Category Archives: Bird Categories

Ring-billed Gull – hatch year at Bradford Beach on the Milwaukee Wisconsin lakefront December 3, 2014

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Doing some birding on the lakefront in Milwaukee today I came across a gull just a little smaller than the rest. A hatch year Ring-billed Gull along with it some adult Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gulls too. Some images from today at the beach. Images were taken on December 3, 2014.

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Ring-billed Gull – hatch year

Binomial name: Larus delawarensis

Category: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Size: 17.5” long, 48” wing span

Weight: 1.1 lb

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Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year - Ring-billed, adult right

Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year – Ring-billed, adult middle

Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year - Ring-billed, adult right

Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year – Ring-billed, adult right

Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year - Ring-billed, adult right

Ring-billed Gull, left hatch year – Ring-billed, adult right

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Cinnamon Teal at the Vernon Marsh in Waukesha County Wisconsin on May 2, 2012

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(FYI, An old bird sighting I added to my blog since a Cinnamon Teal has been in the birding news) On a birding run this morning I was rewarded with a Cinnamon Teal, male. It was on the southwest corner of the figure 8 ponds on the western side of the marsh. A very rare bird for the state as the normal range for this bird are western states. The bird moved in and out of cattails sometimes following Blue-winged Teals and was not seen often. I was fortunate enough to get some distant shots. A birder had reported this bird earlier. Images were taken May 5, 2012.

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Cinnamon Teal, male following Blue-winged Teals, male front, female in the middle

Cinnamon Teal

Binomial name: Anas cyanoptera

Category: Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Size: 16” long, 22” wing span

Weight: 14 oz

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Cinnamon Teal, male following Blue-winged Teal, female

Cinnamon Teal, male

Cinnamon Teal, male

Cinnamon Teal, male following Blue-winged

Cinnamon Teal, male following Blue-winged Teal, male

Great Blue Herons nesting and raising young near Pewaukee in Waukesha County Wisconsin in March of 2009

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I discovered a roost in Pewaukee Wisconsin back in 2009. I followed it for a couple months. During that time I watch some of the nest building, adults sitting on eggs and feeding the young. I found out adults bring sticks and branches to the nest as maintenance continues on the nest until the young leave the nest. Food was being bought in from nearby lakes and steams as I watched the adult herons come with food from all directions to the roost area. In that spring I counted 34 nests in this rookery, 18 active. A couple of years later I returned to the area and it had changed drastically. Many of the trees had fallen and the area was no longer being used by the Great Blue Herons.

Great Blue Heron in flight just before landing at the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing to the nest

Great Blue Heron

Binomial name: Ardea herodias

Category: Bitterns, Herons, and Allies

Size: 46” long, 72” wing span

Weight: 5.3 lb

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Great Blue Heron bringing in a small branch to the nest that must be in need of repair or made stronger or bigger as the young grow

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Great Blue Heron just spending time by the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing near the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing near the nest

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron near the nest

Great Blue Heron near the nest

Great Blue Heron near the nest looking around

Great Blue Heron near the nest looking around

Great Blue Heron near the nest stretching

Great Blue Heron near the nest stretching

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron feeding the young with a fish from a nearby lake or stream

Great Blue Heron feeding the young with a fish from a nearby lake, river or stream

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron with young

Great Blue Heron near the nest just watching the young

Great Blue Heron near the nest just watching the young

Rookery from a distance

Great Blue Heron rookery from a distance

Rookery from a distance

Great Blue Heron rookery from a distance

Great Blue Heron rookery from a distance

Great Blue Heron rookery from a distance

Great Blue Herons watching the eggs

Great Blue Herons watching the eggs in the nest

An airplane flies overhead and the young Great Blue Heron just look up and wonder

An airplane flies overhead and the young Great Blue Heron just look up and wonder

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing at the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing at the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing at the nest

Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing at the nest