NEWSLETTERS ~ CURRENT NEWS ~ BUTTERFLY COUNT ~ CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT ~ NATIVE PLANTS & PRAIRIE ~ VOLUNTEER
Results from our 7th Annual BIG Birding Day - Saturday, May 11, 2024
In celebration of BIG Birding Day our teams spent the day trying to find as many species as they could in a single day. We spent the most time at Chester Woods as it has the most diverse habitat in one location. We also visited the Eastside WMA, the Silver Creek reservoirs, Kutzky Park and the Izaak Walton Wetlands. Individual birders checked their favorite spots to find rarities and other birds we missed earlier. In all we found at 126 species. That's down from last year's record high of 143 when conditions were near perfect.
This year we were hampered by a lack of shorebirds and waterfowl - most of which came through early and had already left the area. Still, we think we found lots of great birds. Favorites included a Lawrence's Warbler, Lark Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow and a Kingfisher. Plus we found 22 species of warblers!
We especially want to thank our experts Mike Degerstrom, Brendan Lanpher, Lance Vrieze, Dave Gross and Sandy Hokanson for leading the walks today. There were many other experienced birders along as well and everyone contributed to the total.
Species list:
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Ring-necked duck
Lesser Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Canvasback
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Sora Rail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Spotted Sandpiper
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bank Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Lawrence's Warbler (hybrid)
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow
Photos by Brendan Lanpher and Sandy Hokanson
In celebration of BIG Birding Day our teams spent the day trying to find as many species as they could in a single day. We spent the most time at Chester Woods as it has the most diverse habitat in one location. We also visited the Eastside WMA, the Silver Creek reservoirs, Kutzky Park and the Izaak Walton Wetlands. Individual birders checked their favorite spots to find rarities and other birds we missed earlier. In all we found at 126 species. That's down from last year's record high of 143 when conditions were near perfect.
This year we were hampered by a lack of shorebirds and waterfowl - most of which came through early and had already left the area. Still, we think we found lots of great birds. Favorites included a Lawrence's Warbler, Lark Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow and a Kingfisher. Plus we found 22 species of warblers!
We especially want to thank our experts Mike Degerstrom, Brendan Lanpher, Lance Vrieze, Dave Gross and Sandy Hokanson for leading the walks today. There were many other experienced birders along as well and everyone contributed to the total.
Species list:
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Ring-necked duck
Lesser Scaup
Ruddy Duck
Canvasback
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Sora Rail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Spotted Sandpiper
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bank Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Lawrence's Warbler (hybrid)
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow
Photos by Brendan Lanpher and Sandy Hokanson