bird species seen during the "long walk for birds"

This is the list of species found during my "long walk for birds" across Wisconsin. See this link for more information on the walk, and  the ongoing fundraising effort, for the Natural Resources Foundation.

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Wood Duck

Mallard

Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal

Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Ring-necked Duck

Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Ring-necked Pheasant

Wild Turkey

Common Loon

Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Green Heron

Turkey Vulture Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Sora

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Killdeer

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson’s Snipe American Woodcock Bonaparte’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Caspian Tern

Forster's Tern

Rock Pigeon

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo

Great Horned Owl

Barred Owl

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Kestrel

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Acadian Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

White-eyed Vireo

Bell's Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Horned Lark

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

House Wren

Winter Wren

Carolina Wren

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Eastern Bluebird

Veery

Swainson's Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing Lapland Longspur

Ovenbird

Louisiana Waterthrush

Northern Waterthrush

Blue-winged Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler

American Redstart

Cerulean Warbler

Northern Parula

Magnolia Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Palm Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Canada Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Eastern Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Clay-colored Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Henslow's Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Scarlet Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

Bobolink

Red-winged Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Purple Finch

House Finch

American Goldfinch House Sparrow

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excellent set of conservation-oriented reports from the Am. Bird Conservancy

Go to this link to see an excellent set of Am. Bird Conservancy reports. Especially useful for urban dwellers is the report on Bird-friendly Building Design.

thanks to these people for assistance on the "Long Walk for Birds"

During the four week period of my walk across Wisconsin to raise funds for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon and the Natural Resources Foundation, I received help and support from many people. I've attempted to list them below. I tried not to leave anyone out - my apologies in case my memory has gaps!

The following people generously provided a place to stay, and in many cases, a great dinner and breakfast, along my 246-mile walking route:
Noel Cutright and Kate Redmond
Brian and Ann Russart
Mary and Bob Krauski
Vicki Piaskowski and Larry Hopwood
Karen Etter Hale and Jim Hale
Brian and Laura Bub
Ruth Ellickson
Jerry Bartelt
Barb and Jeb Barzen
Mike Hedemark and Arlyne Johnson
Jane Furchgott and Charles Munch
Dick and Christine Ouren

Special thanks to Vicki and Larry, Ruth, Karen and Jim, Barb, and Dick and Christine for help in multiple ways!

The following people walked along for either short or long distances, and were great company on this adventure:
Brian Russart
Tim Vargo
Robin Squier
Jenn Callaghan
Adam Yellen
Vic Vargo
Bill Holton
Clare Carlson
Matt Carlson
Brian Bub
Anne Lacy
John Mueller
Jane Furchgott
Margaret Bluske
Barb Duerksen
Tom McKenna
Joel Trick
Patti Trick
Dick Ouren
Christine Ouren
Jim Klapperich

Special thanks to Owen Boyle, Lee Bluske, Noel Cutright, Joel and Patti Trick, Glen Fredlund, and Marian Klapperich for help along the route. Extra help was provided by Robin Squier, who assisted with the loan of electronic equipment AND many guest blog posts here!

Lunchtime visits that really brightened several days were made by Lee Bluske, Barb Barzen, Maria Sadowski, Paul Senner, Meg Ziegler, Andy Paulios, Yoyi Steele, and Mike Mossman. 

"Above-and-beyond-the-call" extraordinary assistance, many miles of walking, and friendship came from Dick and Christine Ouren - they really made it possible on some tough days, and made it even more enjoyable with their incredible spirit!  

Perhaps saving the best for last is a giant thank you to my wife Leah and my daughter Hannah - without them, even the first steps would never have happened at all.

Human Dimensions of Bird Conservation

Thanks very much to Andy Paulios of the WI Bird Conservation Initiative for sharing this link -- as he mentions, it contains some great information coming out on the Human Dimensions of Bird Conservation.  See the All-bird Bulletin at:            
http://www.nabci-us.org/bulletin/Bulletin-Spring2013.pdf 

take me to the river

Today at 1:05pm, I arrived at a boat landing on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, thereby completing my "long walk for birds" across Wisconsin. During 25 days on foot I have walked 246 miles, and recorded 158 species of birds. Among the many reasons I had for doing this, raising money in donations and pledges for the Bird Protection Fund of the Natural Resources Foundation was key. Please go to this link to learn more about this bird conservation fundraiser. NRF raises critical funding for work on Kirtland's Warbler, Whooping Crane, support for Bird City Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Stopover Initiative, and other vital programs focused on the conservation and protection of Wisconsin's birds. I'll have more here soon on other details of my long walk.Thanks to Noel Cutright, Jim Klapperich, and Dick Ouren for their incredible presence and help today.

closing in on the end - Long Walk for Birds

I am closing in on the end of the  long walk, with approximately 22 miles left to go over the next few days. Storms are predicted for today, and perhaps they won't cause too many delays. I ended yesterday  at 224 miles and 156 species, with additions yesterday including Prothonotary  Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Bobolink, Henslow's Sparrow, and Acadian Flycatcher. Another Bell's Vireo (the third for the walk) was heard and then seen, in a dry shrubby tangle. West of the village of Woodman, thanks to Barb Duerksen's excellent directions, the 6 or 7 Prothonotary Warblers seen were spectacular. Thanks again to Dick and Christine Ouren for several days of great company and assistance, and thanks for a great visit  by Joel and Patti Trick.

mile 208; 147 species

This is a picture from today, sent by Barbara Duerksen.  It's a photo of Bill with Dick and Christine Ouren at lunch today.  When Barbara left, Bill had 147 species, had gone over 208 miles and they were heading for Boscobel.

at mile 212, species 147, in Grant County - the Long Walk for Birds continues

Internet availability finally allows me to actually post for myself tonight - although I had many phone connectivity issues today. I have seen 147 bird species since the start of the long walk across Wisconsin, with today's additions being Trumpeter Swan, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and a later-than-normal (for me) Black-throated Green Warbler. I am at mile 212, with a little more than 30 miles yet to go, but several warm but rainy days in the forecast for these next few days. I've been following roads just south of the Wisconsin River, through Muscoda, Blue River, and into the eastern edge of Boscobel today. Walking with me today were friends Dick Ouren, Barb Duerksen, and Keith Emich - thanks to them all, and thanks so much to Dick and his wife Christine for many kinds of help these last few days. Warm temps and  many mosquitos influenced our walking today - but our walk just south of and paralleling Hwy. 133 had many birds nonetheless.

Update!

Apparently the last post about Bill didn't go through.  I received a text yesterday saying that he was at mile 182, and the latest sighting was species 140, a Black-billed Cuckoo.  The traffic was building, so he was going stop for the day.

 A Wisbird update, posted by Barbara Duerksen this morning, put Bill in the Avoca area.  He has put 188 miles behind him!  A Cerulean Warbler, (a nemesis bird for me!) was species #141.  Bill said he had about 5 days to go.

This is an incredible effort and deserving of support.  Help Bill and the birds!

Bill update

Bill texted at 11:00 this morning and said he was at the junction of Highway 130 and 133, south of Lone Rock.  He's added a Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Eastern Wood Pewee and finally, a Bald Eagle.  Sounds like a great morning!