Sunday, Apr 13, 8:00am Lakeshore State Park – South Entrance
Second Sundays at Lakeshore State Park. Meet at the south entrance (red arrowon pic). There is parking along the Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse Road (yellow highlight on pic)
eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L386716
Paved accessible trails. Optional grass and dirt trails too
PortaPotties available and Discovery World restrooms after 9:00am
Free. No registration. All birding levels and families welcome!
Lakeshore SP will look a little different this week. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) did a controlled burn of the prairie to control weeds, improve soil health and promote native plant growth. Read more about the burn in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
On Saturday, April 19 WI DNR will lead a hike describing the hows and whys of the burn, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/105906
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:
The Brew City Birding Festival is a month away! From May 9 to May 18 there will be many bird hikes, bird fun, and learning about improving bird habitat. Events are still being added check the listings: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/things-to-do/nature-outdoors/bird-city/brew-city-birding-festival/
Some events require advance registration!
Want to watch a mystery series that had Kenn Kaufmann as a birding consultant? Check out The Residence on Netflix. Kaufmann discusses his involvement, including the night falcon (right- not a thing), Behind the (birding) Scenes on the Show “The Residence”
WINGS – Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds needs a few more volunteers. WINGS volunteers walk a short route around a few buildings on UWM campus or downtown to document overnight window collisions. Many birds can be saved by the early pick-up and the data is important for getting changes made to windows and reducing collisions. Volunteer as much or as little as you want. Contact Amanda Tokuyama at Urban Ecology Center for more information: atokuyama@urbanecologycenter.org
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:
Report from Katie Fisher: We started our walk 30 minutes early trying to keep up with the earlier sunrise. Above the parking lot we saw two Coopers Hawks fly into the woods. They were working on nest building. It was entertaining watching the process of taking sticks to and from the nest. In the woods, we also saw a pair of Downy Woodpeckers swooping in and out of the trees. No luck with the Screech Owl so we headed down to the soccer fields and river.
Across the river by the bend we hear a Kingfisher and had good looks at Bluebirds, more Downy Woodpeckers, and a Junco or two. The Golden-crowned Kinglets provided great looks but we only heard the Ruby-crowned. Coming out of the woods to the soccer field we had seven Flickers and a Phoebe. We learned of a wetland on the Northwest side of the park that we will check out next time. We hope to see you next week at Lakeshore State Park 8am. Park by the lighthouse.
Ongoing FREE Bird Walks:
Sundays 8:00am Milwaukee Birders
Location varies – see this week’s location above.
Free walks – open to all levels of birders
Sundays 8:00am
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society Bird Walk (WMAS)
Wehr Nature Center 9701 W College Ave. Mix of mulched, wooded, grass and boardwalk paths. Follow WMAS on Facebook for additional walk announcements
Second Sundays 8:00-10:00am Birding at Lakeshore State Park. Meet at the south park entrance. See Friends of LSSP for details. Walking on paved surfaces, maybe some uneven, grassy paths but can avoid those. Portapotty and Discovery World restrooms after 9:00. All ages and abilities welcome.
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. Portapotty
Tuesdays 8:00am Menomonee Valley
Urban Ecology Center (UEC),
3700 W Pierce St
Mostly paved trails. Restrooms available
Wednesdays 8:00am Washington Park
Urban Ecology Center (UEC)
4023 W Galena St
Mostly grass and paved paths. Restrooms available
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. Restrooms available
Fridays 8:30am Warnimont Park,
6100 S Lake Dr, Cudahy
Meet-up by the Kelly Senior Center parking lot. 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. Seasonal bathrooms
Spring Bird Walks Friday mornings through May
Riveredge Nature Center at 7:30am
Registration and details: https://riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/spring-bird-walk/
Check out Chirp Chat episodes by Xcaret Nuñez. It’s all about birding Milwaukee area on WUWM 89.7 last Wednesday of the month
Upcoming Area Bird Talks & walks Registration and fees:
Have a birding event to share? Let me know, email us on the Contact Page
April
Discussion with Chirp Chat’s Xcaret Nuñez
Wednesday, April 9 at Riveredge Nature Center
Join in person or by zoom as Chirp Chat producer, Xcaret Nuñez, will share with us some of her favorite interviews with Wisconsin birders. Topics they’ve explored include why bird names matter, the Mississippi Flyway, spark birds and so much more. Details HERE
Pike Lake/ Hartford Area Field Trip (Washington County)
Saturday, April 12, 7:00am to noon Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition
Led by members of the Noel J. Cutright Bird Club. Caravan/carpooling after meeting up at the Jackson Park & Ride (on CR-P, just north of Hwy. 60) at 7 a.m. We usually check out Big Cedar Lake, Wildlife Drive and some flooded fields before exploring the northeast corner of Pike Lake.
No signup required.
Trip Leader: Carl Schwartz; you can contact him at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com or 414-416-3272
Birding Exploration: Spring Migration
Sunday, April 13 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Guided bird hike. Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/birding-exploration-spring-migration/
Woodcock Wander through the Mequon Nature Preserve
Wednesday, April 16 evening
Join local bird expert and Wild Birds Unlimited-Mequon owner, Dan Panetti, on a stroll in search of the American Woodcock — a secretive species most easily found when engaged in wild aerial courtship displays. Although woodcock technically are a “shorebird,’ they typically are found in woodlands, forest openings, and ephemeral ponds. The diverse habitats of the Mequon Nature Preserve make this an ideal location for observing them. This program has room for 30 participants. Registration: https://ticketstripe.com/woodcockwander2025
The Nature Conservancy Supporting Nature in Milwaukee
Wednesday, April 16 by Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Join WMAS 7:00pm at Wehr Nature Center
Smith will share with WMAS the early directions of TNC’s Milwaukee Program, which include supporting neighborhood-based efforts to replenish Milwaukee’s tree canopy, accelerating natural and engineered stormwater management solutions for water quality and flood resilience, and naturalizing Milwaukee’s under-used land parcels.
Birding Beyond the Bird Feeder: Bird ID
Saturday, April 19 at Wehr Nature Center
The migrants are coming! Learn basic bird identification using behavior, field marks, shape, and more, then test your new skills on a hike. Details and registration: https://www.wehrnaturecenter.com/event/birding-beyond-the-feeder-bird-id/
Audubon Bird Hike: Early Spring Migrants
Saturday, April 19 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Guided bird walk. Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/audubon-bird-hike-early-spring-migrants/
WSO George W Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip
Saturday, April 19
Registration: https://wsobirds.org/what-we-do/field-trips/eventdetail/22218/-/george-w-mead-wildlife-area
Lion’s Den Gorge Field Trip: Spring Birding on the Bluff
April 23 with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Field trip with Schlitz educators. Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/lions-den-gorge-spring-birding-on-the-bluff/
Greater Prairie Chickens: A Trip to see Cupid’s Dance
Wednesday, April 29-30 with Urban Ecology Center
Details and registration: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar/event?id=2666
** Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook!
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.
- April 8-14th- bird some of our local parks and see if you can add a new species to their lists!
- Currie Park
- Dineen Park
- Franklin Savanna (may be wet; check for ticks)
- Kinnickinick Parkway (between 43rd and 60th – hotspot in eBird)
- Madison Park
- Menomonee River Parkway #5 (between Hampton and Capitol) and # 8 (North Ave to Harmonee)
- Milwaukee River Pkwy #3
- Oak Creek Parkway #6, 9
- Rawson Park
- Root River Parkway #1, 17 (no trails on 17)
- Wyrick Park
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
Milwaukee Birders 