Sunday, Jan 5, 2025: Dretzka Park 8:30am
Meet in the parking lot by the golf clubhouse
Walking on grassy and paved uneven surfaces. No restrooms.
Will be cold and possibly icy. Dress appropriately and use your best judgement on attending.
Register now for the “BIPOC Learn to Bird at the Zoo” details below
Subscribe! Each week you’ll receive an email with where we’ll be birding next.
Milwaukee Birding News:
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
For additional SE Wisconsin Bird Walks – scroll all the way down!
Last Week:
Hope some of you saw the White Wagtail in Door County!
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 no surveys have been done for that week. Alternatively, it could be prioritized because there are surveys, but MKE Parks suspect more species might reside 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 Park
- Bender Park- Fitzsimmons Rd
- Juneau Park (north)- divide the park in half and write ‘north’ in the checklist comments
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 2
- Menomonee River Pkwy 7,8
- 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 even a different time of day helps. The parks department wants a number of surveys for each park. Birding more than once in a 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 January 10 and 24 at Kelly Senior Center in Warnimont Park,
6100 S Lake Dr, Cudahy
A mix of paved and grassy trails. Mostly flat. Parking also available at Warnimont Dog Park immediately south of Kelly Senior Center
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
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
Calhoun Prairie with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Saturday, Jan 4, 9:00am
Hike the trails at this Waukesha Area Land Conservancy property located a bit south of Beloit Road. A former Christmas tree farm is being transformed. There is a parking lot just north of Calhoun Park, between 2 homes. The address is shared with one of the houses, 5180 S Calhoun- but watch for the pines and short drive to get to the right place.
No bathroom facilities. The hike is about 1.75 miles, some of it uphill. There are trails. The property has some pines, a creek and open prairie. It’s bordered by Calhoun Park, homes to the side and an industrial park at the back.
Trip details HERE
Learning to Bird at the MKE Zoo
Saturday, Jan 4 10:30-12:30
Milwaukee County Zoo 10001 W Bluemound Rd
Free, Registration Required HERE
Hoping to turn a loved one into a full-fledged bird nerd? Looking to sharpen your bird identification skills? Just need a bird-related excuse to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo? Join us for the second year of this fun event!
We love new birders! As always, birders of all skill levels are welcome and we have child- and adult-sized binoculars available for those who’d like to borrow a pair.
Learn more about WALC at https://waukeshalandconservancy.org/#our-preserves
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
WSO Lakefront Field Trip
Sunday, Jan 12
Starts in Milwaukee and works its way north along the lakefront ending in Port Washington. Frequent stops to scope the lake for diving ducks and gulls. Registration required: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22207/17%7C25/milwaukee-lakefront-birding?filter_reset=1
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
Forest Home Cemetery with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Saturday, Jan 18, 9:00-10:30am, $10
Registration & advance payment required
Experience the serene beauty of winter while exploring the diverse birdlife of Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum. Bundle up and join Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society bird guides for a leisurely 1.5- to 2-mile walk through the historic cemetery and arboretum this January. Details HERE
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1126316957339?aff=oddtdtcreator
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 