Sunday, Oct 20 8:00am
Lakeshore state park-starting at south end
Park on Road north of Pierhead Lighthouse

Sunday looks warm and clear for a walk around Lakeshore State Park. Recent sightings include Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs and Red-breasted Mergansers. This time last year we were there and found a Brown-headed Cowbird hopping along the grass (see pic to left).
Trail conditions: Paved or mown can be uneven near the rocks along lake and inlet.
Facilities: Porta Potty always open. Discovery World bathrooms are available after 9:00am.
Open to all, Free

Recent EBird for this location: HERE

Milwaukee Birding News:

Veteran’s Park Lagoon. The east side of the lagoon has a new look and it’s not too good right now. Milwaukee County Parks will be replanting both trees and shrubs. We’ll share info as we get it.

What if you could show Crane love every day? You can and contribute to the ICF with the new Wisconsin International Crane Foundation License plate. Details HERE

For additional SE Wisconsin Bird Walks – scroll all the way down!

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Last Week:
The morning started out chilly at Mequon Nature Preserve. Nine of us walked up the hill listening and looking. Across County Line Rd we could see hundreds of Canada Geese. We headed for Christine’s Painted Pond hoping for some shorebirds. There was not much happening there as we approached the shrub line that crosses the path Joan heard an Eastern Meadowlark. Soon we all heard them. A number of sparrow species, Eastern Bluebirds, and an Orange-crowned warbler were hanging out in the grasses and shrubs.
We headed to Paul’s Pond and the woods hoping for more birds. And boy did we get birds! Those first to the pond spotted a lovely Kildeer. Katie pointed out a Wilson’s Snipe tucked in among the muck. We enjoyed watching them for a while. As we filed north of Harvey’s woods, we saw a Peregrine Falcon land on the center post of a utility tower. Fortunately, Dennis had brought his camera and snapped some great shots of the bird doing lunch prep. One of the photos showed a band on the Peregrine. Banded birds can be reported to the MUS Geological Survey at reportaband.gov Another great Sunday morning of birding with a great group. Anyone is welcome to join us – just show up at the meeting spot!

Bird Pics: Dennis Miller

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 if you don’t see this week’s list)

Milwaukee Parks that need birding this week

• Alcott Park
• Armour Park
• Baran Park
• Barnard Park
• Chippewa Oark
• Currie Park
• Dineen Park
• Doyne Park
• Franklin Savanna- note this had tall grass, chest height. Entry may be difficult. We have a ‘field trip’ Friday here
• Gordon Park
• Juneau (north)
• Koscziusko Park
• Madison Park
• Melody View Preserve
• Menomonee River Pkwy 7
• Milwaukee River Pkwy #2,3,5
• Oak Creek Pkwy # 3,4
• Pulaski (Cudahy)
• Root River Parkway 8,10
• St. Martins Park- field trip Wednesday here
• Servite Park
• Southwood Glen
• Wisconsin Ave 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 FREE Bird Walks:

Sundays 8:00am Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk (WMAS)
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. No registration required.

Sundays 8:00am Milwaukee Birders
Location varies – see this week’s location above.
Free walks – open to all levels of birders

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 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 Area Bird walks:

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

October

WSO Un-Convention
Saturday, Oct 19 in Steven’s Point
A chance to learn and talk about birds and birding in Wisconsin. Presentations include Birding Portage County, All About Kestrels, Status of the Greater-Prairie Chicken, Kirtland’s Warblers, Red-shouldered Hawks and more. Registration and details here: https://wsobirds.org/about-wso/news/1951-wso-unconvention-and-other-upcoming-programs – Room for walk-ins if you find yourself free Saturday

Birds and Water by Wisconsin Academy
Sunday, Oct 20 3:00-5:00pm
Urban Ecology Center – Menomonee Valley
The event will be a free, hybrid program during which both in-person and online attendees will learn about the importance of clean and healthy water for waterbirds and humans. Hillary Thompson, Whooping Crane Project Manager at the International Crane Foundation, and Danielle Washington, Program Manager at Community Water Services, will discuss the wildlife and water efforts happening right here in Milwaukee. Following the talk, in-person guests will be able to enjoy a birding walk on the Urban Ecology Center’s grounds with our speakers.
Part of the Birds and Beyond series, Birds and Beyond is an exciting series from the Wisconsin Academy in partnership with the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Color in the Outdoors, set in Wisconsin’s diverse landscapes, taking place from August 2024 to March 2025 across various locations within the state. 
Series schedule: https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/birds-and-beyond

Greener, Healthier Schools with Justin Hegarty
Wednesday, October 23rd, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society at Wehr Nature Center
Justin Hegarty, P.E., LEED A.P., is an environmental engineer and executive director of the Milwaukee area nonprofit Reflo. Justin will share the great success for over 10 years at Reflo that has co-created community-supported green infrastructure projects that have planted 3,776 trees, established 217,000 square feet of native habitat, removed 13 acres of urban asphalt, and improved the daily lives of over 17,000 people–while managing 2.4 million gallons of stormwater every time it rains. Justin has guided Reflo from its 2013 inception to a diverse team who cultivate meaningful partnerships throughout the Milwaukee area.
Website: https://refloh2o.com/

Wisconsin Neonic Forum
Wednesday, Oct 30 9:00-4:30
DeLuca Forum at UW-Madison, Fee $40
The potential impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) on bird species and populations (indirect and direct) are concerning attend the Wisconsin Neonic Forum, scheduled for October 30, 2024, at the DeLuca Forum, UW Discovery Center/Building, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 330 North Orchard St., Madison, WI to learn more. A detailed schedule of the presentations included in this event is shown at the web link below.
Neonicotinoids, or neonics, are one of the most widely used insecticides in Wisconsin and applied to millions of acres of agricultural and urban land each year.  This forum will address benefits and risks associated with the use of these pesticides. As you will see from the agenda (which can be found on the registration site), we are bringing in several national speakers as well as Wisconsin’s own experts, all of whom will share information on neonics, their use, and potential impact on a wide range of species and ecosystems.  

Here is the website with more information about the event, schedule, presenters, and how to register:
https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/support/events/wisconsin-neonic-forum/

This event will be hosted by Trout Unlimited, Clean Wisconsin, the River Alliance of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Black Earth Creek Watershed Association, UW-Extension, the WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and the WI Department of Natural Resources.  
Clean Wisconsin has graciously agreed to share their registration site (shown above) on which you can register for the event.  When purchasing a registration ticket, please select your ticket quantity and then click “Donate Via” using your preferred method.  By clicking this option, paying $40, and entering your contact information, you will be fully registered for the conference.  Breaks and lunch are included with the registration fee.
We are limited by the size of the venue to 300 attendees, so we are urging folks to register early—the deadline for registration is October 20. 

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 7:00-8:30pm
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

Raptor Banding at Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station
November 20th, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society at Wehr Nature Center
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 established Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station (CGORS), the longest continuous raptor banding operation in North America, to band migrating raptors and track long-term avian migratory trends. Station banding director Danny Erickson will discuss the history of CGORS, WI raptor identification and banding, and the collaborative work the station does s to our knowledge of these charismatic birds and the conservation of raptor populations. Erickson is a field biologist from Milwaukee who studies raptor movement and population trends through banding. Since 2021, he has overseen the count and banding operations at CGORS each fall. He is currently a MSc student at UW-Green Bay studying novel disease in migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks. 
Website: https://cgors.org/

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