Contributed by Natalie McFaul
The first DBC field trip to Horicon Marsh was a great success! It was two days of good birds and good company. A friendly group of 17 people participated in the DBC field trip and had some pretty exciting birding experiences.
Friday evening, we took a leisurely two-hour pontoon ride into the marsh. We watched White Pelicans fly in as Troy Kirchhoff and Rick Vant Hoff from Blue Heron Landing pointed out birds and shared stories and a little history of Horicon Marsh. Photo by Sherry Courtney
Saturday morning there was a field trip led by Jeff Bahls from the DNR and President of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club with help from Brad Webb VP of the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. We started our trip at the Horicon Education & Visitor Center. And what a start we had! As we began a short walk behind the center, Jeff suddenly stopped and pointed out a female Wood Duck sitting very still with just her head peeking out of a nest box. He explained that this was a strong indication that the fledglings were ready to emerge. Sure enough, within 15 minutes the female dropped down, called to the fledges, and one by one a dozen fluffy little creatures wiggled out of the box and plopped to the ground! Needless to say, we stood in awe at this rare and magical birding moment. We all felt very fortunate to witness it.
Wood Ducks Fledging. Photos by Laurel Ahlenius
After that marvelous beginning, we traveled to several areas of the marsh and were able to see some great birds. Highlights were good looks at Black-bellied Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Black Tern in the mudflats at Palmatory Street Overlook. Along Highway 49 at the north end of the marsh, we spotted a Yellow-headed Blackbird and Redhead ducks. And on the Auto tour section of the National Wildlife Refuge, we saw Bobolinks and many, many Great Egrets. It was a fantastic morning of birding. Photo by Lisa Gaylord.
Horicon Marsh is a great place to visit as a weekend trip. The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor’s Center LINK is a good first stop. It has information about the marsh, maps, and a list of recent bird sightings. The Horicon Marsh Bird Club LINK also has an excellent website with information on birding Horicon Marsh.
Jeff Bahls, our fabulous guide, said to contact him at the visitor’s center if you are planning a trip and have any questions.
Thank you, Sherry Courtney, for all your help planning the trip. A big thanks to Jeff, Brad, Rich, and Troy for sharing their knowledge of Horicon Marsh. And thank you to all the participants for making it such a pleasant adventure!