Clay-Colored Sparrow

Clay-colored sparrows are one our most common grassland birds at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Inexperienced birders can confuse this plain and pale sparrow with field or chipping sparrow but they are easily identified by their harsh, drawn-out monotonous buzzes. Goose Pond Sanctuary Manager Sue Foote-Martin remembers hearing them for the first time at Goose Pond seven years ago when walking in the Browne Prairie.   

In late June and early July, clay-colored sparrows were confirmed nesting in the Browne Prairie for the Breeding Bird Atlas project at Goose Pond. Kristy Larsen observed and then photographed an adult carrying food in the Browne Prairie for the atlas project.

Historically clay-colored sparrows nested in southern Wisconsin. Sam Robbins wrote in 1991 in Wisconsin Birdlife that the last time clay-colored sparrows nested in the Madison area was 1920. He stated that they are a fairly common resident in western and northern Wisconsin and a rare summer resident in southern and eastern Wisconsin.

The first Breeding Bird Atlas project confirmed Sam’s comments. There was only one location in Columbia County for clay-colored sparrows in the first atlas.  In the late 1990’s their habitat was described as “grass and early succession woody habitat”. They like to build their nests in shrubs about two to three feet above the ground. Madison Audubon helped coordinate the development and printing a Grassland Birds of the Midwest poster that lists 25 grassland birds with the clay-colored sparrow missing from the list. At Goose Pond they are nesting in prairies with only a scattering of shrubs.

It will be interesting to see if clay-colored sparrow numbers increase in southern Wisconsin in the second atlas project like they have at Goose Pond Sanctuary. Hike the prairie trails at Goose Pond and observe this interesting sparrow for yourself!

Photo by Tom Benson, Flickr Creative Commons

Willow Flycatcher

A diminutive bird, the Willow Flycatcher moves quickly through lowland shrub communities.  The bird is brown or gray above with white to buff below.  By sight alone, it's almost impossible to tell the willow flycatcher apart from similar species in its genus.  However, its distinctive "fitz-bew" call separates it from the Alder Flycatcher. 

Willow Flycatchers prefer shrubby habitat with willows, elderberry, dogwoods, or honeysuckle.  Their nests are crafted about ten feet off the ground, composed of swamp milkweed, cattails, cottonwood down, and grasses.  

These flycatchers breed mostly in southern Wisconsin, according to the Breeding Bird Atlas, but have been recorded into the far northern reaches of the state.  You can see these birds down Prairie Lane, in the shrubby areas of the Crawfish River floodplain.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar, Flickr Creative Commons

Black Tern

Black terns are easily identified as they fly low over large shallow marshes with abundant vegetation adjacent to open water and are enjoyed by many birders.  However, sightings of black terns have declined over the past 10-20 years.
 

Doris Rusch, retired DNR Wildlife Biologist and Red Cedar Lake (Jefferson County) resident, wrote “Every year there are less and less terns. There used to be so many. I count them every time I go out to do the lake survey, so I have some crude documentation as to numbers each month of summer.” The DNR listed the black terns as state-endangered in 2014 as a result of long-term studies which documented state-wide declines and correlate to observations like those from Doris.

Black terns nest in open wetlands on floating bogs or similar habitats and can greatly be impacted by changes in water levels. Heavy rain events raise water levels and can flood out nests. Other problems terns face include predation from great horned owls, great blue herons, and snapping turtles.

David Shealer, Biology Professor at Loras College in Dubuque Iowa, is the national black tern expert. David has banded almost 5,000 black terns in the past 15 years.  For many years David has focused his research in south central Wisconsin. Last year with the assistance of Tony Abate, Goose Pond Sanctuary Land Steward, David trapped a black tern at Grassy Lake State Wildlife Area that was 12 years old and was the oldest band recovery in the nation. This year, David trapped a black tern at Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area that he banded 14 years ago.

The DNR developed Management Guidelines that if implemented could help remove the black tern from the endangered species list. These guidelines include “Use of artificial nesting platforms may benefit black terns and should be evaluated on a site by site basis.” The rational for nesting platforms is that the platform are attached to poles and can rise with water levels and also help provide a solid substrate for nests.

The DNR provided Madison Audubon Society with funds to purchase materials for nesting platforms and Goose Pond Sanctuary staff and volunteers have been busy constructing, placing, and helping monitor nesting platforms. The nesting platforms are made out of plywood, stryfoam insulation, and astroturf. Special thanks to William Damm for coordinating the construction of 150 nesting platforms and Sara Kerli, DNR Columbia County Wildlife Biologist, who coordinated the construction of 40 platforms.

Nesting platforms have been placed at Grassy Lake, French Creek, and Mud Lake State Wildlife Areas; Rowe and Schoeneberg Marsh Waterfowl Production Areas; and Goose Pond Sanctuary.

As of July 1, over 50 nests have been found at the State Wildlife Areas with most of the nests being found at Grassy Lake. 

Nine terns were observed at Goose Pond in early June and summer interns placed 10 nest platforms. Friends of Rose Lake made and placed platforms at Rose Lake State Natural Area (Dorothy Carnes Jefferson County Park) and David Shealer recently reported seeing 80-100 terns at the SNA! To see the terns, visit the west side of Rose Lake and head to the observation overlook area.

Only a few nests have been on platforms and David’s recommendation next year is that some platforms be moved to different locations. As your local bird conservation organization, we will continue to provide information on the summer nesting results as the season progresses. We look forward to working on this long-tern project and hopes that tern numbers will recover in future years - but we need your help. 

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Warbling Vireo

The Warbling Vireo is a small songbird, grayish on top and whitish on its bottom. But the vireo is more often—or more easily—heard than seen.  It’s a  rising call that birder Pete Dunne called “a happy drunk making a conversational point at a party.”  The warbling vireo has a tight migration schedule according to the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.  The first males typically arrive by May 10, while most birds depart mid-August to mid-September. Living in the foliage of deciduous trees during the growing season can make it tough to see warbling vireos. 

Another sign of the warbling vireo, besides its distinctive call, is its nest, which looks like a smaller Baltimore Oriole nest.  Within this nest, female vireos have been known to eject the eggs of parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds. 

Warbling Vireos forage for caterpillars, pupae, and moths amidst the tops of deciduous trees.   Now is a good time to catch them foraging for plump caterpillars in Buddy’s Black Oak Savanna at Faville Grove. In fall, vireos enjoy native berries like elderberry and poison oak, raspberries and blackberries. 

The breeding population in Wisconsin and throughout much of eastern North America is stable, or increasing slightly.  With such a tight migration schedule, it could be interesting to monitor the phenology of the vireo as our changing climate potentially causes shifts in the leaf-out dates of deciduous forests across North America. 

Photo by Eric Begin, Flickr Creative Commons

Mallard

Mallards are an easily recognized duck and the most abundant breeding duck in Wisconsin and at Goose Pond. The Department of Natural Resources estimated the 2014 statewide spring population at 159,000 individuals.

In early May, 45 pairs of mallards were found on a waterfowl pair count at Goose Pond compared to an average 35 pairs. On a beautiful summer evening in early June, eight mallard broods were observed on the pond. Waterfowl biologists believe that 15-20% of the females have to be successful in hatching a nest to maintain the mallard population.  Populations can increase with higher nest success rates and this year we would not be surprised to have at least 15 mallard broods on the pond.

The abundant restored prairies and ideal brood habitat help increase in the local mallard population.  Goose Pond is mostly covered with arrowhead, a plant that provides excellent cover and feeding conditions for broods.  By mid-June the dense arrowhead cover prevents a good count of waterfowl broods.

Mallards are a target species in Wisconsin and are partly responsible for the US Fish and Wildlife Service providing millions of dollars of “duck stamp” money to Wisconsin to acquire national wildlife refuges like Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and waterfowl production areas like Schoeneberg Marsh Waterfowl Production Area adjacent to Madison Audubon Society’s Erstad Prairie.   The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) also has provided millions of dollars to Wisconsin and hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire wetland habitat and associated uplands at Goose Pond Sanctuary.

The Federal Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp (Duck Stamp) sells for $25 and they will go on sale July 1 at US post offices across the nation. This year, the stamp features a pair of ruddy ducks. Since 1934, $671 million has been raised nationwide for conservation purposes, with $6.78 million coming to Wisconsin. Duck Stamps are required to hunt waterfowl, but bird watchers are encouraged to purchase duck stamps to help raise money for the protection of waterfowl habitat. At Goose Pond, we purchase duck stamps as a way to support the public lands that we bird watch on! 

Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Flickr Creative Commons