Donna and Katie, of the Milwaukee Birders, were leading a little field trip up to Horicon Marsh this morning, and since it was so rainy here, I figured it was at least a good day for a car ride. Plus, the company was great.
Our first stop was on route 49 that cuts across the north end of the marsh and so provides one of most easily accessible views of open water. There we saw a ton of American coots, mallards, geese, a couple of trumpeter swans, a few cormorants, at least one pied-billed grebe, and one gadwall. The best picture I got, however, is of these two cuties, who we all figured were young coots. It turns out, from the comfort of my dining room table, that these are more probably young common gallinules, which we first saw in the same place last summer.
We stopped next at the Marsh Haven Nature Center, where we saw a few cedar waxwings and these young purple martins.
I was also thrilled to spot this sweetie below the martins, another thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
From there, we ventured back into the marsh to visit the Horicon “TernPike” auto tour and hiking trails where we glimpsed our only shore birds of the trip but failed to get pictures or IDs. I had more luck with this young yellow-headed blackbird, which I know I’ve seen before, but have failed to photograph until now. Maybe next time, I’ll even get a clean shot.
There is a nice boardwalk over the water for a ways, and it appears that barn swallows nest under it, because they were thick as flies. Happily, they were also quite bold, and this might be the best barn swallow picture I’ve ever managed.
Better yet, there were a couple of these little darlings mixed in, and at first I thought they were northern rough-winged swallows, as we’ve seen in Estabrook. I even convinced the rest of the group that they were. Once again, hindsight is 20/20, and now I can see that that brown band across its chest marks it as our first bank swallow (Riparia riparia). I sure would love to spot one of these in Estabrook someday.
In the water below the swallows, this painted turtle probably did not care in the least what type of swallows they are.
There were also northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) in the water, but this one up on the boardwalk made it easier for me to capture all its details. Man, that’s another critter I’d love to see in Estabrook.
Finally, just as we came to the end of “Egret trail”, there was a great egret perched in a tree, right on cue. I expect we’ll be seeing them again in Estabrook soon enough.
Lastly, the butterfly of the day is another eastern tiger swallowtail on joe-pye weed blossoms in Ziegler Park in West Bend, where we stopped on our way to Horicon.
Thanks to my hosts for letting my tag along, and to Lisa for doing all the driving!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 