August Bird Walk - Ledge Park, Dodge County

Only three of us braved the weather for this walk. There had been strong storms in the area early in the day but we did not get rained on. A few trees did sprinkle us as we walked but it was no real problem. As a reward, we saw some very interesting sights!

The birding was slow to begin with but picked up as the morning advanced. We had the pleasure of spectacular views of the surrounding area from atop the ridge to enjoy early on. Treats of the day included a Red-eyed Vireo feeding low and almost within arm's reach, and a chance to see the not often seen Wicka Dance of the Northern Flicker!

Simplistic web sites may list the Wicka Dance as a courtship dance performed in April. Well, this is August - what gives? In fact, the Wicka Dance is much more than just an April dance. Some of us think it's much more than a courtship dance also. If you're curious, for a nuanced discussion see the courtship section of this study, especially the section's paragrahp nine ["A recrudescence of the amatory instinct ..."] Flicker Study It's easier reading than that quote may have you thinking. You'll have to scroll down a bit.

All in all, our small group had a very good time of it. A full list of species seen follows.

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29 species were seen on this walk.

Ledge Park, Dodge County, Wisconsin, US
August 20, 2016

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) Low, feeding, almost within reach.
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Seen by two of us on way out of park.
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) First fall male
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 200? Near entrance
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) Everywhere!


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