Sunday, Sept 15 8:00am Shorewood Nature Preserve
3600 N Lake Dr, Shorewood
To avoid Lake Drive construction come east on Newton or Beverley from Maryland
EBird: HERE
Wisconsin Metro Audubon is having two Swift Nights Out
Friday, Sept 13 at 6:45 pm Franklin
8423 South 51st St
This is a gated entrance and we have obtained permission from the caretaker who lives on site to count swifts entering the chimney. There is space for parking and chairs (we suggest bringing them as the concrete will not be comfy to sit on). Feel free to bring a non-alcoholic beverage and snack! Arrive between 6:30 (no earlier as gate may not be open) and about 6:45, we expect swifts to mass around 7 and be done by 7:25-7:30. This is a new location so we have no idea what to expect!
Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1939456606481304
Sunday Sept 15 at 6:45pm Bayview
3045 South Kinnikinic
New location at an auto body shop! The school a couple blocks away has hosted very few swifts this year but this location has had 100+ the past few nights. We have permission to park in the lot across the street. We suggest arriving between 6:30 and 6:45. Bring a chair, and non alcoholic beverage and snack if you wish. We expect swifts to mass around 7 and then enter the chimney, finishing by 7:30ish
Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2222293511460694
Ongoing swifts are roosting in the Shorecrest Hotel Chimney
at the corner of Prospect and Irving
It is the eastside – parking is scarce, the sidewalk is busy. and we’ll be standing the whole time. Will it be worth the hassle? YES! Monday night 700 swifts entered the roost between 7:25 and 8:00pm
On map yellow highlights are viewing area, Red circle is chimney. Street parking possible if you are lucky. If not lucky, park along Lincoln Memorial Drive or McKinley Marina and walk up Lafayette Hill, google estimates 8-10 minutes
Fall migration is in progress. Lake Park Fall Warbler Walks this Saturday. See details below
Request for help documenting bird window collisions
Route walkers are needed for one morning a week through Oct 31 Documentation of a problem in the first step in solving it!
UEC coordinates a monitoring program during spring and fall migration. There is a route around Northwestern Mutual Life & US Bank buildings downtown and another route at UW-Milwaukee. Contact Amanda, atokuyama@urbanecologycenter.org or Tim, tvargo@urbanecologycenter.org at UEC for more information, training and route assignment.
For additional SE Wisconsin Bird Walks – scroll all the way down!
Last Week:
Around the evergreens and pond was surprisingly quiet Sunday morning, perhaps it was by orders of the female Mallard who seemed to be in charge of the twenty Canada Geese in the pond. As we began to walk down the paved path to the lake, we began to hear warblers and see movement in the trees. Here is where they all were. The woodpecker condo tree was very busy with Flickers and Red-Bellies. We also saw a Kingfisher on a branch looking towards Michigan. As we ended the walk many of us headed to Lakeshore State Park to see the Buff-Breasted Sandpipers, Black-Bellied Plovers and a Red Knot.
eBird List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194409757
Pic: Jennifer Ambrose
Pic: Jennifer Ambrose
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 (Thanks Colleen!) 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. Follow Wisconsin Metro Audubon on Facebook for their weekly park posts. Click on the triangle to see this week’s list.
Milwaukee Parks that need birding this week
- Alcott Park
- Armour Park
- Barloga Woods
- Barnard Park
- Bender- Fitzsimmons Rd
- Dineen Park
- Doyne Park
- Franklin Savanna- note this had tall grass, chest height a couple of weeks ago. Entry may be difficult.
- Honey Creek Pkwy #4,5
- Kern Park
- Madison Park
- Menomonee River Pkwy #3,8
- Milwaukee River Pkwy #5
- Mitchell Blvd Park
- Oak Creek Pkwy # 3,5,10
- Oakwood-Fitzsimmons Woods-see note below
- Root River Parkway #1,3,4,6,7,8
- Servite Park
- Wyrick Park
- For Oakwood-Fitzsimmons Woods: park at the Oakwood golf course. You can walk the perimeter of the woods that are east of the practice area (don’t go into the driving range area though). Head north along the wooded edge, and then follow the asphalt trail for a bit and you will come to some grass trails that are mowed to the east of the course. Follow those as far as they go. Record in ebird as Oakwood golf course but in checklist comments mention Fitzsimmons Woods.
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 FREE Bird Walks:
Sundays 8:00am Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk (WMAS)
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. No registration required.
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
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/
Check out Chirp Chat episodes all about birding Milwaukee area on WUWM last Wednesday of the month
Nearby Bird Clubs to checkout:
Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club meets at Retzer Nature Center
BIPOC Birding Club chapters in Madison and Milwaukee
Hoy Audubon Society meets in Racine
Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition meets at second Wednesdays at Riveredge Nature Center, Lac Lawrann in West Bend, Mequon Nature Preserve or 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
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology statewide birding organization with field trips around the state and advocating state wide for conservation of birds and bird habitat
Join one or more of the above bird clubs – Support local birding
Upcoming:
Have a birding event to share? Let me know, email us on the Contact Page
Walks listed are FREE unless noted. Please register if requested
AUGUST
Fall Warbler Walks at Lake Park
Saturdays, Aug 23 – Sept 28 at 8:30
Meet at the feeders just south of the playground. See map left. Park in the playground lot (enter off Lincoln Memorial Drive) or on Locust Street in the park (entering off Lake Drive)
SEPTEMBER
Class at Cedarburg Bog: Understanding Bird Populations and How They Change,
Thursdays 6:00-7:30pm, September 12 – October 17, 2024
Cedarburg Bog
Fall Big Sit with WI Metro Audubon
Saturday, Sept 14 7:00-11:00am at Wehr Nature Center
To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and inspire a curiosity for birding, Wehr Nature Center is partnering with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society (WMAS) to host a “Big Sit.” Observe, meet experts, and enjoy a morning of listening and observing birds by both sight and sound all from the convenience of one stationary location. Birders of all ages, abilities, and levels are welcome to discover birds during migration at the South Pier (not the white one). Binoculars will be on hand for visitors to try. No experience necessary. We will share an on-going list of the birds observed and post results on eBird.org as well as www.bigsit.org. Questions contact Pat Fojut at ptfojut@gmail.com
Nature Book and Magazine Swap
followed by Rehabilitating Wisconsin Wildlife with Marty, founder of Wanakia Wildlife – WMAS Monthly Meeting
Wednesday Sept 18, 6:30-7:00pm and 7:00-8:30pm
Swap: Join us for our first ever book and magazine swap! Bring your nature-oriented books and magazines to exchange. Doors open at 6:30, and stay for our 7:00 program “Rehabilitation & Release of Native Animals with Wanakia Wildlife Center”. Free!
Talk : Marty will present information about the program and we will meet Animal Ambassadors to become aware of wildlife issues and ways we can help support wildlife. Wisconsin Metro Audubon will make a donation to Wanakia Wildlife and we encourage members and visitors to help support wildlife rehabilitation. Website: https://wanakia.org/
In-person and available online with pre-registration at this link.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZEqfu-rrTwjH9MATj…
Fall Migratory Birding Series with Nearby Nature
Saturday Sept 21 from 10:00am-Noon
Harriet Tubman Park 4750 N 48th St Milwaukee 53218
There will be one more birding day: October 19
Let’s gather together for an exciting event as our feathered friends gear up for their winter journey. Nearby Nature Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Parks are teaming up to bring the beauty of birdwatching right to your doorstep. Enjoy engaging birding education, arts and crafts activities, and more—all for FREE! Register here!
Raptor ID Workshop
Saturday, Sept 21 9:00-12:00pm, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center $40/$55
Have you ever wondered what kind of hawk is visiting your backyard? Or who is that mystery silhouette, soaring hundreds of feet overhead is? Join Raptor Educator, Cheyenne Smith, to learn the fundamentals of identifying Wisconsin raptors! With a visit from several of our raptor ambassadors, the first half of this workshop will offer an interactive exploration of birding principles, highlighting variations across raptor species to help you identify birds in the wild. During the second half, we’ll take a hike to put our newly learned skills to practice – at the height of fall migration, no less! Registration Required HERE
Exploring Urban Ecology Center Menomonee Valley with BIPOC Birding Club
Sunday, Sept 22 9:00-10:30pm, Urban Ecology Center Menomonee Valley
Details to follow
Site here: https://www.bipocbirdingclub.org/events/urban-ecology-center-mv-2024
October
The “Big Sit” at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
Oct 6 (Sunday) Starting at 6:30 a.m.
The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club, in cooperation with the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory and OWBC, will host its annual “Big Sit!” at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, five miles north of Port Washington, on Sunday, Oct. 6. The count will begin at 6:30 a.m. on the Bill Cowart Memorial Hawk Watch Platform on the northeast corner of the preserve. The Sit’s 17-foot circle is on the perfectly-sized hawk watch platform at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve (4970 Country Club Rd., Port Washington). Since 2007, birders have recorded a total of 266 species at Forest Beach. Join us for a half-hour, or a half-day! And there will be donuts for the early birders. Questions: contact Carl Schwartz @ cschwartz3@wi.rr.com
WSO Field Trip: Harrington Beach Hawk Watch
10/6/24 or10/13/23 depending on weather conditions.
Registration Required
We begin our birding near the lower beach parking area of Harrington Beach State Park, initially checking the trees and lawn area for sparrows, warblers, kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, finches, etc. After an hour or so, the group will take a hike on some of the park’s roads or trails to look for additional species, and check the lake for waterfowl, gulls, loons and grebes. This park lies adjacent to Lake Michigan, which can help serve as a channel for migrants, including raptors, which can fly over in good numbers on days when migration conditions are conducive – usually meaning strong northwest or west winds. Please note that there is a state park entrance fee.
Later in the morning we may also venture south to Forest Beach Migratory Preserve and check for additional species at that site. Often our visit to that site coincides with their Big Sit event, and we may hike down to their hawk watch platform to join their bird count.
Trip registration opens on September 6, 2024.
“Facts, Fiction and Fun Stories about Owls” by Mary Holleback and Dan Wundrock
Oct. 9 (Wednesday), 7 p.m.
Hybrid live and Zoom program at Riveredge Nature Center; no registration required.
What’s a group of owls called?
How far away can an owl see at night?
How do they find their prey?
Just how good is their hearing?
Learn some fun trivia about a variety of Wisconsin’s most secretive night time avian predators. You might even find out “who cooks for you” or whoooooo’s the earliest nester in the state!
Mary is the naturalist and citizen science manager at Riveredge, serving as the onsite sturgeon project manager and director of the “Testing the Waters” high school water quality monitoring program. She holds a BA in conservation biology and an MS in curriculum and instruction from UW-Milwaukee.
Having done his undergrad and graduate work in biology, Dan spent the first 10 years of his career as a high school biology and special education teacher. He then spent the next 25+ years heading up science-based research and distribution companies. Dan brought his unique outdoor skills to Riveredge in 2012 as an environmental educator. He has spent numerous years researching and photographing birds in remote habitats of Lapland, Iceland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Alaska. Most recently he and three others traveled into a remote area of the Salonga National Park in Congo. While there they studied bonobos in an effort to ensure the survival of these endangered great apes as part of the Bonobo & Congo Biodiversity Initiative.
To join Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81623192214?pwd=zOa73Mmft0cnIW0V9LYKIbp80EKJ4B.1
Meeting ID: 816 2319 2214
Passcode: 258434
Introduction to Carity Prairie with BIPOC Birding Club
Saturday, Sept 12 9:00-10:30am
The Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy is inviting the BIPOC Birding Club to the Carity Prairie, which is 23 acres of land in the suburb of Franklin that the conservancy is preserving and restoring. Throughout this preserve, we will explore a native mesic prairie, a sedge meadow, and an oak savannah. We will also walk by a man-made pond and the permitter of farm fields.
Details: https://www.bipocbirdingclub.org/events/carity-prairie-mke-2024
World Migratory Bird Day
Saturday, Oct 12 at 8:00 am
Free guided bird walks at parks around Milwaukee – List of parks coming soon!
Families and beginners welcome! Start learning about the birds in a park near you!
Since 1983, a spring and fall World Migratory Bird Day have been celebrated to highlight the need to protect the resources, habitats and flyways of migratory birds. This year’s theme is that protecting insects in protecting birds.
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Milwaukee Birders 