Time For A More Recent Post! I've Seen American Tree Sparrows Before, But A Pair Showed Up In My Yard

My partner's aunt and uncle live in a little patch of forest in East Troy, WI. They have a beautiful garden that attracts many different animals, but every time we visit I have to see how the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are doing.

This past August I was especially excited to visit. I had only had my new camera for a couple weeks, and I knew I could get some lovely shots of the Hummingbirds that simply weren't possible before.

[ID: A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird hovers over a bright red flower. She's mostly shiny green, with white throat and breast, and white flecks near her dark eyes and tail feather tips. She has green leaves on either side, and seems to be hovering in a void on a nearly black background. End ID]

[ID: A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird sits on a wire plant frame. She's mostly shiny green, with white throat and breast, and white flecks near her dark eyes and tail feather tips. She's grasping the wire with tiny black feet. She's sticking out her long white tongue, perhaps cleaning up after drinking nectar from the nearby flowers. The background is mostly out of focus, showing green plants and one red flower in the lower left corner of the frame. End ID]

These photos are both possibly the same female Ruby, indentified by her white throat rather than the red iridescent gorget that's exclusive to mature males. I feel like the first picture is the more artistic one, but I am much more charmed by the second where she seems to be licking her chops with that incredible tongue!

I didn't get a chance to go birding this past weekend, so it's time for another post from the archives. I wouldn't call this my best bit of photography, but it brings me joy nonetheless.

[ID: A female Snowy Owl rests on the ice of Lake Monona. She's crouched next to a small ridge of ice, wings folded and eyes closed to black slits. She's almost entirely white, with black flecks on her wings, breast, and head. The rest of the scene is nearly featureless white snow, with just the occasional ripple made by the wind. End ID]

Last year around this time (late January) we had experienced an irruption of Snowy Owls in Wisconsin. Two owls in particular chose Lake Monona as their favorite rest spot for a couple of months, and they became locally famous for their continued presence around the Monona Terrace.

I had never seen a Snowy Owl in person before, so I took several opportunities to wander the lake and the surrounding areas hoping to catch a glimpse of my first one. It wasn't until late February that I was walking along the Terrace and spotted a lump on the ice that was much darker and less reflective than anything else out there. My heart began to thump faster and my pace increased as I realized what I was seeing. The Owl was resting in the windbreak caused by a small ridge of ice, so I carefully crept into the barest edge of photography range so as not to disturb her.

I probably spent a half hour crouched on the ice, taking the occasional photo each time she moved. Mostly I was happy to sit in her presence and try to match that level of calm and restfulness. I was inspired to make this post today because I just learned that we've had another Snowy Owl visiting Dane County the past two weeks. I'm thinking it might be a good time to go for a drive, looking for a speckled white mound among the corn stubble...

I'm thinking I should start to fill out this new blog. My main artistic expression these days is photography, and birds are my favorite subject. So let's take a look back in the archive together.

[ID: A female Black-and-white Warbler clinging to the side of a lichen-encrusted tree trunk. She's checking the underside of a brown mushroom on the tree for something to eat. She has a mostly white body, with a thin back eye line and black streaks on her side and wings. End ID]

This little creature is a Black-and-white Warbler. We found her while hiking the New Glarus Woods State Park this past September. Folks think of Warblers as a springtime bird in the Midwest, as that's when they're looking their brightest and boldest as they migrate north for mating season. I appreciate the Black-and-whites like this little lady for being just as striking on their way back south.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

I've been spending a good deal of time outside, what with spring migration going on in Wisconsin. Some of this is simply sitting in my back yard and staring up at the trees, watching for bird shapes. But we also carved out a weekend to attend the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival. I really ought to do a longer post on the great things we saw there, but this one is about Barn Swallows.

[ID: A Barn Swallow sits on the edge of a steel roof. They have a dark blue head and wings, buffy yellow underparts, and orange on the face, throat, and a narrow fringe along the top of the breast. The Swallow is looking off to the right with one large dark eye showing. They have a little mud caked on their bill, with more flecks on their chin and head. End ID]

This individual is one of many that have recently arrived at Horicon Marsh and were building nests around the visitor's center. They build their nests by scooping up small bits of mud in their beaks and sticking it to a wall, the underside of a dock, and yes, even a barn. You can tell these two have been working on their nests because of the messes on their faces.

[ID: Two Barn Swallows rest on the edge of a steel roof. They are spaced just a few inches apart, both looking off to the right. End ID]

I wanted to share this series for a couple reasons. First, I was terribly charmed by the sight of a couple Swallows sitting just a few feet from the main entrance of the Visitor's Center, with no concern for the people walking in and out of the building right past them. They probably flew thousands of miles to get to this spot, and now they're spending all day flying literal teaspoons of mud back and forth to build a temporary home for their kids. Second, I knew I could get some really nice portraits with such a close encounter.

[ID: A portrait of a Barn Swallow, one of the same two pictured above. At this close distance, it's possible to pick out the individual feathers on the Swallow's face, specks of mud on their bill, and the reflection of the clouds and the horizon in their eye. End ID]

I'm sure they're tired from all the hard work. They seemed completely unbothered by us standing so close, but also not terribly interested in the traffic on the sidewalk.

[ID: A Barn Swallow looks over at the camera. Their bill turns down slightly at the corners, making for the appears of a small frown. End ID]

This one did glance in my direction long enough to capture an expression that reads to me like mild disinterest. But then they went right back to staring out at the parking lot, not really making any noise or even appearing to communicate with one another. I'd like to think they enjoy sharing a moment of quiet contemplation with a friend.

I went birding at Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona, WI today. One highlight of the hike was all the American Tree Sparrows foraging in the tall grass around the center. This one in particular was checking me out quite a bit from various perches just off the path. (I could tell it was the same one from that little bit of something stuck to their bill.)

[ID: An American Tree Sparrow clings to a small twig. The Sparrow fills the frame, showing the details of the tan and brown streaks in its wings, broken up by two white wing bars. Its head is mostly gray with a brown eyeline cutting across a dark eye and a ruddy brown cap. It has the characteristic two-tone bill, grey above and yellow below, with a small bit of something black stuck to the lower bill. End ID]

I also got to see two distinct Red-tailed Hawks wheeling around overhead, likely looking for prey. The first one is likely immature, judging from the banded tail without much red in it, while the second one is clearly an adult.

[ID: An immature Red-tailed Hawk soars in an overcast sky. The hawk is mostly while, with brown streaks on the head and breast. the wings have flecks of brown, and the light shining through the wings and tail show thin bars. End ID]

[ID: An adult Red-tailed Hawk flies toward the camera at an angle. The hawk is mostly white with a brown head and brown edges on the outstretched wings. Its yellow legs are hanging down, showing an aluminum leg band on the left one. The tail is fanned and tawny brown, indicating that this is a mature adult. End ID]

There were also lots of Dark-eyed Juncos mixed in with the Tree Sparrows. They were generally more skittish, but I did snag this nice photo of a Junco checking the scene from the top of a bare bush.

[ID: A Dark-eyed Junco sits on a bare twig at the top of a bush, looking just to the left of straight at the camera. It is almost entirely grey, with white underparts and a pale pink beak. End ID]

[ID: A portrait of a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. She's shown from the shoulders up, in high detail. Prominent in the frame is her big, dark eye with lines of brown and tan around her head leading to a large, pale pink beak. End ID]

Here's a picture of the most cooperative bird I've encountered in the wild. This past August, I had recently upgraded to a new camera and was on a hike with my Father-in-Law at Antigo Lake. We were slowly walking the boardwalk when I saw something moving in the bushes just on the other side of the railing.

I knew right away that it was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak because of, you know, the huge beak. She sat just about 6 ft away and held perfectly still, allowing me to find a nice window through the branches and take a few bursts. Even though I was still learning the new equipment, I believe this remains the most detailed picture of a bird I've taken to date. Go ahead and zoom in on the eye. You can pick out all kinds of tiny feather structures that had been totally invisible to me until then, lost in either motion blur or the lower resolution of the sensor. Lately I've been seeking out birds that never sit still or won't go anywhere near people, but I should really spend more time taking portraits of birds that are more comfortable with presence.

Folks, I picked up a lifer just down the street from my house! It was raining a bit on Sunday, so we decided to dig our raincoats out of storage and go hunt for some puddles in need of splashing. Now, I've learned my lesson over the past couple years: never leave home without the binoculars or the camera. And this time I was very glad I grabbed the bins before heading out.

[ID: A Horned Grebe floats on the blue water of Lake Monona. They are facing to the right, showing an impressive profile in the evening sunlight. The Grebe is a small ducklike creature, mostly black with smudges of brown on the flanks and throat. Their head is their most striking feature, black with piercing red eyes. Above and behind each eye a tan stripe radiates backward to create a small crest, the eponymous horns. A thin line of pink skin traces forward from the eye to join with the black dagger of a bill tipped with white. Small beads of water sit on the Grebe's back from their most recent dive below the surface. End ID]

But wait, wasn't it raining at the beginning of this story? It was! We wandered through the neighborhood for a while, mom and kid forging ahead while I lagged behind counting Sparrows and Finches. We made our way down to a park at the edge of Lake Monona. Of course, I had to go out on the dock to check the water for anything interesting. Sure enough, there were a pair of small birds bobbing with the waves, diving down to hunt, and popping back up again. I said to myself, "are those Grebes?" just before I noticed a flash of tan on their heads. Folks, I knew I had never seen a Grebe with tan on it before! I called Caitlin over, handed her the binoculars, and dashed home to grab my camera.

[ID: A Horned Grebe floats on the choppy grey water of Lake Monona. The bird appears to be drenched, but unbothered by the rain. In the low light it's just possible to make out the tan horn on their head and the brownish flank against the black body. End ID]

The above photo is a much more accurate representation of my view from Sunday. The rain began to pick up as I was returning with my camera, but I ignored the poor conditions and set up to shoot anyway. I needed to be sure of the species for my life list! So I got cozy on the downwind side of a nearby tree and started scanning the water for small black birds popping up. I did eventually relocate them, fairly far out on the lake. I was also surprised to see a Common Loon cruise by at a much closer distance.

[A Common Loon floats in profile, partially submerged, on the grey water of Lake Monona. The Loon is almost entirely black, with the white checked back and tapered white neck band characteristic of their breeding plumage. Their gently curved head and knifelike bill are jet black. End ID]

Certainly not the best pictures I've taken, but they were good enough to make a positive ID. For the time being, I would have to be content with this documentation. A couple days later, however, the clouds had passed through and we had just enough time for a walk before dinner. And it was golden hour! Perhaps the Grebes were still around?

[ID: A Horned Grebe floats on the blue water of Lake Monona. The lake is much calmer and the sunlight is reflecting off the wet feathers of the Grebe. End ID]

Not only was the Horned Grebe back at the same dock, it was much closer this time and very cooperative, turning back and forth to make sure I could see their best angles. I sat right down at the end of the dock and snapped away while my kid went looking for sticks to bash on the rocks at the shoreline. It was very peaceful sitting out by the lake, listening to the birdsong, the fitness class at the top of the hill, the captain of the rowing team calling out their orders, my son making up games about climbing the rocks and telling me all the arcane rules he just uncovered. Even the Loon came back around for another cruise.

[ID: A Common Loon floats out in the distance on the blue water of Lake Monona. End ID]

Our summer vacation for 2022 was a road trip through the Dakotas, with brief dips into Montana and Wyoming. I was impossibly excited for the trip, as it was the first time since I started birding that we'd be seeing birds of the Western United States. Even better, it was right at the start of nesting season in June. Every stop held the possibility of a lifer, including this beauty.

[ID: A female Mountain Bluebird clings to a bare branch on a small shrub, standing in profile. Her body and head are subtle variations of whites and greys. She has a bright white eye ring, black bill and feet, and thin black lines bordering hints of brilliant blue in her wingtips and tail. The background is the out-of-focus greens and browns of a prairie dog town. End ID]

This is a female Mountain Bluebird. We found her while exploring one of the prairie dog towns in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Every variety of North American bluebird is lovely, but I remember being struck by the subtle variation of whites and greys and barest hints of brilliant blue in her wingtips and tail. I hadn't seen anything like her in my explorations to that point, so I knew I was seeing the species for the first time. It's always special when you encounter a new species and they seem to be checking you out just as closely as you're scrutinizing them.