Bird and Nature Walk - November 26 2017

Fil Sana explaining ...

Sunday, November 26 a large group of Friends members, UW students and visitors to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve were treated to a beautiful sunny and unseasonably warm day for the 4th Sunday field trip led by National Outdoor Leadership School instructor Fil Sanna.  On our way to Picnic Point, Fil pointed out the various native trees and other plant life in the Preserve and the symbiotic relationship to the various animal life of the area.  We also visited the ancient effigy-type Indian burial mounds located on the way out to the point.  The event ended with an informal campfire and a discussion with Fil, who has a passion for the evolution of life and the geologic history of Picnic Point. Fil gave a fascinating talk with charts and facts about the evolutionary history of birds and other animals from the 500 million years ago Cambrian species explosion to the present. A Red-bellied Woodpecker punctuated Fil's talk and offshore a nice bevy of Buffies flashed their white flags in the sun alongside a pair of Goldeneyes, a Common Loon and a surprise visit by a Western Grebe.  We were honored to have a representative of the Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center attend the outing and welcomed a new Master Naturalist who will be leading some of these walks.   Friends hosts were Paul Noeldner and Peter Fisher

25 Canada Goose 
18 Mallard 
2 American Black Duck 
15 Bufflehead 
2 Common Goldeneye 
2 Common Loon 
1 Western Grebe -- Observed fairly close to shore using binocs and scope by at least 3 good birders in the group, all confirmed Western Grebe diagnostics
1 Bald Eagle 
5 American Coot ​

45 Ring-billed Gull 
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 
1 Downy Woodpecker 
1 Northern Flicker 
1 Blue Jay 
2 American Crow 
1 White-breasted Nuthatch 
1 Brown Creeper 
2 Northern Cardinal 
2 American Goldfinch
1 Black-capped Chickadee