville, FL
I recently spent a few days in Jacksonville, FL for a conference. The conference was taking place right on the river in downtown, so I wasn't expecting to see much for wildlife. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of loggerhead shrikes had made their home in the trees along the trail by the river. I observed the pair with a begging fledgeling one afternoon, and was sad I didn't have my camera because the pair didn't seem to care how close I was to them or their baby. I decided to go back to the area the next morning with my camera, hoping to just get a few shots of these fascinating birds. Now, before I continue, I should explain that shrikes are often referred to as butcher birds because they are known for catching their prey (lizards, bugs, etc.) and then impaling it on sticks, or more commonly today, barbed-wire fences; then they proceed to eat their meal. They use this technique because they do not have the large feet and talons like other birds of prey, so they find other ways to hold their food in place.

Fledgeling loggerhead shrike
So, I was following the pair and fledgeling around, trying to get a good view and therefore a good photo. Then, one of the parents brings the begging baby a brown anole (an invasive species that is very abundant in Florida). The fledgeling takes the lizard from the adult and proceeds to take it down to the dead branches below (only 15-20 feet away from me at this point). It then starts to practice its impaling technique on several of the branches! I was able to get some decent photos, but it's even better in video! After the fledgeling was done with its meal, the adult came back with another lizard, but this time it just ate it whole. Apparently it was too much work the first time around.


The brown anole after the fledgeling was finished.
Not sure why it didn't eat it all.



Friday, May 17, 2013

Apalachee Audubon Field Trip: Joe Budd WMA & Lake Talquin State Forest

Bird List (in order of observation):
Red-shouldered Hawk
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
Northern Cardinal
Pine Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Mockingbird
 Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Towhee
Indigo Bunting
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
White-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Eastern Kingbird
Pileated Woodpecker
Carolina Chickadee
 Blue Jay
Blue Grosbeak
Eastern Bluebird
Great-crested Flycatcher
Northern Bobwhite
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Summer Tanager
Hooded Warbler
Acadian Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo??
 Carolina Wren
Broad-winged Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Turkey Vulture
Common Grackle
Osprey
Anhinga
Great-blue Heron
Red-winged Blackbird
Least Tern
 Fish Crow
Ring-billed Gull?
Double-crested Cormorant
Prothonotary Warbler

Species List: 43

Herp List:
Squirrel Treefrog
Yellow-bellied Slider
River Cooter
American Alligator

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Bankhead National Forest (May 10-12, 2013)

Had a very enjoyable weekend in Bankhead National Forest. This beautiful forest is sometimes referred to as the "land of a thousand waterfalls", and it was easy to see why. Even a short walk down one of the  trails will lead you to one of the many streams falling down the rock faces. We were there primarily in search of herps (reptiles/amphibians), but it was a bit on the cool side so the snakes weren't moving much but we managed to find a few, along with our target species, the green salamander! These pretty little gems live in the cracks and crevices of the many rocky outcrops.The birding was exceptional with highlights including black-throated green warblers, Kentuky warbler, scarlet tanager, orchard orioles, wood thrush and many more. We saw a total of 61 species (full list below). The forest is well-known for its breeding cerulean warblers, but we didn't hear or see any this trip. Guess that means we will have to go back again! If you live in the area or want to plan a trip, I highly recommend a visit to this forest. For more information, click here.

Herps:
 Green Salamander
Slimy Salamander

Northern Cricket Frog
Spring Peeper
Bullfrog
Green/Bronze Frog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Green Treefrog
Fowler's Toad

Plain-Bellied Watersnake
Northern Watersnake
Eastern Garter Snake
Ringneck Snake
Black Racer
Cottonmouth
Copperhead
Timber Rattlesnake (Dead on Road - DOR)
Eastern Hognose (DOR)
Corn Snake (DOR)

Green Anole
Broadhead Skink
Ground Skink

Eastern Box Turtle
Yellow-Bellied Slider
Spiny Softshell

Species Count: 25


Birds:
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
American Robin
Chipping Sparrow
Yellow-Throated Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Wood Pewee
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Mourning Dove
 Summer Tanager
Common Yellowthroat
Carolina Chickadee
Canada Goose
White-Eyed Vireo
Red-Winged Blackbird
Orchard Oriole
Red-Eyed Vireo
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
 Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Bluebird
American Crow
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Wood Thrush
Great-Crested Flycatcher
Louisiana Waterthrush
Acadian Flycatcher
Black-and-White Warbler
Black-Throated Green Warbler
 Hooded Warbler
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Cardinal
Prairie Warbler
Indigo Bunting
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
Kentucky Warbler
Chimney Swift
Great Blue Heron
Common Grackle
 Brown Thrasher
Carolina Wren
Downy Woodpecker
Wood Duck?
Gray Catbird
Worm-Eating Warbler?
Vulture sp.
Eastern Phoebe
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey
 Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Eastern Towhee
Cedar Waxwing
Palm Warbler?
Chuck-Will's-Widow
Blue Jay
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
 Northern Mockingbird
Gray-Cheeked Thrush?

Species Count: 61


Saturday, April 27, 2013

Wakulla Springs State Park

Birds:
Least Bittern
Carolina Wren
Acadian Flycatcher
Northern Parula
Great-Crested Flycatcher
Tufted Titmouse
Red-Eyed Vireo
Pileated Woodpecker
Hooded Warbler
 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Cardinal
Yellow-Throated Warbler
Carolina Chickadee
Pine Warbler
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-Throated Vireo
White-Eyed Vireo
Fish Crow
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
 Black-and-White Warbler
Common Grackle
Double-Crested Cormorant
Common Moorhen
Spotted Sandpiper
American Coot
Wood Duck
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
 Pied-Billed Grebe
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Northern Mockingbird
White Ibis
Osprey
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
Anhinga
Red-Winged Blackbird
Purple Martin
Broad-Winged Hawk
 Brown Thrasher

Species Count: 40

Herps:
Bullfrog
American Alligator
Brown Water Snake
Suwannee Cooter

Species Count: 4