We are into that time of the year when many of our favorite songbirds have departed for warmer climes, but there is one group of birds that will still be traveling through the bay of Green Bay in flocks of thousands. Waterfowl — diving ducks in particular — are arriving on the bay in incredible …
Divers and dabblers
Tens of thousands of ducks invade the bay Read More »
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent We are now in the peak of nesting season for many species of birds, and if you have nesting boxes up in your yard, hopefully one or more of them are occupied. Most of the birds that use nesting boxes are cavity nesters, meaning they nest in hollow cavities in trees. …
Bay Area Birds: Help local birds with nesting boxes Read More »
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent For birders, the depth of winter is also a low point for bird sightings. No worries. Woodpeckers continue to provide entertainment at our bird feeders and on our walks in the woods because many species are non-migratory. We have all been entertained by the sound of woodpeckers pounding on trees. Most …
Bay Area Birds: Woodpeckers – A splash of winter color Read More »
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent One of my wife’s favorite expressions is, “When it comes to biology, never say never, and never say always.” I can think of few areas where that is more appropriate than migration. It seems every bird species, and even individuals within a species, do things a little differently than the rest. …
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent If you have been outdoors recently you have probably noticed monarch butterflies heading south. The monarchs are traveling to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Central Mexico. Monarchs starting out in Canada will travel up to 3,000 miles one-way, and our Wisconsin monarchs travel more than 2,000 miles. I’m filled with awe …
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent On July 2, the federally endangered rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) was found at a home in Appleton and documented by Lawrence University Biology Professor Israel Del Toro. Del Toro isn’t alone. In the summers of 2019 and 2020, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Biologist Jay Watson also found rusty patched …
Bay Area Birds: Decline of pollinators is alarming Read More »
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent By mid-June, all but a few of the woodland spring ephemeral plants are done blooming. As the canopy fills in there just isn’t enough sunlight to fuel their growth. But, as the days become longer and the sunlight more intense, the prairie and savanna plants start their show. The flower show …
By Charlie Frisk Correspondent Wood warblers make up for their small size with beautiful and vibrant plumage. These jewels of the woods begin to arrive in Northeast Wisconsin in late April and continue through May. Some species will nest here, but many warblers are just passing through to nesting grounds in the boreal forests of …
Bay Area Birds: Warblers are jewels of the woods Read More »
