I witness a rarely seen behavior-Necedah NWR WI - Karner Blue butterfly! Whooping Cranes - June 2024

After dropping my youngest son off at his aunt & uncles in Madison, WI in early June, I spend two partial days at Necedah NWR, one of my favorite National Wildlife Refuges. And it does not disappoint!
I capture the mechanism for Common Nighthawk booming in slow motion video. Crazy stuff!
A pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers entertain me with their bold antics. I share my early memories of this species at my grandparents farm in South Dakota (including the world's best photo of this species that I took at age 14:)
I stumble across a couple species that I never see in the North Woods including a Willow Flycatcher ("FITZ-bew") and a cooperative and beautiful Blue-winged Warbler.
And I can't forget the rare butterfly that makes Necedah its home....the "Karner" Melissa Blue butterfly. I spend some quality time with this beauty amongst the native Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis).
An evening atop the Observation Tower is always peaceful, and this time I spot a pair of Whooping Cranes feeding on the far side.
Finally, I stop in to the very well done Nature Center. A great place in a great refuge!

[@jeffhilchey8070]

My kids (5 and 10) and I love watching your videos!

[@SparkyStensaas]

That’s great! Thanks for watching! My kids rarely watch my videos :)

[@laurablakesley8091]

Loved hearing those boomers! Haven't seen any nighthawks yet this fall. Will have to start looking.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Up here in Northern Minnesota they funnel down the shore of Lake Superior from the boreal forest on calm still late August evenings. So in about a week to two weeks, they should be coming through up here.

[@nemadjihermit]

Beautiful place, thanks for sharing. One of these days. I didn’t know night hawks dove like that. Always nice to learn something new.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks Gene!

[@randywendel4671]

I often traveled around that area when I lived in nearby Wisconsin Rapids in 1985. A few years ago I visited Sandhill Wildlife area near Babcock close to where you were. Lots of bog environment in that region...and cranberry bog farmers. Fighter jets often fly training missions over that area based out of Camp Douglas to the south.

[@SparkyStensaas]

I’ll have to check out that Sandhill wildlife area, Randy. Didn’t know about it.

[@jonathansteinbach580]

That footage of the red-headed woodpeckers was absolutely stunning. Their heads shone like red velvet in the sun. I have always wanted to see one, but it is the one woodpecker species I can't seem to find in my area.

[@SparkyStensaas]

You are exactly right in your description Jonathan. Red Velvet! Hope you find one someday soon.

[@DBoer]

Fascinating video 👍

[@SparkyStensaas]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@almeadows8277]

Well done, Sparky; it looks like a great location. I’ve only seen Red-headed Woodpeckers three times in 50 years in Koochiching County. But I know a spot in Ontario, by Lake of the Woods, where they can be reliably found. They’re a beautiful species.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks Al! I love their velvety red fluffy heads.

[@perstensland2270]

Excellent. Your Nighthawk footage was awesome. Over here, our equivalent is the Common Nightjar. It is sadly only active when it is completely dark. Your Nighthawk seems to be active when it is still light enough. Really great video.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Interesting Per. While, it is true that they mainly feed at dawn and dusk, during migration and courtship they often active in the air during the day.

[@Hulbatross]

Cool to see common nighthawks active during the day. Usually only active at dusk here in Ohio

[@SparkyStensaas]

True! I’m guessing it was the height of courtship since there were multiple displaying in the same area. This was June 2 and third.

[@Hulbatross]

@@SparkyStensaas Makes sense. Definitely pretty sweet to watch.

[@kevinreichenbach5326]

We were just out there a couple of weeks ago. The karners were all over. Nice to see you in Wisconsin 👍

[@SparkyStensaas]

Very cool Kevin! I only live a mile from the Wisconsin border in Minnesota and so whatever I can avoid interstate 35 to go south I do :-) Crex Meadows and Necedah are two of my favorite photography locations.

[@maryjanesesto9769]

Wow, Sparky, you skipped right over the Bald Eagle at 12:12 on the video. Either you must see them a lot or you got so excited about the Flycatcher you didn't notice him at all! Great video!

[@SparkyStensaas]

It is sad, but true. I see so many Bald Eagles that it’s hard to get excited about them. But when I started birding as a kid, they were of course, quite rare. I should definitely not take them for granted!

[@lisamorrowpeculiar]

I still think that is the best redheaded woodpecker photo :) I love, love vintage and vintage style bird photography.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Ha! Thank you, Lisa. And my 14-year-old self thanks you! :-)

[@rerolley]

We were just there last week. Cool place. Nice video of the Nighthawks. I used to be able to see them in downtown Madison. They nested in the gravel on roof tops.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Do they not nest there anymore? I know there has been a decline of rooftop nesting nighthawks in urban areas. Fortunately, they seem to be still quite abundant across the boreal forest. Maybe it has more to do with urban insect populations??

[@xijiang2728]

Some nice pictures. I love the compositions. Love the ICM shots of the butterflies. Very creative.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you Xijiang! Not everybody loves those “out there“ shots.

[@BeardedGeezer]

Just ran across your channel. Nice work, even the B-role was well done! Our local park lost its dot tail white face dragonflies and several other species when the city poisoned the algae in the pond.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. But thanks for joining the channel! There’s 150 or so videos already in the playlist if you want to go backwards :-)

[@a.m.v.6938]

I didn’t realize Wisconsin was so beautiful. Great video.

[@SparkyStensaas]

It really is! Many many wonderful places to bird and photograph in Wisconsin. I live in Northern Minnesota, but only a mile from the Wisconsin border so I can get to many places fairly reasonably.

[@BirdBrainBrian64]

I didn't know about the booming from the wings of the Nighthawk. I have seen a few but never that display. Loved the Blue-winged Warbler. I only saw 1 when I lived in SW Michigan and then saw 1 a couple months ago here in Arkansas. I have yet to see the Whooping Crane 😢.

[@SparkyStensaas]

It is a fascinating display… And I knew how they made the sound, but nobody can see that in real time. I got OK video but you’d really need to even better equipment to really slow it down.

[@waterbuck]

I have learned something new today, now I need to spend more time looking for them with parabolic mic.

[@SparkyStensaas]

I’ve always wanted a parabolic dish and microphone. My super long shotgun mic is great but a parabolic could even isolate sounds better.

[@waterbuck]

@@SparkyStensaas The upside to the dish mic, you'll hear more birds then you've ever heard before. The downside to the dish mic, you'll hear more barking dogs, motorcycles, and leaf blowers than you've ever heard before. Whatever direction you're pointed, you'll pull in sounds well off in the distance that you can't hear even faintly by ear. The best recordings I've gotten have been when I'm right under the bird and pointing the mic vertically towards the sky where the ground based noises are not an issue.

[@jvp139]

Thanks, as always for the great video!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ronboe6325]

Watching you carrying your camera down off that tower and I'm thinking: Hope he fixed the camera! :)

[@SparkyStensaas]

Ahhh Ron ….. I wish I took care of my equipment better. I’m that guy who puts his lenses in the cupholders in his van. :-)

[@lordsoar9720]

Good to hear some news of the W cranes and how there doing , the nighthawk segment was fascinating .

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you lordsoar! You just gave me the idea that I should really do an in-depth video on the complete story of whooping cranes in Wisconsin. I would like to make that video for my own benefit too :-)

[@douglaswetzel3221]

Could you please help ID the bird at the 13:57 mark? Love all your videos as they always put a smile of my face!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you, Douglas! At that point in the video, there is a Field Sparrow in kind of a wide shot of pines and then the Blue winged warbler after that.

[@douglaswetzel3221]

Blue winged warbler it is! Thanks for the great audio of these warblers too.

[@BobSouthDakota]

Awesome video!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks!

[@arildhagen3820]

Interesting videos and topics. Any heritage from Norway given the Stensaas name?

[@SparkyStensaas]

Hey Arild, Absolutely correct! My father’s side came to America from the Trondheim/Melhus area and my mother’s side from the rural countryside near Bergen. I’ve been to Norway five times (including Lofotons and Svalbard! )and we are taking the family there next summer. I am still in contact with my relatives in Vikhamar near Trondheim. Where do you live in Norway?

[@arildhagen3820]

@@SparkyStensaas That's fantastic. In total 750.000 Norwegian migrated to the US in hope of a better life. My family has 80+ relatives in Texas but little or no contact unfortunately. I live near Oslo, the capitol, and do often head north for photo adventures. I guess the only thing Norway can offer outside Minnesota is Musk Oxen at Dovre mountain, White tail Eagles (all over Norway) and Orcas. Hoping for an awesome trip with your family. Fell free to reach out for any questions regarding wildlife or photo related ativities once in Norway.

[@Pedro-nf2rr]

Zhola:las mariposas del comienzo aquí son lincelidos.Relacion con las hormigas,la larva cae al suelo y la primera hormiga que la encuentra la introduce en el hormiguero.huelen igual que las hormigas y son alimentadas por ellas.Cuando eclosionan ya no huelen igual i escapan lo más aprisa que pueden.estupendos y educativos videos.Gracias

[@SparkyStensaas]

Very cool Pedro! I’ve seen that on some BBC nature specials.

[@mandatoe]

I recently discovered your videos and really enjoy them! Would you consider varying the music you use from time to time? It's difficult to watch more than 1 or 2 videos in a row (for me) because the soundtrack makes me feel like I'm hold with the gas company. The factual info, photography, and everything else keeps me coming back, albeit on mute until the music passes. 🙉

[@SparkyStensaas]

I totally understand your pain. That’s one reason. I only put music at the beginning in the end, but you’re right. I did use the same music the last four videos. But as you work your way backwards, you’ll hear a a lot of variety. I guess I just got lazy recently.