Expecting melt and freeze over the next few days which will make for icy trails.
Instead of walking trails try car birding. Here are some suggested routes and possible birds:
- Rough-legged Hawks, see Last Week and map below
- Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers go to Six Mile Road or Killsnake. Get to the site by 45 minutes before sunset for best owl action.
- Cute little birds: American Tree Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Horned Larks also around Six Mile Road area. Best chances during the day. Birds likely to be in fields, grasses near the road, and in the gravel along the road shoulder.
Six-Mile Road runs through fields and wetlands ending on the north end at Schwengel Waterfowl Production Area(1 on map) If clear, pull into Schwengel lot for a look at the pond. Any of the pink-highlighted roads are good for car birding. Found the best luck with Short-eared Owls just south of Schwengel. Eurasian Collared Doves are seen around Holy Cross (2 on map)
While not busy roads, there are people driving through. Pull over as far as possible, don’t block driveways, and use blinkers appropriately. We don’t want to give birders a bad name.
Milwaukee Bird Trivia Night! Think you know birds? Want to get together and play happy hour bird trivia? At Wantable Cafe in February or March. Prizes. Drinks for purchase.
Let us know your thoughts! Please answer our three question survey so we can plan for maximum attendance. Answer our burning questions here: https://forms.gle/GwQV3AbtpCNigJGBA
Bird from your window, the Great Backyard Bird Count is Feb 16-19. Bird your yard and eBird it on those 4 days. This provides a valuable point count of winter birds. Learn more here: https://www.birdcount.org/
Last Week:
Seminary Woods is a beautiful piece of land. And it was way too icy, snowy, windy and cold to walk much of it. We bailed. Quickly. From there we headed to the Grant Park Feeders, but never made it. As we got closer the number of cars increased and we soon realized roads were closed for a run, Big Chill 5K &10K (and we thought we were nuts for being out!) The road to the beach was closed as well.
Change of plans: to South Pennsylvania Ave and Hwy 100 for Rough-Legged Hawks. We had six birders, three cars and one long conference call. We parked near a field on Pennsylvania Ave, No Roughies but a Red-Tailed Hawk was perched on fence post 10 feet from us. We continued south and started to see Roughies as we turned east on Hwy 100. Not a great road to shoulder park on, but we did. Cause Roughies! Turning south on Hwy 32 and going around a country block, we came north on S Pennsylvania. This gave us our best views: Rough-legged Hawks on the right, the left, overhead, in front of our cars! It was awesome! Take a drive down there.
Grasslands, east of Seminary Woods, https://ebird.org/hotspot/L424151
S Pennsylvania Oak Creek list, https://ebird.org/checklist/S159461454
Ongoing Bird Walks:
Second Saturday (Nov-March) 11:00am Duck Watch on Lincoln Memorial Drive -east side heading north of Bradford Beach up the hill -yellow highlighted area. Look for all the people and scopes.
DUCK WATCH THIS SATURDAY – rescheduled from Jan 13
Sundays 9:00am Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. No registration required.
Tues 8:00am Urban Ecology Center, Menomonee Valley 3700 W Pierce St
Wed 8:00am Urban Ecology Center Washington Park 4023 W Galena St
Thurs 8:00am Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park 1500 E Park Place
Third Saturdays 8:00am Schlitz Audubon Nature Center 1111 E Brown Deer Rd, Registration required, https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/saturday-morning-bird-walk-15/
Upcoming:
WSO Buena Vista Marsh Field Trip – Winter Birds
Saturday, Feb 10
Register here: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22175/17%7C25/buena-vista-marsh-winter-birds?filter_reset=1
Meet-up details after registration. Caravan by car through the Buena Vista Marsh. Possible birds include Northern Shrike, Rough-Legged Hawks, variety of Woodpeckers, Snow Buntings, Redpolls, Lapland Longspurs, Juncos, variety of owls, and always possible, rarely sighted Greater Prairie Chickens. Last year’s trip report: https://wsobirds.org/about-wso/news/1885-buena-vista-field-trip-2023-feb-11
“OUR SWALLOWS ARE IN TROUBLE” with Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition
Feb. 14 (Wednesday) at 7 p.m.
Aerial Insectivores in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest — Ecology and Changing Populations by Bill Mueller, director emeritus, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
There is growing concern about the apparent population decline of many “aerial insectivores” – those species that feed on their insect prey in flight. These species belong to several avian orders and families that include swallows and martins, Chimney Swifts, some forest flycatchers, plus nightjars such as whip-poor-wills and nighthawks. In this presentation, Bill will primarily focus on three of the swallows found across the Upper Midwest: Purple Martin, Bank Swallow and Barn Swallow. Mueller is an ornithologist and conservation biologist,
Hybrid live and Zoom program at Riveredge Nature Center; no registration required.
To join Zoom meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89709885811?pwd=wWr592l3KpdDTTzxxHTG0IF5KTph7M.1
Meeting ID: 897 0988 5811
Passcode: 719624
Carpool caravan field trip in Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Washington Counties
Feb. 17 (Saturday) at 7 a.m. with Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition
In search of overwintering birds and rarities, we’ll begin at 7 a.m. at Coal Dock Park in Port Washington; no signup required.
PLAN WAY AHEAD:
Book a spot in a bird blind to watch Sharp-tailed Grouse mating dance.
April and May
Book through Namekagon Wildlife Barrens.. View dates are April and May on Sundays, Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays
https://www.namekagonbarrens.org/2024/01/12/the-2024-viewing-blind-reservation-schedule-is-open-on-the-friends-of-the-namekagon-barrens-wildlife-area-website/
Greater Prairie Chicken Mating Dance Viewing at Buena Vista Grasslands
April
Booking will be available through UW Stevens Point. Watch here for more info:
https://www3.uwsp.edu/wildlife/pchicken/Pages/viewing.aspx
Milwaukee Birders 