Today I went to Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha County to see how things have changed with July winding down. I started by taking the northeastern trail that leads to the pond. The usual birds were in this area including American Goldfinches and Common Yellowthroats. I was able to get a good look at a Common Yellowthroat singing in a tree but the mosquitoes and deer flies were so bad I didn’t stay still long enough to get an in-focus picture. This was a theme today. The bugs were easily the wort I’ve ever encountered at Retzer. The precipitation we’ve had combined with the lac of wind was the perfect storm for them today and they followed me all the way through the forested part of the Nature Center.
I moved through the forest trail quickly hoping to lose the bugs following me when I got into the open prairie. While I was in the woods I heard a few Indigo Buntings and saw numerous American Robins. I also startled a deer munching on plants.
When I got to the prairie trail I was unable to hear many of the calls that were so prolific just a month ago. There were not any Dickcissel or Bobolink, and only one Henslow’s Sparrow. There were however still many Field Sparrows and Clay-Colored Sparrows.
On the north side of the hill all of the tall grass was cut eliminating habitat for the Henslow’s and Savannah Sparrows. However, in the tree line farther north and tall grasses to the east there were still large numbers of birds. Most of these were juvenile Indigo Buntings and Field Sparrows but there were also several Eastern Kingbirds, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, more Common Yellowthroats, and an Eastern Towhee.
On the way out of the Nature Center I got looks at a Gray Catbird and a Red-Eyed Vireo that was too crafty for me to get a photo of. The insects followed me the whole time until I got to the car.
I would have liked more time to search through the birds on the north side of the Nature Center but the bugs proved to be too much to deal with for me. Next time I’ll make sure there’s more of a breeze before I go.
