Whoops! Hit publish too fast – gave you the wrong draft!
Safe travels and enjoy time with family and friends. If you are traveling, we look forward to hearing about the birds you see
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Milwaukee Birding News:
Wondering about plans for Veteran’s Park Lagoon? Get the scoop in this WUWM story by Susan Bence
2025 Wisconsin State Parks Stickers. Now on sale, buy HERE. Also available at DNR Regional Service Center on 1027 W St Paul Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233 open weekdays from 8:30am-4:00pm
2025 Bird Calendars. Looking for a calendar for 2025? Consider one featuring Wisconsin birds:
Aldo Leopold Wisconsin Phenology Calendar
Lake Michigan Bird Observatory Calendar
Nicole Seward Nature Photography – needs to be pre-ordered now
Schlitz Audubon Raptor Calendar
Have a 2025 nature or bird calendar to add to this list? Put it in the comments
For additional SE Wisconsin Bird Walks – scroll all the way down!
Last Week:
A few of us met up on a very foggy Sunday to do a Christmas Bird Count route. The birds were few and far between. We birded Camelot Park, Oak Creek Parkway #6, Oak Creek Mill Pond, and the Oak Creek Trail near the Grant Park Outlet. On the Trail we only had 8 Mallards with a few more birds in the shrubs near where we parked. Mill Pond had about 60 Mallards and five Wild Turkeys. Camelot Park is part of Oak Creek Parkway #6 while Camelot was empty of birds there were more off the trail and along the creek. Though more is relative – still only 15 species.
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 and availability on the ebird hotspots tool. Please track your time spent! At the end of the year WMAS provides hours to the county. Follow Wisconsin Metro Audubon on Facebook for their weekly park posts.
Milwaukee Parks that need birding this week (Click on the triangle if you don’t see this week’s list)
- Alcott
- Armour
- Cambridge Woods
- Chippewa
- Honey Creek Pkwy #4
- Johnstone
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy #2
- Menomonee River Pkwy 8
- Mitchell Blvd Park
- Pulaski (Cudahy)
- Southwood Glen
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 8:30am Milwaukee Birders
Location varies – see this week’s location above.
Free walks – open to all levels of birders
Sundays 9:00am (Note winter time)
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk (WMAS)
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. Mix of mulched, wooded, grass and boardwalk paths
NEW** Mondays 8:00am Estabrook Park
4600 Estabrook Parkway
With Andy of Signs of Life in Estabrook Park, meet in the north parking lot. Mulched and dirt paths, stairs to river path
Tuesdays 8:00am Menomonee Valley
Urban Ecology Center (UEC),
3700 W Pierce St
Mostly paved trails
Wednesdays 8:00am Washington Park
Urban Ecology Center (UEC)
4023 W Galena St
Mostly grass and paved paths
Thursdays 8:00am Riverside Park
Urban Ecology Center (UEC)
1500 E Park Place
Mulched and dirt paths. Stairs to river
NEW** Second and fourth Fridays 8:30am for December 13 and 27 at Kelly Senior Center in Warnimont Park
6100 S Lake Dr, Cudahy
A mix of paved and grassy trails. Mostly flat.
**Except for December: It will be first Saturday, Dec 7**
Second Saturdays 11:00 am Lake Park Duck Watch
Meet on the east side of Lincoln Memorial Drive between Bradford Beach and Linwood Water Treatment Plant
Third Saturdays 8:00am Schlitz Audubon Nature Center 1111 E Brown Deer Rd, Registration requested https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/calendar/
Check out Chirp Chat episodes by Xcaret Nuñez. It’s all about birding Milwaukee area on WUWM 89.7 last Wednesday of the month
See a list of nearby bird clubs
Upcoming Area Bird Talks & 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
December
Bird Walk in Warnimont
Friday Dec 27, 8:30am
Kelly Senior Center in Warnimont Park
6100 S Lake Dr, Cudahy
Led by John Kaspar. A mix of paved and grassy trails. Mostly flat.
january
Ozaukee-Washington Bird Coalition: New Year’s Field Trip & Lunch
Sunday, January 1, 7:30am-1:30pm
Start at Coal Dock Park
The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club is inviting all members of Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition organizations to participate in their annual “Every Bird Is a New Bird” Field Trip to launch your 2025 list! We will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Coal Dock Park in Port Washington and end at noon with lunch (sub sandwiches, chips, cookies and beverages) in the Riveredge Nature Center barn.
RSVP by Dec 28. Details HERE
Owl Prowl for Adults at Grant Park
Friday, January 3, 7:00-9:00pm, $7.00-12.00
Grant Park Clubhouse 100 Hawthorne Ave with Wehr Nature Center
Join a naturalist for an evening out with the owls. An interactive program will highlight the habits and adaptations of our nocturnal neighbors. Then we will walk the trails listening and looking for great-horned and eastern screech owls. Registration HERE
Owl Prowl for Families at Wehr Nature Center
Saturday, January 4, 5:30-7:30pm, $7.00-12.00
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W. College Ave, Franklin
Join a naturalist for an evening out with the owls. An interactive program will highlight the habits and adaptations of our nocturnal neighbors. Then we will walk the trails listening and looking for great-horned and eastern screech owls. Registration https://www.wehrnaturecenter.com/event/owl-prowl-for-families/
Ozaukee-Washington Bird Coalition: Year-Round Movements of Rough-legged Hawks
Wednesday, January 8, 7:00-9:00pm
Virtual
The OWBC is partnering with the Southern WI Bird Alliance to offer this program. From 2021-2022, nine GPS transmitters were attached to wintering Rough-legged Hawks in Wisconsin. Many of these transmitters are still functioning and have provided multiple years of full annual cycle movements. Details HERE
Identifying Winter Ducks
Saturday, January 12, 9:00-10:30am, $17-23.00
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
During winter, Lake Michigan’s shorelines are abundant with waterfowl of all shapes and sizes. Many of these are ducks from far north in Canada who descend deep into the “south” to spend winter here. In this program, you will learn which ducks are here, plus other visiting birds, and understand their unique attributes for winter survival. Details and registration HERE
Wisconsin Academy: Birds and Beyond: Birds and Climate Science
Sunday, January 26 1:00-3:00pm Free
Beaver Creek Reserve near Eau Claire
Join Davin Lopez, an endangered species biologist with the Department of Natural Resources since 2005, to learn what birds can teach us about the impacts of climate change. Davin will discuss overall climate change trends in Wisconsin, along with how these trends are impacting birds, ecosystems, and people. In-person and virtual options, Details and Registration HERE
Milwaukee Birders 