Sunday May 19 7:30am Virmond Park The road into the park winds through a short grass area. On the east end, the bluff top can be very birdy with both tall trees and a swampy area. There are stairs to the beach. And if you do not want to go all the way down, the first landing also doubles as a nice lake viewing platform. From Virmond we can head to Donges Bay Gorge. A small interesting Ozaukee-Washington Land Trust area where a Louisiana Waterthrush has been heard singing.
Memorial Day Weekend:
Horicon Marsh Boat Tour
Sunday, May 26 9:00-11:00 am cost $38 – Still tickets available
Buy your ticket here: https://horiconmarsh.com/tours.php at Blue Heron Landing tours. We can car pool over. Before and/or after boat tour we can check out a few other places in the Marsh. Details to follow. Please email Katie or Donna if you booked a seat on the boat tour. After the boat ride those interested can continue up to Hwy 49 for pond viewing and take the auto tour route.
Still time to contribute to a Birdathon. See all the Birdathon Teams HERE. Contribute to as many as you want! Funds are split between the Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation and each birdathon’s organization.
Brew City Birding Festival with Urban Ecology Center
Registration and details at above link.
Thursday:
8:00am Field Trip to Wehr Nature Center;
—> 5:30-7pm: Trivia at the Gathering Place 811 E Vienna in Riverwest
(Yes! We are going – show up and we’ll make up teams there!)
Last Week:
Birding Bonanza! The great bunch of birders we had were necessary to spot all the birds hopping high and low at Shorewood Nature Preserve. We saw 57 species, 197 individual birds. The easy one was the Baywatch Turkey living her best life on the beach. We had 18 warbler species and three vireo species.
eBird list Shorewood Nature Preserve: https://ebird.org/checklist/S173938144
Pics : Philadelphia Vireo; Eastern Wood Pewee; and the Wild (beach) Turkey
Milwaukee parks that need birding this week
The county tracks every parkland and records to see if there are surveys recorded on eBird. Every year they identify priority parks by week. A park could be a priority because there are no surveys done in that week; or because there are surveys but they think there may be more species there than previously identified.
Based on the spreadsheet they create, Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society curates suggested locations based on accessibility to the property (some of the parkway locations are difficult to access) and availability on the ebird hotspots tool. Click on the triangle to see this week’s list.
Milwaukee Parks that need birding this week
- Alcott Park
- Barnard Park
- Chippewa Park
- Dineen Park
- Doyne Park
- Franklin Savanna (Wear high rain boots and check for ticks afterwards)
- Madison Park
- Melody View Preserve
- Mitchell Blvd Park
- Oak Creek Pkwy #1 (called Oak Creek Parkway Trail in ebird)
- Pulaski – Cudahy
- Root River Pkwy #10
- Servite Park
- Southwood Glen
- Wyrick Park
- Zablocki Park
Please track your time spent! At the end of the year WMAS provides hours to the county. Find a park and a park map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Find-a-Park
Note- even if it’s already been birded this week, going another day (or a different time of day) helps. The parks department has a number of surveys it wants for each park, so birding more than once this week is very helpful!
Ongoing Bird Walks:
Sundays 8:00am Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk (WMAS)
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. No registration required.
Second Sundays 10:00-11:30am The Art of Birding with Chuck Stebelton at Lynden Sculpture Gardens will run April through August. Register for walks HERE by the Friday before
Tues 8:00am Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center (UEC), 3700 W Pierce St
Wed 8:00am Washington Park Urban Ecology Center (UEC) 4023 W Galena St
Thurs 8:00am Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center (UEC) 1500 E Park Place
Fridays 7:30am Riveredge Nature Center Migration Bird Walks in May
Fridays 8:00am Bird walks at Retzer Nature Center walks with Goss Bird Club
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/
Saturdays 7:00am Goss Bird Club bird around Waukesha County. See Field Trip Schedule – Next event Saturday at Monches Woods
Saturdays 8:30 Lake Park Warbler walks run April 20 through end of May
Check out Chirp Chat episodes all about birding Milwaukee
Migration Walks starting in May(details later):
Nearby Bird Clubs to checkout:
Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club meets at Retzer Nature Center.
Hoy Audubon Society meets in Racine
Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition meets at Riveredge Nature Center, Lac Lawrann in West Bend, Mequon Nature Preserve and Cedarburg Bog
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Bird Club second Wednesday at 6:30pm
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society (WMAS), third Wednesday at 7:00pm Wehr Nature Center
Upcoming:
Have a birding event to share? Let me know, share on the Contact Page
May
UWM Field Station at Cedarburg Bog starting in May. Click on class link for more information and to register:
- Introduction to Bird Song, Thursdays 6:00-7:30pm, May 02 – June 06, 2024
- Field Herpetology: Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin, May 31-June 01, 2024
- Sedges of Wisconsin, June 07-08, 2024
- Experiences in Great Lakes Ethnobotany, June 28-29, 2024
- Frolic, Fetch & Sketch, July 26-27, 2024
- Got Algae? Algal Diversity of the Kettle Moraine, August 02-03, 2024
- Wetland Delineation, August 09-10, 2024
- Restoring Upland Plant Communities, August 23-24, 2024
- Understanding Bird Populations and How They Change,
Thursdays 6:00-7:30pm, September 12 – October 17, 2024
Brew City Bird Fest
May 10-17, 2024 Urban Ecology Center and other sites around the city
Celebrate spring migration with Urban Ecology Center at the Brew City Birding Festival Friday May 10th to Friday May 17th. Events all week including bird art night on Wednesday, Bird Trivia at Gathering Space on Thursday, and of course, the return of our popular Horicon Marsh field trip! [Note: All activities have a fee and require registration, see detailed list link below]
Lots of details for the week’s events
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Annual Convention
May 17-19 in Two Rivers
Talks on Gull ID, Scientific Illustration, Aquatic Insect Emergence and Birds, as well as a Keynote on Climate Change and Birds. Plus lots of birding opportunities!
Details and registration info here, https://wsobirds.org/what-we-do/annual-convention
Whip-poor-will Walk
Sunday May 19 7:30pm
Meet at 7:30 PM on Piper Rd. 1.3 miles east of Hwy 67 where the Horse Trail crosses. Anne Moretti will lead us in our quest to find Henslow’s and Grasshopper Sparrows and other crepuscular species. The chance to hear the Eastern Whip-poor-will is a special treat! In 2020 Anne and the group heard 3 and possibly 5 of them so don’t miss this one folks. https://www.gossbirdclub.org/fieldtrips.html
Birding Forest Home Cemetery with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Saturday, May 25 8:00am
Join Rita Wiskowski for a walk through beautiful and historic Forest Home Cemetery as we look for migrating and resident birds. We will meet at 8 AM on Saturday May 25th outside the main office (near the corner of 27th & Layton Blvd). Extra binoculars will be available so this is the perfect event to bring those new birders in your life!
Bird Conservation in Coffee
Saturday, May 25, 2024 8:00 am – 10:00 am Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
$27.00 – $37.00
This program will look at the relationship between migratory birds and our coffee habits. Over the last 50 years, North America has lost 3 billion birds. In this presentation, we will explore current research into how the cultivation of coffee plays a part in this population decline. Then, we’ll have an opportunity to meet Nicco, our Broad-winged Hawk, and learn about how coffee farms impact their migration. Lastly, we will taste some “Bird Friendly” coffee and bring it with us for a walk out on the grounds to search for some of the spring migrants arriving from these very regions!
Warbler Life History and ID Workshop
Saturday May 25 7:00-10:0am at Riveredge
$30-40
Explore the fascinating world of Wisconsin Warblers in this immersive workshop! Learn expert techniques for field identification, delve into the unique life histories of these vibrant birds, and enhance your birdwatching skills. Join us for an enriching experience connecting with the diverse warbler species that grace Wisconsin’s landscapes. Register here: https://www.riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/warbler-life-history-id-workshop/
Kanow Park and Rock River Jefferson County
Saturday May 25 8:00am
Meet at Kanow Park on Rock River Road just north of Hwy 16 (west of Oconomowoc but east of Ixonia). This is a river bottom area that is often flooded, providing habitat for Prothonotary Warblers as well as numerous other warblers, vireos, and migrants. Led by Tim Hahn. https://www.gossbirdclub.org/fieldtrips.html
June
Black Birders Week Hike with Sierra Taliaferro and Nearby Nature
Saturday June 1 8:30am at Hopkins Hollow 4410 N Hopkins St
Honoring Black Birder’s Week, Nearby Nature is featuring a guided bird walk in Hopkins Hollow led by our illustrious board member Sierra Taliaferro. Black Birders Week got its start in 2020 as a way for Black Birders to help create a safe space in the outdoors for people of color. According to a press statement by http://www.BlackAFinSTEM, they seek to normalize the historically overlooked presence of Black birders, scientists and nature enthusiasts and make the natural sciences more inclusive, diverse and welcoming. We welcome all our friends to join us in this outing. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair of ours. We’ll also be talking about our summer plans for wildlife monitoring and land stewardship. Please register here: https://forms.gle/7Qxw6EY974vmKbpo8
We are starting early, both to see more birds, but also so we can join the Promise Zone Bike Ride at 10 am
Cicadas!
Walworth County, Big Foot Beach State Park
1550 S Lake Shore Drive, Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Date TBA – Tentative 6/1/24 or 6/8/24 – 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
We will be meeting at the park. Send an email to wimetrobird@gmail.com to receive updates.
Register on this Form: https://shorturl.at/FZ249
2024 is an especially exciting year for the 17 year cicada. This year Brood XIII will emerge in Northern Illinois and a few areas in the Lake Geneva, WI area. According to Cicada Mania, not since the Thomas Jefferson presidency (1803) has a 13 year cicada, Brood XIX also emerged in Illinois and Indiana at the same time.
WSO Field Trip Northern Kettle Moraine
Saturday June 1
Details and registration HERE
Birding Exploration
Sunday June 2 8:00-9:30am Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
$17-23
This outdoor hike led by Schlitz Audubon naturalists will teach you how to locate and identify birds from our trails. We will focus on identification characteristics such as size, shape, color, pattern, behavior, song, and habitat preference. You will also learn how to practice looking and listening for birds to get a better view without disturbing them. https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/birding-exploration/
Cedar Grove Ornithology Reserve at Lac Lawrann Nature Conservancy in West Bend
Wednesday, June 12 7:00-8:30pm
“The History, Research, Thrills and Surprise Findings at the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station” by station manager Danny Erickson. The western shore of Lake Michigan has long been known to concentrate birds of prey during their annual southward migration each Fall. To study this movement, scientists long ago established the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station, the longest continuing raptor banding operation in North America, to band migrating raptors and track avian migratory trends. Erickson will discuss CGORS history, the thrills of raptor migration and the exciting research findings helping us to better understand and conserve raptors in the western Great Lakes region.
More info and Zoom link: https://www.riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/owbc-cedar-grove-ornithology-reserve/
Stroll with a Naturalist: Birding by Ear
Thursday June 13 10:00am-12:30pm Riveredge Nature Center
https://www.riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/stroll-with-a-naturalist-birding-by-ear/
Milwaukee Public Museum BioBlitz
June 21-22 Mequon Nature Preserve
Twenty-four hours of documenting all biologic species on site. More about it here: https://www.mpm.edu/bioblitz
Stroll with a Naturalist: Nesting Birds
Thursday June 27 10:00am-12:30pm Riveredge Nature Center
https://www.riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/stroll-with-a-naturalist-nesting-birds-2/
Milwaukee Birders 