Jane Furchgott searches the Wisconsin River Floodplain for birds during the Poynette CBC (photo by Bill Smith).
The most recent Christmas Bird Count (CBC) marked the 53rd Poynette count and the 25th count in Area 12, which centers around the 730 acres at Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s Goose Pond Sanctuary. Climate change is resulting in less snow in December and milder temperatures in November and December. These conditions helped account for the number of waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, and other species found during this year’s count that might normally have moved south by the end of December. This year, the Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings might have been further north near the edge of the snow line. Due to the high winds early in the day, no one counted owls in the morning; however, in the evening, Graham Steinhauer found four Great Horned Owls.
The 2024 Poynette CBC was held on December 28. Forty-seven participants (a high number) counted 74 species. Only four other Poynette counts had more species (the high count was 82 species in 2001). This year’s high counts included 6 Ring-necked Ducks, 92 Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, and 8 White-crowned Sparrows. Other species with good numbers this year included Common Mergansers (579), Bald Eagles (47), Sandhill Cranes (75), Red-headed Woodpeckers (11), Eastern Bluebirds (64), and American Robins (429). Below are stories from three areas from the Poynette CBC, and full results can be found here. Thanks to everyone that helped count! We are already looking forward to the next one on December 27, 2025.
Winter Wren (photo by Carolyn Chee).
We conducted this Poynette CBC in memory of Ken Lange, who passed away in November. Ken was a retired Wisconsin DNR naturalist for Devils Lake State Park, and coordinated the CBC there for many years. His favorite bird was the Winter Wren, which we found during our count—for only the eighth time in 53 years. Ken often joined Bill Smith, co-founder of the Poynette count.
Remembering Ken Lange: Area 1
written by Bill Smith
Steve Krings and I started the Poynette Christmas Bird Count in 1971. The first year, Steve and I tried to cover the entire 177 square miles. After Mark and Sue Martin took over coordinating the count in 1980, I kept what I considered the best section of the pie, Area 1.
Ken Lange with a banded Sharp-shinned Hawk in 2015 (photo by Mark Martin).
This area covered both sides of the Wisconsin River in Caledonia and Dekorra Townships. I had many companions on the count over the years, but the most consistent were my oldest son, Corbin, and starting in 1999, Ken. Originally, we would meet Ken at the Hwy 33 Wayside in Caledonia Township, then head for Dupless Road, which dead ends on a bluff overlooking the mouth of the Baraboo River. We had permission from an absentee cabin owner to hang out on their property where we usually found Bald Eagles, Common Mergansers, and Common Goldeneyes.
When we started this, the area was a dirt lane with one permanent residence and a few cabins. As time went on, the area was subdivided into several large lots with large homes. Annually, we bemoaned each additional house that appeared. The next road we covered was Thunderbird Lane to the south. There lived one of the best bird feeding residents on our count. The owner, at the time a prison guard at the Columbia Correctional Institution, welcomed us every year and showed keen interest in our optical equipment. One highlight there was the year a small group of Pine Grosbeaks were ravaging an ash tree in someone’s yard. This was also the place Mark assigned us the job of finding a Red-shouldered Hawk, which we often did.
We then continued to work the roads south and west to the edge of the count circle.When this was completed, we worked our way back north along CTH U while discussing our lunch options. Ken, a dedicated lunch fan, usually had a recommendation in Portage which we had to pass though to get to the Dekorra Township part for the afternoon. One year, I brought a bag of sesame stick snacks for the car, which Ken polished off in no time. He got sick that evening.
Red-headed Woodpecker (photo by Bill Smith).
Ken and Corbin got along famously and it always made for a fun day of birding. Most years, towards the end of daylight, we climbed up on Focke’s Bluff off Wildcat Road to look for grouse and turkeys. Ken seemed impressed with the area and repeatedly commented on how lucky I was to grow up there. I had told him about my childhood experiences with glass lizards, box turtles, exploring the adjacent islands of the Wisconsin River, digging in the cave on Focke’s Bluff, and so on. It was a sad day when Ken called me just before the 2021 CBC to say he couldn’t do the count anymore due to his health.
A bounty of winter waterfowl: Area 2
written by Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin, with content from Al and Gail Shea
This is the 43rd year that Al and Gail Shea, and Gail’s brother Quentin Yoeger, counted in Area 2. The area includes the Columbia County Power Plant (currently coal-powered), which has a large cooling pond that discharges into a cattail marsh before entering the Wisconsin River. 2024 was their third highest count with 54 species. They have had 50 or more species in 12 years with a high of 60 species. Many of those species are waterfowl and other bird species that use the open pond in winter. This year they found 12 species of ducks including 158 Common Goldeneyes and 579 Common Mergansers, similar numbers found years ago. Peregrine Falcons also annually nest at the plant in a nest box placed on a tall chimney.
Jim Hess, Bill Walters, and Mark Martin during the 2018 Poynette CBC (courtesy of Mark Martin).
25 years of counting at Goose Pond Sanctuary: Area 12
written by Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin
At Goose Pond Sanctuary, counters found 25 species. Highlights include 8 White-Crowned Sparrows at the Kampen Road feeders, a new CBC high count. A CBC and county high count of 250 house finches were also found. Our restored prairies and annual food plots provided habitat for winter birds and an abundance of small mammals for raptors. The year we found 117 American Tree Sparrows, 58% of the overall count total in our food plots.
Fifty species and 22,800 individuals total have been found in the Goose Pond local area in the past 25 years of CBCs. Species found in all 25 years are American Crow, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and House Sparrow. Ring-necked Pheasants and Mourning Doves were found in 24 of the 25 years. Other interesting winter birds that have been found on previous counts include Snowy Owls (3 years), Short-eared Owls (5 years), Northern Shrikes (3 years), Lapland Longspurs (4 years), and Snow Buntings (7 years). Species with high total numbers of individuals over the 25 years are Canada Geese (5,349); American Tree Sparrows (4,855); Mourning Dove (2,543); European Starlings (1,676); and Ring-necked Pheasants (1,323).
For more about the Poynette Christmas Bird Count, read our features from counts in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.
Written and compiled by Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond Sanctuary managers
