Last year I put up a cute birdhouse that I found at Target. I hung it out mostly for decoration in the yard, but I thought it would be great if a bird family actually used it as a home. I was excited when it was inhabited by a pair of tree swallows. I have tons of sparrows, juncos, finches and cardinals in the area, but this was the first time I saw tree swallows close by.
This year, I hoped the tree swallows would come back. This past Saturday morning I woke up and looked out and there they were! BUT, after watching them for a while I noticed that they were being surrounded by finches. We had a turf war going on. I saw a couple finches fly in and out of the house as the tree swallows perched on top. The swallows flew away at one point and I didn't see them the rest of the day. I thought they had been defeated and I was really bummed out.
Fortunately, I saw them back Monday morning and they are going in and out of the house with no finches surrounding them. I think they've officially moved back in and threw the finches things out on the lawn. :) While I love finches, I really wanted the tree swallows to stay around too.
I really do love migration and seeing old friends come back to the same place year after year. It amazes me how they can fly hundreds, if not thousands, of miles and find their way back to the same place.
I'd love to hear about the birds you have visiting your backyard. Do you have any special birdhouses or feeders to attract certain types of birds? Where do you live?
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Pewit's Nest State Natural Area is a place that will definitely remind you of the Dells with the carved out sandstone along Skillet Creek. Just off of Hwy W, west of Hwy 12 in Baraboo, there is a small parking lot that fits maybe 20 cars at most. (that might be an overestimation) There is no parking allowed along the highway, so you face a fine if you can't fit in the lot. 
It's one of my favorite times of the year in Wisconsin... when the colorful birds make their way through the area. Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks...
I've learned a lot about turkey vultures over the last several years, and they are now one of my favorite birds. They may have a face that only a mother would love, but they are very interesting.
Many people get creeped out when they see a vulture, as it reminds them of death, disease and doom. Fact is that turkey vultures (unlike black vultures) almost never kill their food. It is true that they may sense death and disease with their very sensitive sense of smell... because it is dead animals that they seek. But, what is really amazing about these birds is that they can eat a diseased animal and essentially dispose of the disease. They don't contract it themselves. But watch out... they use "defensive vomiting" if they see you as a predator. Defensive vomiting is when they throw up the gross, smelly meat they had eaten to scare you off.
In addition to all of that, I am also hoping to add some fun items like stickers, shirts, and more to a Badger State of Mind store.
