July 10 - Kettle Moraine and Horicon, Wisconsin

This morning, I drove from Waupun over east of Fond du Lac to the Kettle Moraine State Forest, hoping to find my “Nemesis Bird” - the Cerulean Warbler - along the Greenbush trails.  The Wisconsin DNR has an extensive trail system here, and I arrived around 7:30 a.m., after listening to the Xeno-Canto recordings of the warbler.

Keeping an eye on the walkers . . .

The DNR charges people a $5 daily fee to walk on the trails, I presume with the idea that user fees rather than general tax expenditures should be the “modern” approach to maintaining trails, picnic grounds, and such.

The trails are pretty nice

I spent over five hours walking the “Purple Trail Loop”, not hearing or seeing the Zu-zu-zu-ze-ze-zee-zeee call of the Cerulean, but did enjoy seeing 32 other species of birds.

And, I enjoyed seeing the other flora and fauna along the way.

The red elderberries are turning red - Sambucus racemosa

Female Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa

Many of the Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) leaves were variegated green and yellow

Haploa clymene - Clymene was an Okeanid-nymph loved by the sun-god Helios

The forest is obviously managed for some timber production, as the woods have been planted all in a row.

Managed hardwood forest

A power line crossing the forest is apparently due for an upgrade.

Recreate early and often - until September

The power line crosses the Bear Lake marsh,

where a pair of Sandhill Cranes stalked through the sedges.

I got done a little before 1 p.m., ate a little cheese, smoked whitefish, and crackers for lunch, and drove back toward Waupun.

Lots of milkweed, but I didn't see any Monarch caterpillars

I wanted to visit Horicon Marsh, which I hadn't seen in 40 years.

Horicon is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States, and has been formally recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention of the United Nations.

At the National Wildlife Refuge, I met Assistant Refuge Manager Dave Bolin, who filled me in on some of the recent work being done at the place.  I let him know that I’d worked here back in 1978, and he was so amazed that someone as old as me was still alive, that he sent me a link to the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom episode that was filmed there that year.  I'd taken the show's cameramen out for a few runs on the airboat, so they could get some of the footage of geese rising from the marsh.  Below is a photo of then-Refuge Manager Jack Toll taking Marlin Perkins for a spin on the airboat.

Photo shamelessly stolen from Pinterest

I promised Dave that I’d scan some of my old slides (remember slide film?) from the 1978 hazing at Horicon, but it won’t happen in time for this blog post.

The stuff is pretty common here . . .

After reminiscing with him, I did a quick walk at the HQ trail,

The new HQ and Visitors' Center is 'way better than the facilities were in 1978

then drove on out to the Old Marsh Road, which is now a ‘trail’, open seasonally for hiking and bicycling to minimize disturbance to migratory birds.

There is a photo blind, and it makes for a nice walk, even on a warm afternoon.

The Mallards just sat and watched people walk by.

The Black Terns were pretty active, fishing for their youngsters, no doubt.

Black Tern - Chlidonias niger

Leaving the Refuge, I decided to drive up toward Wausau for the night, staying at the Econo Lodge in Rothschild.  From here on, I’m going to work my way west toward home, hoping to find a LeConte’s Sparrow somewhere along the way.

Kettle Moraine State Forest eBird Checklist is Here

Horicon National Wildlife Refuge HQ eBird Checklist is Here

Horicon NWR - Old Marsh Road eBird Checklist is Here