Bird Sightings in Lake Park in 2009

 This page is http://home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/2009_Bird_Sightings_in_Lake_Park.html ... 3/19/09

Site Navigation: HOME=Lake Park Birds -- Checklist -- Birding activities -- Park Map -- City Map -- Photos -- Links



Saturday, February 7, 2009
Report of Duck Watch
by Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

A dozen or more birders enjoyed the bright, breezy, and balmy weather today on the next to last Duck Watch starting at Lake Park in Milwaukee. Two of the most exciting sightings were at Lake Park.

A large, very white gull flew by within 50 meters of the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of Bradford Beach. Sunlight shone through its primaries. Later we saw it about 150 meters out briefly alighting next to somewhat smaller Herring Gulls. Ron Gutschow, Jym Mooney, Todd Wilson, Judith Huf and I agreed that it was a Glaucous Gull, 1st year.

Shortly later Jym Mooney saw a very large, dark raptor 200 meters or so south us being chasing by a few gulls. We followed it briefly as it flew west over Bradford Beach out of sight behind the Wahl St bluff. Before it disappear we noted the white tail and black back of an adult Bald Eagle.

Another exciting bird was a pugnacious Peregrine Falcon at South Shore Yacht Club. It had the audacity to stoop at a gull and flushed a couple hundred diving ducks just beyond the breakwall. Its heavy streaking showed it to be an immature bird.

But wait, this was supposed to be a DUCK Watch, not a gull and raptor watch. Well, just the usual suspects appeared: Mallards, Black Ducks at South Shore, Scaup, Goldeneyes, and Mergansers. A couple Redheads and a male Hooded Merganser provided some color. Todd Wilson saw a Long-tailed Duck at the harbor entrance. John Idzikowski saw Kumlein's Iceland Gulls at the Art Museum. No Scoters. No Harlequin Ducks. Also No Snowy Owls.

A dozen male Robins, apparently seeking to add some protein to their winter diet of berries, strutted and listened on patches of grass at Lake Park, but we doubted they heard any earthworms wiggling in the still frozen turf.

--- Paul Hunter,
http://home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/lakeparkbirds.html
Lake Park Duck Watch, 2/7/09
12 birders, 50 degrees Fahrenheit,
Winds 15 mph from SouthWest, Sunny

Bradford Beach - North Point
11 AM to Noon

Canada Goose 30
Mallard 12
Redhead 2
Greater Scaup 100
Lesser Scaup 2
Bufflehead 30
Common Goldeneye 200
Common Merganser 10
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Bald Eagle 1
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 12
Glaucous Gull 1
American Robin 12 		South Shore Yacht Club
12:10 PM to 12:30 PM

Canada Goose 20
American Black Duck 3
Mallard 40
Greater Scaup 30
Lesser Scaup 2
Common Goldeneye 20
Hooded Merganser 1
Common Merganser 6
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
- Stooped on gull. Dark moustache.
- Heavily streaked. Immature.
Herring Gull 40
Rock Pigeon 40

Ferry Dock
12:35 PM to 12:45 PM

Greater Scaup 50
Bufflehead 10
Common Goldeneye 30
Common Merganser 16
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Herring Gull 20 		Petroleum Pier
12:50 PM to 1 PM

Greater Scaup 500
Bufflehead 20
Common Goldeneye 500
Common Merganser 20
Red-breasted Merganser 4

Milwaukee Art Museum
1:15 PM to 1:30 PM

Canada Goose 20
Mallard 10
Greater Scaup 50
Common Goldeneye 100
Red-breasted Merganser 4
Ring-billed Gull 30
Herring Gull 300

Saturday, March 7, 2009
Report of Duck Watch
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Report - Duck Watch , Sat March 7, 2009
FOG! That's the one word description of the Duck Watch today.
Visibility was generally about 50 meters. After Todd Wilson reported on his early morning birding in Racine County, he called it a day and headed home. Suzy Holstein and I peered through pea soup at the Art Museum and east of the Marcus Ampitheater to see Common Goldeneyes, Greater Scaup, American Coots, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Herring Gulls.



From: Jym Mooney
Date: March 22, 2009
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Lake Park yesterday and today had brown creeper, fox sparrow, northern flicker, great horned owl (being mobbed by crows), winter wren, bluebirds, song sparrows (lots), American tree sparrows, and the usual residents. Yesterday morning I saw a flock of about two dozen tundra swans fly overhead at Lake Park.


Saturday, April 18, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Jym Mooney
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Almost two dozen birders turned out to enjoy the first Lake Park Warbler Walk of the season, on a perfectly gorgeous day. The warblers didn't let us down. We saw quite a few yellow-rumped warblers, plus a pine warbler gave us time to really look at it and discuss the ID. Before the walk started I also found a black and white warbler and a Louisiana waterthrush. Ruby-crowned kinglets were quite numerous, and golden-crowned kinglet numbers were noticeably lower today. Many hermit thrushes in the ravines, flickers everywhere, and a few pairs of eastern phoebes were calling and flitting about. A great blue heron flew overhead at one point, as did a red-tailed hawk and three flocks of cormorants. We had seven sparrow species: savannah, song, American tree, chipping, white-throated, swamp, and dark-eyed junco. We had a total of 43 species. Several birders split off from the group to assist the Lake Park Friends in planting 100 oak saplings this morning.

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 2
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 2
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola 20
Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula 6
Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator 35
Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus 1
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 50
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 25
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 8
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 15
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 8
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 10
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 2
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula 30
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 4
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus 15 		American Robin - Turdus migratorius 6
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata 25
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus 1
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1
Louisiana Waterthrush - Seiurus motacilla 1
American Tree Sparrow - Spizella arborea 3
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 4
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis 2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 5
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana 2
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis 15
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 8
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 1
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 2
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 10
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus 1
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 2
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 4
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 3

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.


Highlight of the Warbler Walk on Saturday 4/25/09 was the Yellow- throated Warbler Judith Huf and Jym Mooney saw near the Wolcott Statue.

About twenty birders gathered on the wooden footbridge over Locust Ravine at 8:30 AM on Saturday, April 25, 2009, as dog owners and their dogs occupied the west side of the Warming House in Lake Park. After we enjoyed close up views of female Purple Finches, bright and dull White-throated Sparrows, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at the Locust Ravine feeders, we split into two groups.

Jym Mooney took the "high road" on the bridges over Locust Ravine and Ravine Road Ravine, past the Pavilion, to the Wolcott statue, while I (Paul Hunter) took the "low road" through Locust Ravine then across Lincoln Memorial Drive to Lake Michigan, then back up to the Pavilion via the Waterfall (AKA Girl Scout) Ravine.

20 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
2 Mallard
10 Blue-winged Teal
8 Greater Scaup
16 Bufflehead
40 Red-breasted Merganser
30 Double-crested Cormorant
5 Great Blue Heron
1 Peregrine Falcon
25 Ring-billed Gull
8 Herring Gull
2 Caspian Tern
3 Mourning Dove
1 Red-headed Woodpecker
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
4 Downy Woodpecker
10 Northern Flicker
2 Eastern Phoebe 		5 American Crow
6 Tree Swallow
4 Barn Swallow
6 Black-capped Chickadee
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
4 Brown Creeper
1 House Wren
1 Winter Wren
8 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
4 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
1 Eastern Bluebird
2 Hermit Thrush
6 American Robin
4 Brown Thrasher
4 European Starling
1 Orange-crown W
40 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Yellow-throated Warbler
1 Pine Warbler
2 Black-and-white Warbler 		1 Ovenbird
4 Northern Waterthrush
8 Eastern Towhee
3 Chipping Sparrow
2 Field Sparrow
1 Lincoln Sparrow
3 Song Sparrow
6 Swamp Sparrow
80 White-throated Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
4 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
16 Red-winged Blackbird
12 Brown-headed Cowbird
4 Purple Finch females
2 American Goldfinch
4 House Sparrow

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

About twenty-five birders gathered near Locust Ravine at 8:30 AM on Saturday, May 2, 2009, as dog owners again occupied the west side of the Warming House in Lake Park. Jym Mooney, Judith Huf and Sam Corbo reported on their early morning sightings in the park. I (Paul Hunter) promoted other local birding events including:
- Wednesday mornings bird walks at Havenwoods led by Gordon Zion, zzzzmail@aol.com, http://www.friendsofhavenwoods.org,
- Thursday morning bird walks at Urban Ecology Center and Tuesday morning banding there by Tim Vargo, http://www.urbanecologycenter.org
- MCAMMP: Milwaukee Avian Migrant Monitoring Project which includes a transect in Lake Park, coordinated by Bill Mueller, http:// home.earthlink.net/%7Eiltlawas/id16.html
- Purple Martin housing also coordinated by Bill Mueller
- WiNGS: Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds, coordinated by Scott Diehl at the Humane Society, http://www.wihumane.org/wildlife/ preventcollisions.aspx

We again split into two groups, with Jym Mooney and Judith Huf leading a larger group of more experienced birders and beginning birders joining me. Both groups walked south from the wooden Rustic Bridge along either side Locust Ravine, then over Ravine Road on the footbridge. At the Pavilion, Jym and Judith's group proceeded straight to the Wolcott statue, while my group went down the Grand Staircase and south along the foot of the bluff, where we were joined by Bill Mueller, then back up Waterfall Ravine to the Wolcott statue. We returned to the warming house via the Indian mound near the baseball field. We enjoyed sunny skies, a light northwesterly breeze, and seasonable temperatures in the low 60s.

2 Canada Goose
3 Mallard
70 Red-breasted Merganser
100 Double-crested Cormorants
2 Great Egret
6 Turkey Vulture
2 Cooper's Hawk
25 Ring-billed Gull
2 Herring Gull
25 Caspian Tern
3 Mouring Doves
40 Chimney Swift
2 Red-headed Woodpecker
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
3 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
2 Eastern Phoebe
1 Great Crested Flycatcher
1 Blue-headed Vireo
12 Blue Jay
3 American Crow 		2 Tree Swallow
5 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
2 Barn Swallow
6 Black-capped Chickadee
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Brown Creeper
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
20 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
16 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
4 Hermit Thrush
20 American Robin
4 Gray Catbird
1 Brown Thrasher
4 European Starling
20 Cedar Waxwing
1 Tennessee Warbler
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Northern Parula
20 Yellow-rumped Warbler
2 Black-throated Green Warbler
5 Black-and-white Warbler 		35 Palm Warbler
2 Northern Waterthrush
1 Common Yellowthroat
4 Eastern Towhee
15 Chipping Sparrow
2 Clay-colored Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
4 Savannah Sparrow
2 Grasshopper Sparrow
4 Song Sparrow
2 Swamp Sparrow
70 White-throated Sparrow
12 White-crowned Sparrow
8 Northern Cardinal
2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
30 Red-winged Blackbird
12 Brown-headed Cowbird
6 House Finch
10 American Goldfinch
3 House Sparrow

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, August 29, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

On Saturday, August 29, 2009, Paul Hunter led the second of the six weekly autumnal Warbler Walks at Lake Park in Milwaukee. About 15 - 20 birders joined the stroll out of the wind, down Locust Ravine and along the bluff below the Pavilion (which houses the bistro) and back up Waterfall Ravine. We in the main group somehow lost contact with Dolores Knopfelmacher and Marilyn Bontly, who added Tennessee, Cape May, and Black-throated Green Warblers to our list. The Great Blue Heron stood tall and the Spotted Sandpiper teetered along the shore of Lake Michigan. The Red-tailed Hawk moved southward along the bluff in the steady northwesterly winds. The Hummingbird hovered among the jewelweed and other flowers in Locust Ravine. An apparent family of 4 Bluebirds sallied down from lower branches of ash trees near the baseball field down to the lawn near about a dozen Chipping Sparrows. Jym Mooney caught the flash of the Oriole in the treetops near the Wolcott statue.

Location: Lake Park - Locust Ravine
Observation date: 8/29/09
Number of species: 41

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 22
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 20
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii 1
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius 1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 50
Herring Gull (American) - Larus argentatus smithsonianus 15
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia 12
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica 12
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 4
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens 1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 4
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor 20 		Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 20
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 3
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 4
Gray-cheeked Thrush - Catharus minimus 1
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus 1
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 1
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum 4
Tennessee Warbler - Vermivora peregrina 1
Cape May Warbler - Dendroica tigrina 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens 1
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 2
Northern Waterthrush - Seiurus noveboracensis 1
Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla 1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 12
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 5
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 3
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula 1
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 2
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 12

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Saturday, September 5, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Dennis Casper and crew saw a total of 10 warbler species including a Hooded Warbler. See his list below.

Lake Park Warbler Walk (#3)
Sunday, September 5, 2009
8:30-10:30 a.m.

Sunny, pleasant
34 birders
Bird species: 36

25 Canada Goose
25 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Merlin
3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker 		2 Hairy Woodpecker
7 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Philadelphia Vireo
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Blue Jay
5 American Crow
15 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
4 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Swainson's Thrush
11 American Robin
1 Gray Catbird
2 Cedar Waxwing 		10 Tennessee Warbler
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Yellow Warbler
2 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Magnolia Warbler
4 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Blackpoll Warbler
2 Black-and-White Warbler
11 American Redstart
1 Hooded Warbler
7 Chipping Sparrow
1 Northern Cardinal
2 Indigo Bunting
25 American Goldfinch
1 House Sparrow
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Yellow-billed Cuckoo photos
By Brian Hansen
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Here are some shots of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brian Hansen watched in Lake Park last Thursday 9/10 for those interested. What a shy bird.
http://www.pbase.com/image/117333873
http://www.pbase.com/image/117333890
http://www.pbase.com/image/117333900
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Jym Mooney
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Two dozen birders enjoyed some good warbler "stands" this morning. We found a couple of decent warbler groups, which meant that we spent most of our time scanning trees in just three spots. We had nine warbler species (Nashville, magnolia, Cape May, black-throated green, black- throated blue, Blackburnian, blackpoll, redstart, and Wilson's), good looks at a Philadelphia vireo, eastern bluebirds, eastern wood-pewees, ruby- throated hummingbirds, and a juvenile rose-breasted grosbeak. Total 34 species, plus three of the group added a Canada warbler and a red-breasted nuthatch to the day's list just after the group broke up. Notes: Pre-group walk by group leader added red-tailed hawk, RB and herring gulls, Caspian tern, Canada goose, mallard, DC cormorant, and house sparrow.

Lake Park , 9/12/09
Number of species: 34

Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii 1
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 2
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 3
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens 4
Philadelphia Vireo - Vireo philadelphicus 1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus 1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 6
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 4
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 24
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 10
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 6
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus 1 		American Robin - Turdus migratorius 1
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis 1
Nashville Warbler - Vermivora ruficapilla 4
Magnolia Warbler - Dendroica magnolia 4
Cape May Warbler - Dendroica tigrina 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens 6
Blackburnian Warbler - Dendroica fusca 1
Blackpoll Warbler - Dendroica striata 7
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 5
Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla 3
Canada Warbler - Wilsonia canadensis 1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus 1
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 1
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 20

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/wi)

Thursday, September 14, 2009
Warblers (Connecticut)
By Jym Mooney and Paul Sparks
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.


From: Jym Mooney I found a dozen warbler species this afternoon at Lake Park, including a Connecticut warbler in Girl Scout Ravine, plus Tennessee, Nashville, magnolia, blackpoll, black-and-white, redstart, ovenbird (6! after seeing none so far this fall), northern waterthrush, common yellowthroat, Wilson's, and Canada.

From: Paul Sparks I spent about 2 1/2 hours at Lake Park this morning and had a nice variety of birds. The bridge just north of Lake Park Bistro had American Redstarts, Chesnut-sided, Wilson's, Blackpolls, and a Black & White Warbler. A bit further north I found a Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Palm, Ovenbird, possible Bay-breatsed, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. It was a nice morning to be out.

Saturday, September 19, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, September 26, 2009
Report of Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, October 24, 2009
Report of Duck Watch
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, November 14 , 2009
Report of Duck Watch
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, December 5, 2009
Report of Duck Watch
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, December 19, 2009
Report of Christmas Count
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.

Saturday, , 2009
Report of Duck Watch Warbler Walk
By Paul Hunter
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Return to top of page.