Hi everyone again, and I have returned, but after walking out this morning in the heat, I can't remember why I did. Oh well... my wife and  I had a terrific trip to Sister Bay, and we got out for many birding trips. Besides our life bird of ruffed grouse (encountered on 4 separate occasions!), we enjoyed several warblers, including chestnut sided, black and white, redstarts, nashville, pine, black throated blues and greens, and blackburnians. We also found many ovenbirds and northern waterthruses, a few bobolinks, common ravens, red breasted nuthatches, and brown creepers. It was also nice to hear some white throated sparrows singing. We found hooded mergansers and wood ducks (both with chicks), and lastly but far from least was some great views of sandhill cranes in a field near a road we were driving by. 

If you care to view a few photos, here are 4 checklists with winter wrens, grouse, and the sandhills. Glad to be back, and see you all out there somewhere.

Tom Caraway

St. Charles, MO