The Birds Showed off During the Season’s First Guided Hike

A Blue Heron approaching the rookery behind the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery building.

Blue Heron, Warblers, Kinglets, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Winter Wren, Greater Yellowlegs and American White Pelicans were among the birds a group of northwoods bird and trail enthusiasts observed on May 3, while enjoying Bayfield Area Trails’ and Chequamegon Audubon Society’s first co-sponsored nature and bird walk of the year. 

Led by Neil Howk, the group met in the parking lot of the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery in Bayfield, where Neil had set up a spotting scope so participants could get an up-close view of a Blue Heron rookery, with at least eight nests, in the trees to the south of the hatchery office.

The Heron rookery can be seen behind the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery. Click image to enlarge.

For the next 90 minutes, while the group explored the trail through and behind the hatchery, herons came and went overhead while working on their nests.  Once the nests are complete, the heron will lay 3-6 eggs, which hatch in about a month.  After birth, the chicks usually stay in the nest for about 60 days.

One of the many Warblers. Click image to enlarge.

In addition to the herons, the group observed a variety of birds along the trail.  Some made appearances, like the warblers, flitting from one tree to another, but others could only be heard.

At one point, Neil paused and called attention to the song of some winter wrens.  While smaller than the house wren and generally not seen in the open, the small brown winter wrens make up in song volume for what they lack in size and visibility. 

​Some spring ephemerals were also starting to emerge along the trail, most notably some bloodroots.

Another highlight of the day’s walk came on the Salmo Trail, across Highway 13 from the hatchery that follows Pike Creek out to a Lake Superior beach.  There, the group was lucky to spot a flock of American White Pelicans.  Flying north towards the lake, the flock flew almost directly overhead, providing great viewing for the group. 

White Pelicans flying over Lake Superior.

Pelicans historically were plentiful in Wisconsin, but their numbers declined dramatically in the early 1900s.  Fortunately, their numbers are rebounding, and sightings have become more common in Bayfield County.
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Be sure to check the Bayfield Area Trails’ schedule of events for dates of future nature and bird walks.

Walking along the trail to the Red Dam. Click image to enlarge.