Washington Park – Urban Ecology Center
1859 N 40th St, Milwaukee
Meet at the 40th Street Parking Lot
This 130-acre park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead in 1891. The park is now home to soccer fields, basketball courts, and the Urban Ecology Center. But once the park had different features including a mile-long horse track and the Washington Park Zoo. Near the UEC building is a seven-acre lagoon with cattail edges, an island, and a bridge going from north-to-south. All that plus a native plant and shrub area on the west side make for great bird habitat.
eBird Site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L291403
Trails: Mix of paved, mulch and grass. Mostly flat with a little slope around the west side of the lagoon and over the bridges.
Restrooms: Available in UEC building when open. Building closed Saturdays & Sundays. Porta Potties available at the north end by the soccer fields
Park Map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/Washington1.pdf
Join us! Walks are always free and always fun . Open to all levels of birders
Subscribe! Each week, you’ll receive an email with where we’ll be birding next. Posts may go to your “Social” folder if using gmail
Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
Milwaukee Birding News
Get to Horicon! The park offers free guided Whooping Crane walks on the second Thursdays of the month. Details HERE
Congrats to BIPOC Birding Club! Five years of getting more birders on the trails and having a great time along the way. Check out their celebration event this Saturday.
Too hot to bird. How about a little art project courtesy of Cornell. Paint-by-numbers download
Care about Birds? Live in city of Milwaukee? Support the Urban Bird Treaty. Learn more and complete digital postcard HERE
Last Week
Sixteen of us came out to Lakeshore State Park on Sunday. The weather was summer-perfect! There were lots of gulls and Canada Geese. The Redhead and Lesser Scaup (two) were continuing. On land, the Purple Martin house seemed full and busy while newly fledged and adult Tree Swallows were all over mixed in with some Cliff and Barn Swallows. Not seen were Kestrels nor sparrows. It is possible the overnight fireworks and Dragon Boat races in the lagoon on Saturday had the birds lying low.
We were pleased to expand our age range among birders with an 11-year-old joining us and our geographic reach when a Kentucky birder in town for a conference dropped in with us.
Thanks to John for the list and Xu for all the great pictures!
24 species: eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S371228458
pic Xu Zhang
pic: Xu Zhang
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
JULY
Purple Martin Chick Banding with Dr. Medhavi Ambardar
Wednesday, July 15 with BIPOC Birding Club
Details HERE
Cheers to Five Years! Celebrating the BIPOC Birding Club
Saturday, July 18 at Urban Ecology Center
Details HERE
Field Adventure: Birding by Canoe
Saturday, July 18, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Tour Jones Island with MMSD- Free
Saturday, July 25
Details and registration HERE
Seminar: Birds of the Evening
Tuesday, July 28, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
August
Migration Flyways of the United States
Saturday, Aug 1 & 8 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Rain Garden Planting with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Wed, Aug 5
Details and registration HERE
Feminist Bird Club – MKE
Sunday, Aug 9
Details to be announced on Insta fbc.mke
The Art of Birding with Chuck Stebeleton
Sunday, Aug 9 at Lynden Sculpture Garden
Details and registration HERE
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology at Horicon Marsh
Sunday, Aug 9
Details and registration HERE
Bird Hike: Fruit Foragers
Sunday, Aug 9 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Connections Between Birds and Humans
Tuesday, Aug 11 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Monitoring Eastern Bluebirds in a Suburban Neighborhood and Their Surprising Adaptability with Bird Bander Al Sherkow
Wednesday Aug. 12, 7pm, in person @ Mequon Nature Preserve and via Zoom
For many years, Al Sherkow has been the area’s busiest, most experienced and most-in-demand bird bander, working on monitoring projects at the Urban Ecology Center, Riveredge Nature Center, and the Mequon Nature Preserve. In 2025, he monitored 19 traditional bluebird nest boxes, and 18 newspaper holders. These latter birds aren’t following the guidelines for placing bluebird boxes. That they are using the newspaper holders is an interesting adaptation to expand their range into this suburban neighborhood. Al and his neighbors have learned a lot, and this program will share it with you.
To Register: https://ticketstripe.com/MonitoringEasternBluebirds
To join meeting via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cHBUigyBRiadeqzpt_BbDA
Wild Inside
Saturday, Aug 15, 12:00pm at Oriental Theater
Showing at the Milwaukee Film Festival, this documentary traces Flaco, an Eurasian Eagle Owl, after his escape from Central Park Zoo. Panel discussion after the showing. Details HERE
Field Illustration for Birders
Saturday, Aug 22 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Mighty Migration Series from Southeast Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Tuesday Aug 25 – Thursday Aug 27, 7:00pm webinars
1) Mystery of Migration, 2) Ecological Forecasting for Bird Conservation, and 3) Conserving Birds One Coffee Cup at a Time
Details and registration HERE
Bird Walk at Afterglow Farms with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Thursday, August 27
Details and registration HERE
** Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook!
Check out Milwaukee Birders on Facebook and Instagram for event announcements
Check out Chirp Chat episodes by Xcaret Nuñez. It’s all about birding Milwaukee area on WUWM 89.7 last Wednesday of the month
List of Milwaukee area BIRD CLUBS !
Milwaukee parks that need birding this week
The county needs eBird records throughout the year for every park and natural area. Every week there are priority parks needing eBird lists. A park could be a priority because no surveys have been done for that week. Alternatively, it could be prioritized because there are surveys, but MKE Parks suspect more species might reside there than previously identified.
We can help MKE Parks! Pick a priority park, go bird, eBird it and note time spent there.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS : July 15-21
- Alcott Park
- Armour Park
- Baran Park
- Chippewa Park
- Honey Creek Pkwy 2,3,4,5
- Johnstone Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy #3
- Milwaukee River Pkwy #3,5
- Mitchell Blvd Park
- Oak Creek Pkwy #5
- Pulaski Park (Cudahy)
- Root River Parkway 4
- Southwood Glen Park
- Zablocki Park
Based on the needs spreadsheet from MKE Parks, Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society (Thanks Colleen!) curates suggested locations based on accessibility to the property and availability on the ebird hotspots tool. Please track your time spent! At the end of the year WMAS provides hours to the county.
Follow Wisconsin Metro Audubon on Facebook for their weekly park posts.
Note- even if it’s already been birded this week, going another day or even a different time of day helps. The parks department wants a number of surveys for each park. Birding more than once in a week is very helpful!
Find a park and a park map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Find-a-Park
Wisconsin Metro Audubon is also birding for Waukesha Parks…
Bird where you can and share your ebird list with their ebird account: WaukeshaCountyBirding. A Waukesha County Park pass is needed for a number of these locations. To purchase passes visit:
https://wiwaukeshacountyweb.myvscloud.com/…/splash.html#
Note that seniors (60+) can purchase annual park passes for only $20!
July bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Ashippun Lake – Waukesha County- (free)
- Berg Property (off LO west a little bit from Mukwonago Park)
- Fox Bend Park-(access through St Martins Woods SNA or Big Bend Park but don’t count bird in BBP)
- Ice Age Trail Monches segment
- Menomonee Park (daily fee or pass)
- Minooka Park (daily fee or pass)
- Monches County park (daily fee or pass)
- Muskego Park (daily fee or pass)
- Nagawaukee Park (pass or daily fee)
- Ryan Park (daily fee or pass)
- Ashippun River Greenway- free
- New Berlin Recreation Trail (free- bike from edge of Greenfield Park into Waukesha!)