Report of Duck Watch
By Paul Hunter
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Lake Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
About 20 birders socialized and scanned the ducks along the shoreline
in
Lake Park before pursuing the Carolina Wren in Locust Ravine and then
driving over the Hoan Bridge to South
Shore Park.
The usual suspects dabbled and dived just east of Lincoln Memorial
Drive at Lake Park: Gadwalls, Mallard, Buffleheads, and Common
Goldeneyes. Roxanne Schrank impressed Maria Terres' students from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
with her colored pencil drawing of birds. Jym Mooney and Paul Hunter
plotted future Christmas count activities. Several beginning birders
got comfortable with identifying Gadwalls versus Mallards.
Tom Prestby had staked out the Carolina Wren
near Locust Ravine in Lake Park and called our attention to a Fox
Sparrow. Unleashed dogs flushed a few Mourning Doves, but a
Brown-headed Cowbird, several House Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees,
and White-breasted Nuthatches on the feeders seemed unperturbed.
Beginning birders had good comparisons of Black Ducks versus Mallards
at South Shore Marina and various sizes of Canada Geese. At Texas Overlook the hardy few left
of our crew scoped a couple Canvasbacks, several Scaup, and a couple
female Red-breasted Mergansers. A few Redheads, a Hooded
Merganser and more Goldeneyes and Scaup hugged the near shore in the
northern part of South Shore Marina.