Mad Birding: Tiedeman & Stricker Ponds

Our excursion this morning took us to Tiedeman and Stricker Ponds off Gammon Road in Middleton. These two ponds, which are in close proximity, are among several glacial kettle ponds in Middleton and west Madison. Located in urban neighborhoods, they are readily accessible from the street.

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Detail of Tiedeman Pond near sunset, Mid-October

The view of Tiedeman from street level along Sweeney Drive is somewhat obscured by undergrowth. Either of two rustic stairs takes you down to a chipped bark trail near the shore of the pond. If you are mobility impaired, be careful on these stairs. The rough-hewn railings of the stairs are really more ornamental than practical. They are low and set too far apart from the stairs themselves. The only other option is to make a wide circuit around a nearby playground to reach the trail. The trail becomes a boardwalk that circuits the pond with rest points along the way. When water levels are high, the trails may not be accessible. The trail may also be cordoned off to protect nesting wildlife, as one spring when we encountered nesting Sandhill Cranes on the south shore of the pond.

At Tiedeman we always pay close attention to the northwest shore, where we have often found Great Blue Heron and Great Egret fishing. On this late October day today our attention turns to migrant waterfowl. The birds tend to stay distant, so a scope is almost mandatory. We sorted out Bufflehead and a single Canvasback from the numerous mallards and geese. A pair of Sandhill Cranes passed overhead.

Sandhill Cranes, TPD, 27 October 2012, 9:00 AM

Stricker Pond is in Middleton, although the conservancy area on the southern edge is in the city of Madison. Middleton Street provides a good view of the pond. This is an excellent place to bird in the early morning from a park bench or from the car. Songbirds are often feeding in the prairie grasses near the shore.

Palm Warbler, SPD, 12 October 2012, 9:25 AM

This year much pruning has been done and undesirable vegetation cleared away, so the view of the pond is very good along the length of Middleton Street.

Stricker Pond looking west from Middleton Street, Morning, Mid-October

There is no outlet from here by car to the Madison side, however. There is a small turnoff at the end of the street where you can park and continue on a footpath to the conservancy. (By car you must take Longmeadow Road off Gammon Road to reach the Madison conservancy.) There is a trailhead on the Longmeadow Road side into a wooded area, and you could continue all the way around the pond for a modest round trip of 0.8 miles. Note that a narrow barrier at the trailhead blocks access to any wheeled traffic.

Later in the day the best vantage point is on the western shore of Stricker, which you can access by taking the north shore footpath from Middleton Street (1000 feet) or by parking on Voss Parkway at Stricker Park.

Stricker Pond looking southeast from Stricker Park near sunset, Mid-October

The walk through Stricker Park to seating overlooking the pond is about 450 feet to the first bench and 300 feet further to the second. The first bench provides a fairly high vantage point over the entirety of the pond. The second bench is secluded by foliage and marsh grasses and closer to the water, so it provides an even better observation point. The birds tend to congregate on this end of the pond and—since you are in a sort of blind—they remain unperturbed. On our morning visit we observed Northern Shovelers skimming along and a Bufflehead perched on a rock. There were several incoming and outgoing flocks of Mallards. We were intrigued by the Bufflehead, which we had not seen out of the water before.