More Wisconsin Treasures

For the last two weeks in August we were able to explore areas that we hadn't spent much time at before.  Going to the beach and harbor in Racine where we found this Least Sandpiper.

We camped at Bong State Recreation Area for two nights where we added Bobwhite to our growing Wisconsin bird list.



We birded around Whitewater Lake where we hadn't camped since our sons were little.  We found this family of turkeys that seemed awfully small for near the end of August.

Bill & Ty

We spent two days with our friends Bill & Glenda in Janesville visiting the Old Mill Park and the Rotary Botanical Gardens.  Glenda and Ida became friends at Edgerton High School (oh so many years ago.

Glenda & Ida

Bull Frog at the Old Mill Pond

Cicada on Purple Cone Flower

Carmen & Troy

We headed northwest in a round about way to Madison where we camped at Lake Farm Park for a week.  We walked to Nine Springs a couple of times and over to Lake Waubesa.

Best was daily time with our son Troy and his wife Carmen including birding the Columbia County ponds, watching an IMAX movie (Guardians of the Galaxy that our other son Travis worked on), and eating out at several of Madison's great restaurants.

Northern Waterthrush at Nine Springs

Troy took new photos of us for the blog profile and the phone ID.  It was not an easy task.

We drove up to the Ripon area to find 6 White-faced Ibis but too far out for good photographs but this Widow Skimmer Dragonfly came in close.

Fungi

We went to Montello to visit Ida's mother who turned 92 on July 4th.  Spent time with Ida's sister Ella on her birthday and heard Whip-poor-wills in her yard where we camped for the night.

Spent the next two and half days birding the Horicon Marsh area finding Sora Rails (pictured), American Bittern, and Black-crowned Night-herons.  We spent time in Mayville finding the reported Rufous Hummingbird visiting a feeder, plus attended Gateway Community Church for worship and fellowship.

The last morning we walked out Old Marsh Road in the fog finding a Tri-colored Heron that we posted on the bird alert.  As we were a mile and a half from the RV a very fast moving electrical storm enveloped us.  We hunkered down along the dike in the cattails getting drenched.  After 20 minutes it let up but instead of heading back we resumed our search to find a Snowy Egret and Black-necked Stilts that we successfully found.

Wild Cucumber

Next stop was Kohler-Andrae State Park south of Sheboygan.  Thankfully they have a laundry for all our drenched clothes.  The RV had an appointment at Horn's so we went birding with Dave & Margaret Brasser for the day.  A stop at Harrington Beach was very good, including a number of warblers and for us our 500th bird for the year - a very active Carolina Wren.  Also birding North Point beach and rock area where we returned the next morning when it wasn't quite as busy and more birds (Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderlings).

We had lunch with Ty's Aunt Carol and Uncle Jack and enjoyed the beautiful flowers and birds in their yard.  Now we are in Green Bay until September 14th.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann