Henslow's Sparrow

The Henslow's sparrow is a small songbird with a dull brown body and a streaked breast. This bird is restricted to open habitats, typically grasslands, of the midwest and northeast. Over winter, Henslow's sparrows spend their time in longleaf pine and bog habitats of the southern US. The pairing of globally rare breeding and wintering habitat makes the bird rare across its range. Endangered in seven states and threatened in Wisconsin, the Henslow's sparrow would seem a banner bird for grassland conservation.

The inconspicuous Henslow’s sparrow, photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Yet, the Henslow's sparrow lacks the iconic status of the dickcissel or meadowlark. The sparrow's understated plumage and faint call—a simple tsillik—undercut its zealous heaves. David Sibley describes the call as a “feeble hiccup.” Additionally, the bird is notoriously difficult to spot. Hiding in a dense accumulation of litter a Henslow's sparrow will whistle its call, unseen. If approached, the bird often flees on foot, its brown feathers matching the dullness of a few year's foliage.

The nest resides on or near the ground, where the female incubates eggs for approximately 11 days. Chicks will occupy the nest for about 9 days, being fed a diet of grasshoppers and caterpillars.

A Faville Grove prairie may be the perfect place for a Henslow’s sparrow to nest. Madison Audubon photo

As far as managing for Henslow's habitat, the birds present an interesting dilemma. On one hand, Henslow's sparrows need two to three years of litter accumulation in order to breed in an area. Conversely, the birds tolerate a low amount of brush and need dense stands of grass for suitable habitat.

Burning will maintain the open habitat and stimulate grasses, but the sparrows dislike nesting in recently burned areas.

A patchwork of burning, like we have here at Faville Grove, can encourage Henslow's Sparrows to nest in an area.  Areas with multiple years of standing dead vegetation provide cover and nesting areas for these discrete birds. Recently burned prairie provides good foraging habitat, and the dense cover of new growth can hide fledgling chicks.

A joyfully singing Henslow’s sparrow, photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

This past week, the interns and I stumbled upon a Henslow's sparrow in the sanctuary. We first heard the calls of dozens of other birds, eventually focusing in on the Henslow's repetitive calls. Standing in a field of smooth brome, the calls seemed bromidic, or trite. As we sat there for five minutes, the bird finally emerged onto a cup plant and hoisted its unenthusiastic call our way. The bird may not be a banner for conservation, but it belts out its calls oblivious to human concerns, happily perched on a cup plant.

Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward

Willow Flycatcher, "The Little Green Bird"

Willow flycatcher photo by Arlene Koziol

The willow flycatcher is one of our favorite shrubland birds and is easy to identify with the males distinctive fitz-bew call. The willow, alder, and least flycatchers are very difficult to identify when they are not calling.

John James Audubon first discovered the Traill’s flycatcher and named it after his friend Thomas Traill. Ornithologists later split the Traill’s species into two: the willow and alder based on their song and habitat requirements.  

Robert (Bob) McCabe, UW-Madison Wildlife Professor published The Little Green Bird - Ecology of the Willow Flycatcher in 1991 with “original ink drawings by Steve Hovel”. Only 750 copies were published, and we are fortunate to have copy number 104 signed by Bob. You can still find these books for sale online, but it’ll cost you a pretty penny ($155 for new and $72 for used).

In the 1940’s Bob McCabe was researching the winter ecology of the ring-necked pheasant at the UW-Arboretum. He was looking for a research project in the summer and decided on studying the willow flycatcher at the Arboretum. His mentor was Aldo Leopold and his last sentence in the book is, “Now that it is ended, I wonder what A.L. would have said?” We believe A. L. would have really liked the research study that uncovered all aspects of the willow flycatcher’s breeding ecology. Bob was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 1999 and bio information included, “His book about the Willow Flycatcher, The Little Green Bird is a classic example of using a single species to teach ecology.”

Bob called the willow flycatcher the ‘little green bird’ because beginning bird watchers tend to “classify all but the most colorful birds as ‘little brown birds’ or ‘little green birds’, this is the story of a Little Green Bird.”  When Bob began he probably did not think that this would be a 40 year plus study.  

Study Results: The 171-page book goes into detail on all aspects of the ecology of the willow flycatcher and we are highlighting some of the data.

Spring Arrival: Sixty years of data records from his study and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology found that willow flycatchers arrive in Madison between May 1 and May 29th with the average being May 15.

Habitat: “The prime aspect of WF habitat is the presence of bushes or small trees.” And “the willow flycatcher is a bird of swamps or permanently wet marsh,” but Bob pointed out that they can live in uplands with scattered shrubs or thickets.

Singing willow flycatcher. Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

Calling time: Males can call during the day especially in the peak of breeding season but Bob found that they call most frequently just after sunset and end after civil twilight during the months of June and July.

The Nest Bush: The study found an impressive number of 619 nests. Nests were found 58% of the time in elderberries, 26% in red-osier dogwoods and only 3% in willows. Bob mentioned after the name was changed to willow flycatcher, “which in southern Wisconsin is a poor choice since there is no apparent link of the bird to willow in any form.” Most nests were about four feet off the ground. Bob and his assistant conducted many types of measurements and found that elderberries provided greater concealment from predators, weather and sunlight.

Native shrubs of elderberry (left) and red-osier dogwood (right) volunteer at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Photo by Arlene Koziol

Nests: Fine and coarse fibers from marsh or red milkweed stems from the previous year is a favorite plant that is used to build nests. The average clutch size is about 3.5 eggs per nest and about 9% of the nests are parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds.

Nest Density: The study found that on average there were 1.2 willow flycatcher nests per acre, a very high density. 

Many people over the years helped with the flycatcher project and Bob wrote in his acknowledgement, “I am most indebted to the assistants with whom I shared the field exercise.” Arnold S. Jackson, Jr. was the first person listed and probably worked on this project more than anyone besides Bob. There are only two close-up photos in the book of people and both were of Arnold measuring the height of vegetation. Arnold was a special friend to Madison Audubon and to Goose Pond Sanctuary in particular — you’ll hear more about him soon.

Willow flycatcher photo by Arlene Koziol

We enjoyed reading, “On several occasions one of my assistants (Arnold S. Jackson, Jr.) and I spent the night in the marsh study area to record early morning song of the WF and to check on night singing of other marsh-nesting birds. To avoid insects and to stay above the damp marsh floor, we strung two (W.W. II) jungle hammocks between the support poles of our observation tower. So comfortable and pleasant was this exercise that we had to keep waking each other in order to maintain continuous records. In this keep-awake effort, we were not entirely successful. The hum of frustrated mosquitoes outside the netting produced a satisfying and lulling effect on two tired field workers.”

Arnold was a frequent seed collecting volunteer at Goose Pond Sanctuary and we enjoyed getting to know him and his wife Kathern. The Jacksons sold their 150 acre farm that contained restored prairie, wetland and woodland habitat to the Fish and Wildlife Service (Jackson Waterfowl Production Area) three miles southwest of Goose Pond on Patton Road and Oak Lane. Their trust made a significant donation to Madison Audubon and that gift will be used to help purchase Judi Benade’s 70 acres west of Goose Pond.  

Sue was working in the yard one day when Steve Hovel drove up and rolled down his window to say hello. His passenger that day was Bob McCabe and they were in search of willow flycatchers. They wanted to know if the birds were calling from elderberry and dogwood shrubs in the prairies late in the day and into the evenings, and of course we had a bumper crop. Sue also sent them to Schoenberg’s Marsh and north to Mud Lake.

Looking at the recent Breeding Bird Atlas II, we find that willow flycatchers are found in the southern 2/3rds of Wisconsin.  In 18 priority blocks in Columbia County nesting was confirmed in 8 blocks with 9 blocks listed as probable or possible nesting willow flycatchers.

Under a photo of Arnold S. Jackson, Jr. measuring the height of a nest in the “nest bush,” Bob wrote, “To conserve this bird or any bird is to protect and manage its habitat.” That sums up the work we do at Goose Pond Sanctuary, as well as at Faville Grove Sanctuary, and in this organization in general. We are planting native dogwoods and elderberries at Goose Pond to increase the habitat for the little green bird. Both shrubs also volunteer in our prairies in good numbers.

Elderberry in full bloom at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Photo by Arlene Koziol

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JD’s survey for willow flycatchers had great results!

Willow Flycatcher Surveys at Goose Pond by JD Arnston

Based on these surveys, I have found that Goose Pond provides good habitat for willow flycatchers.  My initial surveys were conducted in the middle of the evening, in the range of 5-7 p.m. Based on observations from Sue Foote-Martin, I began surveying later in the evening closer to sundown, in the range of 8:00-10:00 p.m. and found that singing males were much more vocal during this later time window, with the peak of their singing activity being around 9:10 - 9:25 p.m.

I found a record of 16 males singing at Judi Benades prairie and at one stop on Kampen Road at the entrance to the Kampen Road residence where Mark and Sue live, I heard six males.

Written by Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin, Goose Pond Sanctuary resident managers, and JD Arnston, Goose Pond Volunteer

Dickcissel

Coming the world over, likely from a Venezuelan wintering ground, the dickcissel marks summer on Wisconsin prairies. These dickcissels, tardy migrants, get to work immediately, barking out their songs on tall perches in the tallgrass prairie. The males will fiercely defend territory, and once their clutch has hatched, they continue to do so, with minimal input into the care of the chicks. But male dickcissels take their territory defense seriously and will chase encroaching birds to the ground. As July afternoons turn humid and hazy, dickcissels will continue singing, gracing any listeners with their frank song. “Dick dick ciss ciss ciss” goes the call, and I like to imagine the birds as little dogs, throwing their heads back and barking out into their grassy world.

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

One of the most interesting things about dickcissels is their propensity for swings in population. Wisconsin is at the northern edge of the breeding range of this species, but in irruption years (years of high “invasion” north) dickcissels have been found in all 72 Wisconsin counties. 2012 and 2017 were notable irruption years for the species. In 2017 at Faville Grove, and in Jefferson County at large, any place with grass had a singing dickcissel. Driving along some of our prairie restorations we would see and hear dozens of dickcissels. I can recall driving south to Fort Atkinson with the windows down and hearing dozens of dickcissels in the right-of-way, a meager territory for this proud bird. The 1930’s and 40’s saw population booms in six year intervals in Wisconsin. Perhaps next year will continue a recent cycle of a spike every five years.

You can find dickcissels with regularity at Faville Grove Sanctuary. Look for expansive open grasslands down Prairie Lane or north of Buddy’s on highway 89, and you should see singing dickcissels.

Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward

Cover photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

American White Pelican

We always enjoy seeing the American white pelicans and every time we see pelicans Mark always remarks, “The pelican, his bill can hold more than his belly can, the pelican”. This is from a limerick by Dixon Lanier Merritt:

“A wonderful bird is the Pelican.

His beak can hold more than his belican,

He can take in his beak

Enough food for a week!

But I'll be darned if I know how the hellican?”

Riding the thermals. Photo by Arlene Koziol

We enjoy seeing the pelicans soar gracefully in the thermals during midday against a blue sky or when they are “fishing”. They fish in a dense flock and move fish as a group to shallow water to make them easier to catch. Pelicans like to feed on rough fish including small fish such as minnows, carp, and bullheads. At Goose Pond we have an abundance of fathead minnows for them to feast on.   

Pelicans have been around a long time and first appeared in fossil records 30 million years ago. Wildlife historian A.W. Schorger wrote in The White Pelican in Early Wisconsin, “The white pelican was first observed in Wisconsin by the famed adventurer Pierre Radisson. While in northwestern Wisconsin in about the year 1655, he observed a bird with a bill of 22 “thumbs” in length in which was held for a long time an entire salmon.”

So many “thumbs”! Photo by Richard Armstrong

Schorger examined records of wildlife observations up to 1900 including reading every paper that was published in Wisconsin and housed in the State Historical Society. For 15 years A.W. visited the Historical Society after work, and took notes of wildlife stories, eventually writing 25 articles that were published by the Wisconsin Academy of Arts, Science and Letters. UW-Stevens Point Wildlife students and staff assembled the articles in a 581 page book titled Wildlife in Early Wisconsin, Collection of Works by A.W. Schorger. Articles include Elk, Moose, Bison, Beaver, Quail, Wild Turkeys, Trumpeter Swans, Passenger Pigeons, and Rattlesnakes in Early Wisconsin.

In his article on the white pelican he found 63 references in 40 papers noting the birds during spring and fall migration. A.W. could not find any breeding records for our state. Pelican Lake in Oneida County was named for large numbers of migrating pelicans. 

A pod of pelicans. Photo by Richard Armstrong

White pelicans were very common migrants up to about the 1860s. A.W. wrote “So large a mark was irresistible to gunners and it was apparent that the number of migrants declined sharply by about 1870.”

In 1991 Sam Robbins wrote in Wisconsin Birdlife, “The pelican has remained a rare migrant and summer visitant throughout the twentieth century. Since beginning publication in 1939, The Passenger Pigeon has recorded sightings in about 8 of 10 years, with from one to four reports per year.

Bettie Harriman wrote the account of the American white pelican in the first breeding bird atlas. She wrote, “Sightings began to increase in 1990, and Tom Erdman reported in 1994 the first documented nests for Wisconsin (and the Great Lakes) in the Green Bay area (Soulen 1995), unfortunately both nests failed.”

In the first Breeding Bird Atlas (1995 - 2000), 35 pelicans were found in 1995 along with nine nests in near Green Bay. Aaron Stutz entered the first pelican observations at Goose Pond when he found five birds on April 30, 1998. By 2000 they were found nesting at Horicon Marsh. In the second Breeding Bird Atlas (2015-2019) pelicans were confirmed nesting in 13 areas ranging from Door County to Marquette and Dodge County.  

Breeding pelicans with their oh-so-attractive lobe or horn. Photo by Richard Armstrong

This spring has been a record year for pelicans in Columbia County. At Goose Pond we found a record-breaking 41 pelicans on May 29th and two days later Mark broke even that record with counting 59 pelicans. What a treat to see them soaring over the Kampen Road residence.  

Pelicans nest on islands to avoid predators. It is interesting that both adults take turns incubating. Eggs are incubated under the foot webs of the parents. Two eggs are laid and usually only one chick survives. 

The white pelicans main nesting area is on islands in large prairie lakes in North Dakota. The largest nesting location is at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. In 1908 there were 50 pelicans in the area when President Teddy Roosevelt protected the area. In 2018 there were up to 40,000 pelicans in the area with most nesting on a 14-acre island.  

Pelicans head south to the Gulf Coast for the winters. Young birds do not migrate north until they are two and females begin breeding at three years old. Some pelicans that we are seeing this spring may begin breeding next year.  

At this time there are no nesting areas in Columbia County. The closest nesting island with a large population is High Island in Beaver Dam Lake in Dodge County. High Island is owned by Madison Audubon board member Pat Clark and his wife Angel. Last year we joined Pat, Dory Owen, and Dory’s husband Phillip to count 450 young pelicans that could swim but not fly. A group of young pelicans are called a pod creche. It was impressive to see a “creche” of pelicans, some of which may soar over Goose Pond in another year. Thanks to the Clarks for providing a great nesting place for an interesting bird.

A creche of pelicans at Clark's High Island in Beaver Dam Lake. Photo by Mark Martin

Many people reported high numbers of pelicans this spring in Columbia County at many wetlands including Schoeneberg Marsh Waterfowl Production Area/Erstad Prairie, Madison Audubon’s Otsego Marsh, Mud Lake and Grassy Lake State Wildlife Areas, and a flooded area at Harvey, Wangsness and DM. Another place to visit is Patrick Marsh/Brazee Lake on the northeast side of Sun Prairie. Goundswell Conservancy and DNR are protecting land around the lake. There is a trail system and observation area for pelican watchers.

We hope you can visit prairie wetlands and find these fascinating birds.

Written by Mark Martin and Sue-Foote Martin, Goose Pond Sanctuary resident managers

Cover photo by Arlene Koziol

Marsh Wren

Marsh wren by Mick Thompson

The marsh wren is histrionic, bouncing from one cattail to another, calling out with its trill and rattling voice.  A whirring vector of motion and sound, the marsh wren frenetically builds anywhere from 5 to 22 nests per year.  The male is tasked with building these nests, showing the female around each cattail-down lined nest.  However, the female often builds the nest that will become occupied.  She steals materials from nearby nesting marsh wrens further along in the nest cycle.

Expending such energy to construct nests likely has the benefit of deception.  Marsh wrens will destroy the eggs of other marsh wrens and red-winged blackbirds, while the blackbirds will return the favor.  These dummy nests serve as decoys for predators, structure for fledgling young, and mark the male’s territory.  

Marsh wren by Arlene Koziol

The marsh wren loves marshes.  The first Breeding Bird Atlas in Wisconsin found 79% of marsh wren records in open lowland marsh.  An excellent place to find the marsh wren this summer is the Snake Marsh at Faville Grove Sanctuary. The intern crew has discovered numerous nests throughout the Snake Marsh, seeing up-close the wren-crafted nests and wren wrought chattering.

Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward