May Bird Club- and a 1st!

The morning was cold, rainy and windy when CEI Bird club met this month. We all shared the migrating birds we’ve been seeing including our favorite red-headed woodpeckers and warblers, up close interactions with sandhill cranes and a congregation of 10 eagles at one member’s site. We discussed the phone apps Merlin, Seek, and E-Bird and how each can be used to aid in bird identification and recording. Several of our group downloaded Merlin and tested it out.

During our discussion 25-30 pelicans did a flyby…..

Final topic of discussion was the sighting this week of a first ever bird for Collins Marsh SWA. An Hudsonian Whimbrel was sighted on May 8th. This is a large shore bird that migrates from its coastal South American wintering grounds up to its subartic tundra and alpine nesting areas in Canada and Alaska. Generally the Hudsonian Whimbrel chooses a migration path along coastal waters to reach their breeding grounds, but a few, as this one, choose to travel via an inland route. Only 2 have been reported in Wisconsin this migration year so far.. Exciting- we’ll keep our sights out for this one! To learn more about the Hudsonian Whimbrel go to https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hudsonian_Whimbrel