Rained out today – Try next week
Sunday, Sept 29 8:00am Lion’s Den
511 High Bluff Drive Grafton pin
Weather looking good for Sunday (unlike last week) Very birdy park on bluffs above Lake Michigan bordered by a wetland on the west side. Trails are grass, wood chipped or boardwalk. Restrooms available
EBird: HERE
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 – choose the mornings you can do. Contact Time or Amanda to sign up. 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:
Shorewood Nature Preserve was QUIET. Where were the birds? As we were heading back up the bluff a Cooper’s Hawk was spotted. May explain our lack of birds. We headed to Lake Park south ravine to see if we could find the Yellow-billed Cuckoo seen on Saturday. No luck with that. A birder, John, was walking his cute little dog and telling us about all the warblers at the waterfall the day before when he spotted a Blue-headed Vireo fly from the waterfall area over to the evergreens on the golf course. We all had great looks and Jeff got a great picture.
Shorewood eBird List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S195217228
Lake Park Lighthouse and South Ravine eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S195231791
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
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)
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, Oct 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.
WSO Un-Convention
Saturday, Oct 19 in Steven’s Point
A chance to learn and talk about birds and birding in Wisconsin. Presentations inlcude birding Portage County, All about Kestrels, Status of the Greater-Prairie Chicken, Kirtland’s Warblers and Red-shouldered Hawks and more. Registration and details here: https://wsobirds.org/about-wso/news/1951-wso-unconvention-and-other-upcoming-programs
November
Xtreme Raptor Day at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Saturday, Nov 2 10:00-2:00 Registration and tickets required
This unique event is held throughout the grounds and offers unforgettable encounters! You will meet our resident raptors up close – including owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles. We’ll be introducing two American Kestrels, the most recent members to join our program: Saxon, a male, and Freyja, a female. Learn about each species including their lifestyle habits and habitats. Stations throughout the Center will provide interactive and educational experiences for you and your guests. Learn about conservation, how to nurture and support birds around your own home, and enjoy bird-themed crafts and activities. Sign up to have your picture taken with your favorite raptor! This special event supports our Raptor Program and the resident birds in our care.
Motus in Wisconsin: A Big Leap in Wildlife Tracking with Jacob Woulf, coordinator for Lake Michigan Bird Observatory MOTUS with Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition at Mequon Nature Preserve
Wednesday November 13 7:00-
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System uses small radio tags and receiving stations to detect animals (primarily birds) as they move across the landscape. Hybrid live and Zoom program at Mequon Nature Preserve
Owl Prowl at the Cedarburg Bog with Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition
Friday, Nov 15 5:30-7:30pm
Join the Cedarburg Bog Owl Prowl team of veteran birders and prowl the Bog for owls. We will be looking for Barred, Great-Horned, Northern Saw-whet, and Eastern Screech-Owls for sure and maybe a rare species such as Long-eared Owl. Bring binoculars, water, and a small flashlight. Dress for the weather. If weather conditions are not conducive for owl viewing, this outing might be postponed. We will let you know in the afternoon by email if there is a postponement. Not recommended for children younger than ten.
Registration Required see HERE. Attendance Cap: 20
Milwaukee Birders 