MAY 2014

Sorry it's been so long since I posted on this blog.   Let's go back to the beginning of summer.   In May - for my birthday - we drove to Horicon Marsh in central WI to do some birding.   Unfortunately, we thought, the drizzle of rain did NOT let up, but continued off and on all day.   So we didn't go to the southern end where there are walking paths near the marsh ponds, but drove along the western edge taking different roads off the county road to explore close to the marsh.  Surprisingly we came home at the end of the day with sightings of 43 birds that we could identify!

At the northern end of the marsh is an auto tour with a boardwalk across a pond.   On the rails of that boardwalk we saw this Forster's tern with its summer plumage.   In AL we only see the winter colors of a smudge of black behind the eye.

Here you see another summer activity - parades!   Gary drives with the Shriner Mini-car unit and this parade was in Muscoda, WI, a town in SW WI that we have never visited before.   During another parade in Whitewater we saw a very impressive drum and bugle corps group from New Jersey!   Flyers passed out told of competition that Saturday night in the Warhawk stadium.   When we found out that our neighbors' grandson is just learning percussion for the Middle School band, we invited Connie and Austin to come along.    Seven groups performed with the smallest going first and the largest (from CA) performing last.    What a great evening's entertainment!    Here is a photo of the finale of the Madison Scouts, an all-male group.