More migration, more trips....by bike

For readers of this blog who do not regularly receive emails from me: let me know that you're interested in the bike-birding tours that are happening almost daily, and I can give you details and useful information. Next trips: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Where: in Madison. Cost:
$10. How: by bike/bus. Questions? Email me: dfallow@yahoo.com

Greener birdwatching

Birds fly. Madisonians can stay put and still see most of Wisconsin's bird species over the course of a year. "Staycation," you'll hear it called. Next time you tell me about a bird or butterfly you saw, please add how you got there. Madison is blessed with a variety of habitats and lots of water, hence many different birds appear here. While I don't like seeing an approaching Metro bus with a full bike-rack, I'd love to hear that every birdwatcher in town had gone bike-bus birding! It's easy to do -- scroll down to the bottom of the Metro homepage and watch the amusing video: http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/

May in particular is a great time for ultra-local birdwatching. On every city block, there are dozens of warblers, flycatchers, vireos, nuthatches, kinglets, woodpeckers, lightbulb birds, thrushes, swallows, sparrows and hawks in sight or hearing during the month. (I guess the Yard List is the ultimate in a no-carbon avian staycation.) How many birds have you noticed within one mile of your home?

Low/no-carbon birdwatching

"Can I drive my car to your tours?" No.

"Can I give my bike a ride in my car's trunk, backseat or bikerack?" Nope.

What a Sunday that was, eh!

Yesterday morning at 6:30, as I set off on my bike as the lightning flashed, I thought, "Good thing I didn't schedule a bike-birding tour today!" Well...WRONG! as it turned out. The scary weather that was forecast never materialized (hereabouts), and I ended up spending most of the day outside. The SOUTH winds brought in some first-of-the-year birds, including HOUSE WREN, SORA, EASTERN TOWHEE, BANK SWALLOW, BROAD-WINGED HAWK and several sparrows -- WHITE-THROATED, SWAMP and LINCOLN'S. A dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk was surprising, as I thought I'd seen the last of that species for the season. Loons were flying northwest, over GREEN DARNER dragonflies including one "in tandem" pair. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers seem to be near their peak, already, with females predominating yesterday. As I mentioned on "Diaspora" last Thursday, the Sapsuckers' "wells," sap-oozing holes in the bark of various trees, are visited by many other kinds of birds -- other woodpeckers, chickadees, kinglets and warblers, for example -- which can lead to some exciting interactions when they are discovered and driven away by the well's "owner." I didn't find the American Toads, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or Northern Waterthrush reported to me, but did notice a MOSQUITO in our kitchen at night. And I got it before it got me! Opening the door this morning, I heard the first full song I've heard this year from a White-throated Sparrow. Soon they will be legion, along with Myrtle/Yellow-rumped Warblers. Sunday saw a big influx of Field Sparrows. The winter sparrows (Junco and American Tree) remain in small numbers, but that will change with the next serious south winds!

Whoa, an update! So many birds showing up recently in Madison and nearby busable/bikeable environs...especially waterfowl and raptors. On March 17th, after my "spot" on Terry O's popular radio show "Diaspora" (which runs on Thursday mornings between 9 and noon; I'm on somewhere in the 11:00-11:15 vicinity), I got back on my bike and found a Great Horned Owl on a nest, a male Kestrel near an old nest-site, a lingering Rough-legged Hawk and an overflying flock of about 40 White-fronted Geese. Today within bus/bike distance there were at least 17 species of ducks. Bluebirds are back, Kingfishers too, not to mention Pied-billed Grebes, Eastern Meadowlarks and American Woodcock. Now widespread are Sandhill Cranes, various blackbirds (mostly Redwings and Grackles), Turkey Vultures, Killdeer, Song Sparrows and
Robins.
So many upcoming birding-by-bike fieldtrips!

quiz answers....

If you haven't tried your hand (brain? memory? open book?) at the Warbler Quiz, go to the preceding post. Don't ruin your fun.

Okay, here are some possible answers. Let me know if you disagree or have others.

1. Warblers without that word: Ovenbird, Northern/Louisiana Waterthrush, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Parula.

2. Adult males changing completely in plumage between Spring and Fall: Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted. Most "confusing Fall warblers" are juvenile females.

3. False -- warbler migration starts in mid- to late July, and peaks in September.

4. False! but note the much-later start-time for Friday September 3rd...

Warbler quiz

1. Name four WI warbler species that do not have the word "warbler" in their names.
2. There are four WI warbler species in which adult males undergo a near-complete change in plumage from Spring to Fall. What are they?
3. True or false: there is essentially no southward migration until mid-September.
4. True or false: 6:30 is too damn early to be on a bicycle, looking for warblers.
Send your answers to dfallow@yahoo.com, or just check back here in a couple days for the putative answers.