Oak Leaf Trail Birding

Spring is here, at last and, as always, it is exciting to observe the almost daily changes that announce the arrival of this season. For instance, if I never opened my eyes, I could still tell it was spring simply by listening to all the bird calls and bird songs. Yesterday, I heard my first Song Sparrow of the year, down along the river and this call now joins the ever-growing symphony of spring bird song that greets me each morning. I’ve been tempted to add my singing to the ensemble, but I don’t want to frighten any of these songsters, away. They don’t seem to mind my harmonica, though, so I’ll take that as a compliment.

I now make an almost daily trip on the bike trail, binoculars around my neck and digital cameras in the bike pack. I am so blessed by having a bike trail nearly right outside my front door and an excellent trail at that. The Oak Leaf Trail, here in Milwaukee, parallels both the Little Menomonee River and the Menomonee. Some of the bird habitat I have discovered along this trail ranks as superb – many brushy patches, wetlands, open areas with scattered trees, thick riparian forest and so on. I expect this trail to supply many warbler species on my list, this year. In fact, the Oak Leaf ranks right up there with some of the best urban trails I have traveled in my many years of wandering. It’s heaven for birding and bird watching and you will never catch me without a birding binocular around my neck when out on this trail.

About the pic:

This trail also supplies much of the wildlife in my more immediate neighborhood. No, that’s not a yard ornament in the pic, nor is it the latest in Wisconsin style mail service.