Mar 9: Lakeshore State Park

TIME CHANGE – SPRNG FORWARD
Sunday, Mar 9, 8:30am Lakeshore State Park
Meet at the south entrance (red arrow). There is parking along the road to the Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse (yellow highlight).
Migration is beginning! Use Birdcast Dashboard for Milwaukee county to track numbers passing over Milwaukee and probable species.
Paved trails, optional grass and rock trails.
Restrooms available at Discovery World after 9:00am

Site eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L386716

Seasonal bird walks and field trips are picking up Scroll down to see March birding opportunities. Have one you want shared? Send me an email, donnaozomiller@gmail.com

Subscribe! Each week you’ll receive an email with where we’ll be birding next. Posts may go to your “Social” folder if using gmail.

Milwaukee Birding News:

International Women’s Day Birding edition. Saturday, March 7, 8 & 9 is a Women’s Big Birding Day. Share any women’s group or woman eBird lists to “Women in Steppe”

Not driving to Madison to see Christian Cooper? No worries he will be in Milwaukee on Thursday, March 13. FREE – registration required. Details below. Let’s make his stop in Milwaukee worth it!

Like promoting birding? We are looking for a list of birders to email when requests come for help leading a park/community bird walk, hosting a table about birding at community fairs or helping out at birding events. Email Donna, donnaozomiller@gmail.com or Katie, kfisher8689@gmail.com

Birding March Madness. Schlitz Audubon Nature Center has a Migratory Madness bracket challenge. Check it out!

Discover new to you areas in Milwaukee. Urban Ecology Center has Green Spaces, Familiar Faces Series going on. Theses are local walks around the county led by local experts and enthusiasts of the spaces. Register for individual walks.

Report dead birds to WI DNR. As we know Avian flu is spreading through duck flocks and other species. Help DNR track the virus by reporting.
From WI DNR website:

Help monitor the health of Wisconsin’s wildlife by reporting your sightings of sick or dead wildlife to the DNR. To report a sick or dead wild bird, please use this survey form: Sick or Dead Bird Reporting Form. You can also contact the Wildlife Switchboard to report a sick or dead wild mammal or wild bird by emailing DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wisconsin.gov or calling 608-267-0866. You will need to leave a message for the switchboard staff. In your message, please include:

the number of animals

the species (such as a raccoon or Canada goose)

if they were sick or dead

the specific location where you saw them, including the county

your contact information

Observations of five or more sick or dead wild birds or three or more sick or dead wild mammals in one area are of particular interest. The DNR keeps track of all reports of sick and dead wildlife, but staff will determine on a case-by-case basis whether samples need to be collected for each event.

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

Last Week:

Morning walk began with several ducks calmly swimming in the canal off the power plant. Walking over to the Port Washington Bird Sanctuary, we saw one then two then THREE Peregrine Falcons flying overhead. There were numerous aerial interactions between them. After that excitement the thirteen of us made our way back to Coal Dock park viewing platform. A number of ducks were on the lake and in the impoundment pond. And a Song Sparrow made it’s way along the shrub border.

Over at the Marina, we crossed the ice to get on the lighthouse walkway. From here we saw a female Harlequin, Red-throated Loon, number of ducks, gulls, and even a Bald Eagle. Closer to shore there was a Red-breasted Merganser tangled in fishing line and trailing a bobber. Andy of Signs of Life in Estabrook Park worked with a local angler to free the bird, read his report of it. It was a beautiful day! From the Peregrine display to the unusual ducks and rescued merganser reminded me it all reminded what I love about group birding. Some moments are better shared with others!

Coal Dock Park: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3235256
Marina/Harbor: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1325030

Milwaukee parks that need birding this week

The county needs eBird records throughout the year for every park and natural area. Every week there are priority parks needing eBird lists. 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.

We can help MKE Parks! Pick a park, go bird, eBird it and note time spent there.

Little Menomonee River Pkwy #2,3 (no trail for 2, a bit of trail for 3 but probably a fair amount of off-road necessary)
Menomonee River Pkwy #7,8 (trails are muddy)
Milwaukee River Pkwy #5
Pulaski (Cudahy- close to Warnimont )
Root River 11- this is called Root River Parkway in ebird. See note below for access. As if 3/5, small portions of trails are flooded, to the top of my mid-calf boots. Dress for wet conditions.
Root River Pkwy 14- this is called Root River Woods in ebird – there are no developed trails
Southwood Glen- if you visit in a school day and want to bird around the school perimeter, please check in with the office. You can bird without going around the school, but there can be good birding around it!
Root River 11- this is the Hunger Task Force Farm. Ideal times to visit are weekdays when you can pull into their lot (there is a visitor building with parking and bathrooms and the gate is open when they are there, just check in with the office so someone knows you are there, if nobody is in it’s ok to walk the trails). If you go when the gates are closed the easiest parking is below the little cemetery on the hill, there’s a short gravelly drive. It’s just north of the visitor entrance to the farm, past the small pond and next tinthe orchard. The reason they’d like people to go when they are there is so they can advise of any treatment being done (it IS a working farm) or other information. There are some developed trails through the woods behind the buildings and a mowed trail around the prairie behind the pond & orchard. If you have questions about visiting, check in with Colleen at 414-379-6741.

Based on the spreadsheet MKE Parks 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.

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!

Find a park and a park map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Find-a-Park

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 8:00am (Mar 2 starts spring-summer 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
Meet in the north parking lot. Mulched and dirt paths, stairs to river path which can be muddy.
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 path which can be muddy

NEW** Every Friday 8:30am at Kelly Senior Center in Warnimont Park,
6100 S Lake Dr, Cudahy
Meet-up by the Senior Center. A mix of paved and grassy trails that go through woods, fields and along the bluff for lake views. Mostly flat. Parking also available at Warnimont Dog Park immediately south of Kelly Senior Center

Second Saturdays (November – March) 11:00 am Lake Park Duck Watch
Meet on the east side of Lincoln Memorial Drive between Bradford Beach and Linwood Water Treatment Plant. March 8 last one of the season!

Second Sundays 8:30-10:00am Birding at Lakeshore State Park. Meet at the south park entrance. Walking on paved surfaces, maybe some uneven, grassy paths but can avoid those. All ages and abilities welcome.

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

MArch

Ducks Workshop, 2-Part
March 4 & 8, Riveredge Nature Center
Details and registration: https://riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/ducks-of-wisconsin-field-identification-workshop-2/2025-03-04/

Pop-Up Birding and Art at the Milwaukee Art Museum
Thursday, March 6 with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Details HERE

WSO: Sheboygan and Lake Michigan Shoreline Field Trip
Saturday, March 8 starting in Sheboygan
Registration and details here: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22214/-/sheboygan-and-lake-michigan-shoreline

Birding at Lynden Sculpture Gardens
March 9
Second Sundays birding with Chuck Stebleton. Registration: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/birding-2025

Crafting For Conservation: Preventing Window Collisions
Saturday March 9 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Time, Fee and Registration Information:
https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/crafting-for-conservation-preventing-window-collisions/

Bird Club: Raptors
Wednesday March 12 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Time, registration and details: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/bird-club-5/

Evening with New York Birder Christian Cooper
Wednesday March 12 in Madison
Wisconsin Academy’s Birds and Beyond series
Tickets on sale now Digital option available
This event will explore how birds create connections—between people, communities and the natural world. Cooper will share his personal journey, his passion for birding, and reflections on the transformative power of nature in fostering inclusivity and understanding. Following his talk, Cooper will join Angela Russell, the Black Oxygen podcast and Chief Diversity Officer at TruStage, for an engaging conversation and audience Q&A. The evening will be emceed by Wisconsin Academy Executive Director Erika Monroe-Kane.

In Milwaukee the next night!
An Evening with Christian Cooper
Thursday, March 13 at Milwaukee Public Library’s Centennial Hall
FREE, Reqistration is required. Boswell Book Company will be onsite for book sales throughout the event. A book signing with the author will follow the public presentation. This event is hosted in collaboration with Urban Ecology Center and Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.
Details and tickets HERE

Spring Birding Workshop at Retzer Nature Center
Saturday, March 15
A day of birding, gardening for birds and bird ID tips for $20. Details HERE

Rita Flores-Wiskowski: More Birders Means More Conservation
Tuesday, March 18 sponsored by Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition
In-person and Zoom, details HERE

Birds of Spring by Chuck Hanger presented by Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Wednesday, Mar 19 at Wehr Nature Center
Time and details: https://wisconsinmetroaudubonsociety.org/programs/

Milwaukee Birders