"News of Wisconsin's rare spring heat wave traveled far -- even black-necked stilts, blue-gray gnatcatchers and Savannah sparrows knew March felt like July. So they revised their travel plans."

"A record number of migratory birds have arrived much earlier than normal this spring, setting the birding community in Wisconsin aflutter. Birders are tweeting, emailing and posting messages to each other when they're not outdoors with upturned faces affixed with binoculars.

'People are excited,' said Tom Prestby, a Department of Natural Resources bird research technician. 'It's always really cool - especially if you're one of the people lucky enough to find them - to know you're contributing to the record book.'

At least 10 early arrival records of migratory bird species are likely to be broken, pending approval by the records committee of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology. "

Meg Jones reports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel April 9, 2012. [2]