Neighborhood Naturalists Network

East Madison / Atwood Area
Neighborhood Naturalists Network

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February 25, 2002

Purple finches are often confused with House Finches. While the difference always seems clear in the bird book, somehow in reality I have a hard time discerning them!

Last Tuesday I drove to Stoughton and I observed several wild turkeys standing in a field along Hwy. 51. Also there are two swans on the Yahara River in McFarland. I know it's not exactly in our neighborhood.... ~ Cindy Cameron-Fix

February 23, 2002

I was out for a walk with my daughter today, and we noticed that our witch hazel bush is blooming -- uh, a bit early. (It is a spring bloomer, not a fall one.) If you're not familiar with the unusual flowers of this shrub, feel free to check it out in our back yard (look for the tall Norway spruce behind the ugly yellow garage near Circle Park). The blossoms have a subtle, clove-like scent.

This certainly has been a strange winter. I'm wondering about some of my perennial plants, as I don't think they ever reached full dormancy. I have irises that were putting out new growth in December! I suspect if the weather stays this warm everything will bloom earlier this year. I wish I had kept a garden diary in the past, so I could compare with other springs.

Also, I'm pleased to have sighted something at my bird feeder besides house sparrows (weaver finches) and squirrels! Problem is, I only got a fleeting look, so I'm not completely sure of what it was. My first guess was purple finch, but when I pulled out my field guide I found that it looked more like a common redpoll, except I don't remember a real distinct red cap. It was more of a dull ruddy color all over the breast and lower back, not as rich as the purple finch picture in my book. For you more experienced birders out there: Do purple finches have a duller winter plumage? Do you get redpolls at your feeders? Which do you think is more likely?

Here is a link to another Wisconsin web site, "Nature-Wise" by Roy Lukes. Lukes is a nature writer and teacher based in Door County. The site contains links to recent articles he has written for the Door County Advocate. ~ Deana Hipke

February 10, 2002

I thought that members of our neighborhood nature net might be interested in participating in the 5th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 15-18, 2002, sponsored by Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participate by visiting http://www.birdsource.org. ~ Cindy Cameron-Fix

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