Watching Birds in the Lake Holcombe Area
Eagles
Eagles are an everyday sight around the Lake Holcombe area and on the lake itself. There are numerous nest pairs of Eagles in the area that are easily viewed from public roadway and property.
Robins
Our state bird ,The American robin, has many vocalizations - rich songs composed of long phrases and "whinny" and "tut" calls. The female is muted in color compared to the male. Right before the snow goes all away, these birds can be seen. The Robin marks the coming of summer, which is a pleasant reminder to the residents of Wisconsin.
Mourning Doves
Doves are one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in North America and Wisconsin. Listen for their cooing as the sun goes down and look for them on telephone wires, on at your bird feeder and in forested areas throughout the year.
Herons
There are two rookeries in the Holcombe area, making it possible to view great blue herons nesting. They're beautiful and slightly startling to be walking along the shores of Lake Holcombe and come across these beauties.
Sandhill Cranes
Look into just a few farm fields and you will no doubt be able to spot these beautiful birds. The area has also had a few resident whooping cranes the last few years.
Cardinals
The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They’re a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they’re still breathtaking in winter’s snowy backyards. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning.
Humming Birds
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only Hummingbird species that regularly visits Wisconsin. It nests in the state each year before migrating south. In a remarkable journey for such a tiny bird, it migrates across the Gulf of Mexico twice each year.
Blue Jays
This common, large songbird is familiar to many people, with its perky crest; blue, white, and black plumage; and noisy calls. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds. Their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period.
