Bird and Nature walk - December 24, 2017

Tundra Swan warming up wings. Photo Arlene Koziol

t least 25 people including 2 high school students joined the 4th Sunday of the month Bird and Nature Outing at Lakeshore Preserve on Christmas Eve afternoon, led by Paul Noeldner. The group enjoyed beautiful fresh snow and leisurely closeup observation of hundreds of Tundra Swans and other waterfowl on University Bay. Woodpeckers perched just overhead and the calling of crows alerted us to a nearby juvenile Bald Eagle atop a tree eating what appeared to be a Bluegill. When we reached the beach view of Lake Mendota we saw 3 more Bald Eagles on the edge of the ice with 2 Common Loons swimming nearby. Another Bald Eagle was,perched on Frautschi Point and one more adult circled overhead, for a total of at least 5. We talked about the importance of not using lead shot or fishing tackle to avoid poisoning the Swans, Eagles and other birds that feed in wetlands and shallow water or up the food chain. Highlights were 3 fluffed up American Robins and a very unexpected fluffed up Gray Catbird in a shoreline bush near the Picnic Point path entrance. Everyone braved the cold and insisted on keeping on birding instead of stopping to make a fire, but were quite ready for it at the end at the end. A great way to end a year of Bird and Nature Outings!  

The Photo by Arlene Koziol were taken a few days earlier. View Arlene's photos collection of this fall's spectacular Fall migration in University Bay at her Flicker site.

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Tundra Swans nad Mallards at Picnic Point. Photo Arlene Koziol

Picnic Point December 24, 2017
45 Canada Goose 
200 Tundra Swan -- Est
2 Gadwall 
35 Mallard 
1 Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) 
15 Bufflehead 
18 Common Merganser 
2 Ruddy Duck 
2 Common Loon 
5 Bald Eagle 
1 Red-tailed Hawk 
60 American Coot 

21 Ring-billed Gull 
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 
2 Downy Woodpecker 
1 Hairy Woodpecker 
2 Blue Jay 
7 American Crow 
2 Black-capped Chickadee 
1 White-breasted Nuthatch 
3 American Robin 
1 Gray Catbird 
3 Dark-eyed Junco 
4 Northern Cardinal 
Number of Taxa: 24