“Safer at Home” might have better prepared us for our day with the birds by clearing our minds of the normal day-to-day distractions that can clutter our thoughts. We might have been more tuned into the songs and sights of the colorful birds that surround us that otherwise might have gone unnoticed. So too were the sounds of the wind through the trees or the liquid tinkling of water flowing in the creeks where we stood that day.
The 2020 count was different because the rules had been changed by a virus. We know that the number of birds is declining precipitously, but on this day the birds were with us.
Numbers and some highlights:
In the first seven years the Reckless Wrens averaged 96 species with the previous high of 121 in 2018. We have many highlights and memories from this year. This year was a record count for American white pelicans: 1 at Goose Pond, 5 at Mud Lake Wildlife Area WA, 20 at Otsego Marsh, 25 at a Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) northeast of Pardeeville, and 68 at Schoeneberg Marsh WPA/Erstad Prairie. American bitterns are a new species for our count and were found at Goose Pond and Rowan Creek Fishery Area. We were very pleased to find black terns (state-endangered), 12 at Whalen Grade, 13 at Schoeneberg Marsh WPA/Erstad Prairie, and 25 black terns at Grassy Lake WA. A highlight for the Martins was finding two active red-shouldered hawk nests (state-threatened) and two more nests that might be active. Overall, we found 12 species that are listed as State-endangered, threatened, or special concern.