5.03.2015

The Warblers Return!


Chestnut-sided Warbler

South winds! One look at Nexrad last night and I knew we were in store for a great day of birding on Sunday. I tallied 15 warbler and 4 vireo species along the creek corridor of Pheasant Branch Conservancy today. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles, and Indigo Buntings have also returned.

Initially I didn't carry my scope with me because sometimes it's more enjoyable just to have a binocular without all the extra gear. However, the activity at the first bridge east of Park Street was so good that I eventually brought out my digiscoping rig to get a few photographs of the remaining wood warblers.

I spent most of the day at the creek corridor and never made it out to the confluence ponds or the North Fork marsh, but Charles Naeseth called me this evening to let me know the Marsh Wrens are back. I'll probably listen for them tomorrow morning before returning to the creek corridor.

South winds have launched the migration machine once again, but we presently have a line of storms approaching from the west. If stormy weather keeps the birds from making forward progress, the conservancy might be full of birds tomorrow morning.


Black-and-white Warbler


Yellow-rumped Warbler


Palm Warbler


Wood Anemone


White Trillium


Yellow Violet


Spring Azure


Gorgeous weather!

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
May 3, 2015 5:40 AM - 12:10 PM
59 species

Wood Duck
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

All images © 2015 Mike McDowell