I made the run into Milwaukee very early this morning with hopes to see the reported male Prairie Warbler. The Prairie Warbler was reported yesterday early morning and remained at this location for most of the day. This “Magic Hedge” is just south of the water treatment plant on Lake Michigan on Milwaukee’s lakefront. I arrived at the reported location at 6:20 am. Another birder Laurie was already on site looking for the Prairie Warbler but could not locate it. We both looked hard up and down the hedge for about 30 minutes and then I spotted the Prairie Warbler high in one of the 2 spruce trees to the north. Moments later a Kinglet was spotted in the same tree. Action stopped and we both left the area. I birded Lake Park for well over an hour and not much as going on. I ended my walk on the north end of the park on Memorial Drive with about 5 birders looking around that area for yesterdays report of the Screech Owl but the owl was no where to be seen. I thought I would walk over and check the “Magic Hedge” once more. In only a couple of minutes I spotted the Prairie Warbler up in the spruce where I had saw it earlier. They don’t call this hedge “Magic Hedge” for no reason. The Prairie Warbler flew out of the spruce tree into the hedge. It feed actively for about 5 minutes down east to the lake on the hedge. It looked for insects etc on the ground. It returned west on the hedge back and flew right back into the spruce tree. It remained there for the next 30 minutes and then I left the area. The “Magic Hedge” has produced some great birds over the years and should be check often. A big thank you to Andy Cassini for finding this great bird and getting the word out for others to come and try for it. Not a life bird for me as I found a Prairie Warbler a couple years ago up in Lake Park just up the hill from this location and another in the South Kettle Moraine in 2010. Images were taken on April 15, 2015.
Prairie Warbler
Binomial name: Dendroica discolor
Category: Wood Warblers
Size: 4.75” long, 7” wing span
Weight: 0.27 Oz
Range: The normal range for this bird is the eastern US, west to portions of eastern Texas, Kansas and all of Missouri, south into Florida and north to northern IL but not Wisconsin. Every year a few are found in Wisconsin. Always a special event for birders to see one!
Searching for it’s next insect!
Neck feathers up, searching for it’s next insect!
Neck feathers up!
Neck feathers up!
Searching for it’s next insect!
Searching for it’s next insect!
Neck feathers up!
Neck feathers up, searching for it’s next insect!
Neck feathers down, searching for it’s next insect!
Finding an insect to eat.
Searching for food on the ground at the east end of the hedge.
Searching for food on the ground at the east end of the hedge but thinking about getting back up into the hedge.
Take off!
Searching for it’s next insect!
Searching for it’s next insect at take off!
Going for it’s next insect!
Searching for the next insect.
Looking around
Tail spread, doc shot.
Tail spread, doc shot
