Over the Labor Day weekend my daughter and I flew up the Chicago Area to attend a couple of family functions. We actually flew into the Milwaukee airport as it was closest to my sister's home in Antioch, Illinois.
Nicholson Wildlife Refuge - Caledonia, Wisconsin
Nicholson's is a small preserve ideally located along our route from the airport. As a birder I had to add a stop somewhere on this beautiful afternoon. The weather is about ten degrees cooler than at home in Florida which my daughter and I were both enjoying.
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| Sandhill Cranes |
The park features a mix of ecosystems including wetlands, uplands and grass. I walked about a mile in and was first entertained by a few noisy Black-capped Chickadees. Other species encountered several that would soon be relocating to my part of the world including Cedar Waxwings, Gray Catbirds, American Robins, Tree and Barn Swallows. Several Sandhill Cranes were busy on some farmland bordering the property. In the wetlands we had our best sighting in a trio of Ruddy Ducks, plus a Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebes and a fly-over of Canada Geese. Other sightings included American Crow, Red-tailed Hawk and even Rock Pigeons.
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| Maintained trail at Nicholson's |
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| Crab Apples |
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| Canada Geese |
After an hour it was time to head on to Antioch and family.
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