Sunday, May 4, 7:00 am
Shorewood Nature Preserve 3600 N Lake Drive Shorewood
Park on Newton, Menlo or Beverley
Lake Drive is closed in a number of places. May have to come north-south on Oakland or Maryland.
A forested and shrubby bluff provides a great resting spot for migrating songbirds. Lake views can yield gull, tern and duck sightings (and the occasional beach turkey)
Grass, dirt and paved trails. The only way into the park is a steep paved hill
No restrooms available
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Milwaukee Birding News:
The Brew City Birding Festival is ONE week 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. Go to the website for time and location details. Some events require advance registration!
Check out all the listings: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/things-to-do/nature-outdoors/bird-city/brew-city-birding-festival/
Check out all the bird programming around Milwaukee
| Friday May 9 | Bird Walk at Warnimont Park Beach Blanket Flamingo with Urban Ecology Center (UEC) Botany Walk Bird-focused with UEC Bird Friendly Coffee – Conserving Birds One Cup at a Time Wehr Nature Center |
| Saturday, May 10 | Green Birding Challenge at UEC Audubon Bird Hike at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (SANC) Warbler Walk at Lake Park Global Big Day at Wehr Raptors in Focus Photoshoot SANC |
| Sunday, May 11 | Bird Migration Celebration at Lakeshore State Park Bird Walk at Wehr Bird Walk at Lynden Sculpture Gardens |
| Monday, May 12 | Bird Walk at Estabrook Park Field Trip to Horicon Marsh with UEC Evening Bird walk with BIPOC at UEC |
| Tuesday, May 13 | Bilingual Bird Walk with UEC Birding by Boat with UEC Raptor Program at Humboldt Park |
| Wednesday, May 14 | Bird Walk at UEC Spring Migrants at SANC Evening BIPOC Bird Walk at UEC Put a Bird on It Mending at UEC |
| Thursday, May 15 | Morning Bird Walk at UEC Birding by Boat with UEC Bird-themed Game Night at UEC |
| Friday, May 16 | Bird Walk at Warnimont Birding and Beer Garden – location TBD |
| Saturday, May 17 | Birding Basics and Walk at Havenwoods Warbler Walk at Lake Park Bird Walk at Forest Home Cemetery Raptor Encounter at SANC World Migratory Bird Celebration at Forest Exploration Center |
Birding and raising money? Yes! The Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation Birdathon is fun and rewarding. Find a team or form a team or donate to a team!
Details here: https://www.wisconservation.org/great-wisconsin-birdathon/ Local Teams include Carl Schwartz’s team Cutright’s Old Coots, Schlitz Audubon’s The Screech Owls, Glacial Lakes Conservancy Chickadees, and the BIPOC Flock
Add more to eBird Checklists. Use Checklist Media (accessed on web browser not app) to add and tag plant life, weather, and other animals under categories: Soundscapes/Habitat, Experiences, and Other Animals.
Watch more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTVrbk7kQ4U&t=64s or read: https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001269559-upload-checklist-media
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 numerous sick or dead birds on their website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/wildlifehealth
For additional SE Wisconsin Bird Walks – scroll all the way down!
Last Week:
The early start at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve in Grafton paid off. We had a great walk, 57 species and twelve birders. Welcome to our three new birders who joined us! There were several Eastern Towhees and several other sparrows: Swamp, Song, White-Crowned, White-Throated, Field Chipping and one Junco. From the bluff we saw thirty Bonaparte’s Gulls, couple hundred Red-breasted Mergansers, Cormorants and Horned Grebes. And a few warblers: Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Nashville, Yellow, Palm, Cape May, and Yellow-rumped. At the pond area, we heard a Sora and saw a number of ducks: Canada Geese, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Coots. Along the way, there were Brown Thrashers, Blue Jays, assorted Woodpeckers, and Kinglets. Enjoy pics below by John Kaspar
eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S231346060
Ongoing FREE Bird Walks:
Sundays 7:00am 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/
Saturdays April 19 thru May 31 8:30am, Warbler Walks at Lake Park
Meet at bird feeders south of Warming Shed/Playground PIN
Free. All birders and all levels welcome. Walking on paved trails and grassy areas. No stairs. Bathrooms available
NOTE: Lake Drive is closed from Newberry Blvd to Kenwood. Latest Details
Access to Bistro parking lot and Locust Street off Lake Park Rd come in from the south on Lake Drive at Newberry Blvd.
Access to Lake Park Rd near the playground going south on Lincoln Memorial Drive
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
May
Bird Walk Lion’s Den Gorge with Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition
Friday, May 2, 7:00am-Noon
No sign-up required. Meet Carl Schwartz and Joan Sommer in the parking lot
Bird Walk at Doctor’s Park in Fox Point
Saturday, May 3, 8:00-9:30am
Meet in parking lot for a guided Bird Walk in honor of World Migratory Bird Day in a great park. Tall trees, shrubby edges and native flowers make for a birdy spot.
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Trip to White River Marsh
Saturday, May 3
Registration: https://wsobirds.org/what-we-do/field-trips/eventdetail/22219/-/white-river-marsh
Monches Woods and Crow How with Goss Bird Club
Saturday, May 3, 8:00am
Details Upcoming Events: https://www.gossbirdclub.org/
Milwaukee Bird Freaks at Wehr Nature Center
Sunday, May 4 8:30-10:00am
Details https://www.facebook.com/events/2461118480902188
Birding by Canoe at Cedarburg Bog
Friday, May 9
Details and registration HERE
Brew City Birding Festival – So many events
Check out festival website for all the offerings
Art of Birding with Chuck Stebelton
Sunday May 11 at Lynden Sculpture Garden
Register here: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/2025-05-11?mini=calendar%2F2025-05
Fox River Sanctuary with Goss Bird Club
Saturday, May 13, 8:00am
Details Upcoming Events: https://www.gossbirdclub.org/
WMAS Birding at Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa
Friday May 16
World Migratory Bird Celebration at Forest Exploration Center
Saturday May 17
Details for both walks HERE
WSO 83rd Birding Convention in La Crosse-Onalaska
May 15-18
Bird the Mississippi flyway during peak migration! Details and registration: https://wsobirds.org/what-we-do/annual-convention?id=1968
Whip-poor-will Walk with Goss Bird Club
Sunday, May 18, 7:30pm
Details Upcoming Events: https://www.gossbirdclub.org/
Vernon Marsh Benson Rd, Frog Alley with Goss Bird Club
Saturday, May 24, 7:00am
Details Upcoming Events: https://www.gossbirdclub.org/
Beaver Dam Lake with Goss Bird Club
Saturday, May 31, 7:00am
Details Upcoming Events: https://www.gossbirdclub.org/
** 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 22-30th- bird some of our local parks and see if you can add a new species to their lists!
- Franklin Savanna (may be wet; check for ticks)
- Kinnickinick Parkway (between 43rd and 60th – hotspot in eBird)
- Menomonee River Parkway #5
- Oak Creek Parkway #6, 9
- Rawson Park
- Root River Parkway #1, 17 (no trails on 17)
- Wyrick Park
- Southwood Glen- if you go on a school day, stop at the office to let them know. Even if you are not going around the school, they like to know in case someone reports people in the wooded area next door. They are very excited about us birding there.
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 