Wisconsin Kirtland's Warbler Update June 27, 2012 PDF Version

Kirtland’s warbler on the Raco Plains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,Chippewa County, on June 9, 2012. Photo by Kyle Sommers.

Adams County Report

The nesting season has been moving right along, and it has become apparent that our early spring has resulted in some of our Kirtland’s warblers nesting earlier than usual. So far, monitors Shaun and Emily have documented at least 20 male and ten female Kirtland’s warblers present in Adams County, and at least 9 nests. Five of those nests are now empty, and at least three of these appear to have fledged young. As we employ a conservative approach to nest monitoring, we are unsure of the exact number of fledged young, but at least one Kirtland’s warbler fledgling was observed by Emily.

 

Statewide Surveys

The official Kirtland’s Warbler Census period ended on Wednesday, June 20. During the official census period, singing males were reported at two sites in Marinette County and two sites in Douglas County. Follow up visits to sites where birds were reported earlier failed to confirm their continued presence, including the single male we banded in Bayfield County on May 29.

 

On June 14, Noel Cutright detected two singing males at a single stop on his Amberg Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route (https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBS/). Noel has been conducting such surveys since 1971, and this was his 206th BBS. This is the first time ever that the Kirtland’s warbler was detected on a BBS in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, as was the case with multiple sightings this year, the birds were not found on subsequent visits to the site.

 

Summary

To date, we have confirmed at least 20 different male and ten female Kirtland’s warblers in Adams County. Volunteer surveyors have reported ten additional males at eight different sites in Marinette, Vilas, Bayfield and Douglas Counties. With the exception of a Marinette County bird that was previously banded, and the bird we banded in Bayfield County, none of these birds remained at the locations where they were observed long enough to be captured and banded.

 

Of note is a Kirtland’s warbler male that we originally banded in Marinette County in 2008 that has returned to the Raco Plains in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the third year in a row.

 

Cowbird Trapping

USDA Wildlife Specialist Barry Benson reports that over the past two weeks, he removed an additional 12 cowbirds from the three cowbird traps. Through June 21, a total of 214 cowbirds have been captured and removed from the traps at the Adams County Kirtland’s warbler site. Cowbird trapping will be discontinued at the end of this week.

 

Joel A. Trick U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2661 Scott Tower Drive New Franken, WI 54229 920-866-1737 joel_trick@fws.gov

Kim Grveles Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 101 S. Webster Street - ER/6 Madison, WI 53703 608-266-0822 kim.grveles@wisconsin.gov

 

 

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