During a recent trip in May, 2004, to Racine, Wisconsin to visit my brother, I had some opportunities to do some bird watching.  Albeit, it was not the most opportune or auspicious time to visit with most spring migration over and the weather was not ideal either with rain, thunderstorms and hail, but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless.

Some of the wonderful locations I visited in southeastern Wisconsin were the huge expanse of the Horican Marsh, part national wildlife refuge and part state wildlife area near Maysville, WI.  Also, I visited the village of Horican's River Bend Park.  These locales are all in Dodge County, WI.  In Waukesha County, I visited the Kettle Moraine State Forest (Scuppernong Marsh) and in Kenosha County, I visited the Richard Bong State Recreation Area.  Other smaller locales were Pritchard Park, Racine; River Bend Nature Center, Racine; and Lakefront Park; Racine.

At Pritchard Park, a Racine County park, surrounded by suburban homes and which is mostly ballfields with some wooded areas and an area of meadow, I walked through the meadow area with some positive results.  There was an abundance of Red-winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows flying low over the field as I stirred up the grasses.  One male Red-winged Blackbird was particularly troubled by my presence and hovered overhead following me as I walked.  Unseen young or a nest must have been located nearby.  However, greater danger in the form of a Red-tailed Hawk lurked high above us and the Red-winged Blackbird sallied forth to harangue the Red-tailed Hawk which then flew away.  Another bird of prey observed that day was an American Kestrel.  It was most enjoyable to watch as it made aerial circles to survey the meadow and then would hover above some prey.  One time, it was observed to dive, capture whatever prey and fly off to handy crossbars on a telephone pole to consume its unidentifiable morsel.  Other birds seen at this site were Canada Geese, American Robins, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and a Savannah Sparrow.

Racine's Lakefront Park in the downtown area borders the sea-like expanse of Lake Michigan.  It was visited a few times. Here one sees many common birds, such as numerous gulls--which I didn't attempt to identify as they followed the fishing boats, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, House Sparrows and Barn Swallows were in abundance.  Common Grackles were observed foraging among the rip rap rocks in the boat cove as several Canada Geese either grazed on the park's lawns or swam in the sheltered waters of the cove.  Also, Double-crested Cormorants were observed flying over the lake.

River Bend Nature Center along the Root River and near Racine's Batten Airport appears that it would be an excellent birding location.  However, due to the recent rains which flooded trails and my time constraints in getting to the Milwaukee Airport, I only walked briefly along one of the nature center's boardwalks through a woodland swamp.  At that time, I only saw some Blue-winged Teals and their fuzzy yellow youngsters.  However, my brother advised me that he personally has seen Wild Turkeys in the nature center as well.  The only Racine locale where he has seen that species.

Kettle Moraine State Forest--Southern Unit
This State forest unit stretches for several miles diagonally from a northeast point in Waukesha County to a southwestern point in Walworth County.  It is centered near the community of Eagle in Waukesha County and encompasses much of the glacially formed landscape of the Scuppernong Marsh which is being actively restored to a sweetgrass prairie after many years under intense agriculture.  In fact, "sweet smelling land" is what the Obijiwa word "scuppernong" means.  On the day of my visit an impending thunderstorm precluded an extensive investigation of trails which included the Ice Age Trail, that follows the line of the farthest extent of the prehistoric Wisconsinan glacier throughout the state.  The only birds I viewed before the rains came in torrents were a Turkey Vulture and an Indigo Bunting.  I had hoped to see Sandhill Cranes in this environment. Alas! it was not to be.  Also, nearby is Old World Wisconsin which is much like Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, but it replicates a mid-1880s prairie village.  Although this restored village would have been of interest, the continuing onslaught of rain precluded any visitation.

Richard Bong State Recreation Area--Kenosha Co.
Despite the steady drizzle and sometime downpour, we followed the paved roads to various parking lots and observation towers where one is able to survey the extensive grassland prairie and some ponds as well.  Bird life was not abundantly evident on this day, but bird species we did see included Blue-winged Teals, Canada Geese, Mourning Doves, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallows, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Yellow Warbler, Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows and American Goldfinch.

Horican Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Horican Marsh State Wildlife Management Area
During migration, Horican Marsh, with over 50,000 acres (combined area) of watery pans and upland grasslands, is a veritable avian mecca.  The northern half of the reserve is managed by the federal government as a national wildlife refuge, while the southern half is managed by Wisconsin's State Department of Natural Resources.  However, as I came later than the spring migratory onslaught, the weather was atrocious and it was a State and Federal holiday, my observations are somewhat meager for such a grand area of natural beauty and avian abundance.  Over 320 species of birds have been documented for this area.  Some birds of I observed were Canada Goose, Blue-winged Teal, Great Blue Heron, Black Tern, Forster's Tern, Barn Swallow, Bobolink, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird.  There are also boat tours for access to some of the interior sites of the marsh.

River Bend Park, Horican
This is a city park in the town of Horican which I visited serendipitously with no particular goal in mind.  However, I was rewarded with several common birds--Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.  As I drove through the park, I could see a Great Blue Heron standing quietly on the far bank of the Rock River and a few other large white birds. On closer inspection, those large white birds turned out to be not swans as I first suspected, but American White Pelicans. Furthermore, as I rounded a bend in the park, my view revealed not just a few pelicans, but a whole congregation of over 100 American White Pelicans.  Some were swimming in the placid waters of the Rock River, some were flying with a prehistoric air above the waters and most were sitting and preening on the rocks within the stream.  My wife's late father had been born in Pelican Rapids, MN and although we have never visited the community itself, I now can well imagine how such a name could have been bestowed upon the locale as this is well within the range of these beautiful and gangly, yet, graceful birds.  Rock River runs through the aforementioned Horican Marsh.

When not actively birding and to get away from the constant downpours, I did other sightseeing in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha.  In Milwaukee, I visited the new art museum along the lakeshore and had Sunday brunch at Mader's, a famous German restaurant known for its food and old world ambiance, where I quaffed one of their great beers as well.  On an earlier visit some years ago, we enjoyed touring the Miller Brewery and dining at the revolving rooftop restaurant in the Hyatt Regency hotel.  The only revolving restaurant in Wisconsin with great views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding cityscape. In Racine, one always makes a pilgrimage to Wind Point to see the lighthouse there.  It is one of the tallest along Lake Michigan shores.  Also, I am an inveterate map lover and had to visit the Dover Flag and Map store in Racine where I spent a good amount of time shopping.  Besides all manner of maps of cities, states and countries, this geographic storehouse has nautical charts, flags of all states and nations, and lots of lighthouse memorabilia.  In Kenosha, we visited the smaller but very enjoyable Kenosha Public Museum in its new quarters.  This museum houses the largest woolly mammoth found intact and also has some very classy displays of art for a small community.  And call me a kid if you will, but I had to ride the trolley car (one of several restored true trolleys) that circles downtown Kenosha in about fifteen minutes.  The cost was only 25 cents.  I haven't ridden on real trolley since I was a boy in Yonkers, New York some fifty years ago.

Should a trip to Wisconsin be of interest here are some travel tips.  Delta has flights from Stewart/Newburgh that leave at 5:30am to Milwaukee, but first there is a stop at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky with about a two-hour layover.   Despite this somewhat inconvenient hour and time consuming layover, the air fare was only $99 each way.  One might be surprised at the wonderful things to see and do in Wisconsin.  Go west to Wisconsin and bird the great prairie landscape of the Horican Marsh.  Just be sure to pick a more opportune time during migration.