Roche-A-Cri State Park

 Sunday July 11th

The last weekend in June we traveled north for a family function in Illinois. Made a point to do some birding and do some nature photography. Before arriving at our destination we spent a couple of days in Wisconsin. I had always enjoyed spending time in Wisconsin in my younger days. Had grown up outside Chicago and Wisconsin was were we'd recreate. My friends living further south from me would travel to Indiana or Michigan. But we'd head to Wisconsin. There was the summer camp near Wild Rose, which I hear is has been bought and converted for timber harvesting. Later in life I'd join with friends for weekends at their place near Big Flats. My Mom's family came from Stanley, but some of her ancestry had originally arrived before the Civil War from Scotland and headed by ox cart to the sandy regions of Juneau County. On my Dad's side his uncle left Oak Park, outside Chicago, around 1958, to take over a medical practice in Adams-Friendship, Wisconsin. I believe there is still family in Adams County.

Ship Rock at Roche-A-Cri,
graffiti mars much of the base of this rock 

Petroglyphs are seen at the base of the Roche-A-Cri Mound

Just north of Friendship, is a small state park, called Roche-A-Cri. The park is dominated by a 300 foot rocky outcrop. Personally I'm not in good enough condition the climb the 300 steps to reach the summit, but my daughter did it.  A personal accomplishment for her. 

Black-capped Chickadee

Did some birding and had a lifer with spotting a Brown Creeper at the park office.  The sightings included Black-capped Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatch, lots of Robins, Wild Turkeys, Red-eyed Vireos plus Chipping and Field Sparrows. 

One species that uses these piney woods in Adam County is a small population of Kirtland's Warblers. This species had been on a serious decline, with a population surviving among the Jack Pines in central Michigan. But conservation efforts has seen the species expanding their range into central Wisconsin.

Later in the day we added Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Greater Sandhill Cranes, Eastern Kingbirds and  Red-tailed Hawks.

Young Hooded Mergansers

Poke Milkweed