Sunday, May 18, 8:00 am Sheridan Park
4800 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy

Park along Sheridan Drive and meet at the pond.
A small pond, large evergreens, a shrubby border, tall trees and a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan make for great bird habitat. 

We walk trails around the pond and along the paved Oak Leaf Trail that cuts through the park. We will also follow the bluff and tree lines by walking in the grass. There is a steep paved path down to Lake Michigan. 

eBird site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L354041
Trails:Paved path, grass trails, off-trail grass walking, steep paved path to Lake Michigan
Restrooms:Restrooms available
Park Map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/Sheridan1.pdf

Birds and Brews Happy Hour
Friday, May 16, 5:00pm
Estabrook Beer Garden in Shorewood
We can bird a bit, then have a beer and socialize

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 THIS week! 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!

Creating a Brew City Bird Festival eBird Report. Please share any event eBird lists from May 9-18 with the “Brew City Birding Festival” Amanda Tokuyama at UEC will compile out species and individuals and birders !

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

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 at Estabrook
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
Sunday, May 18	Wisconsin Metro Audubon at Wehr Milwaukee Birders at Sheridan

Cedarburg Bog Summer Classes are back. Check out their schedule https://uwm.edu/field-station/workshops/

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

eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S232969536

Ongoing FREE Bird Walks:

Sundays Milwaukee Birders
Location and time 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.

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

FIND A BIRD CLUB !

Upcoming Area Bird Talks & walks Registration and fees:

Have a birding event to share? Let me know, email us on the Contact Page

May

Brew City Birding Festival – So many events at UEC, Wehr, Schlitz Audubon, Havenwoods, Humboldt Park, Estabrook, Warnimont, Forest Home Cemetery and Lakeshore State Park
Check out festival website for all the offerings

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

World Migratory Bird Day with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Saturday, May 17
9:00am-1:00pm FREE
Upper Lake Park, Picnic Area 6
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Bird walks, Raptor Show and Native plant sale – Details at https://lmbo.org/

Waterway Restoration Partnership – Little Menomonee River Parkway
Saturday, May 17 12:00-2:00pm
Dretzka Park Chalet
Milwaukee County Parks will share info about completed and planned restoration.
Details 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/

Female Bird Day
Saturday, May 24, 8:00 AM-10:00 AM
Urban Ecology Center, Washington Park

Meet at the front entrance of the Urban Ecology Center (parking is off of 40th St just south of Lisbon Ave).
Join Stephanie Beilke, a Milwaukee birder and conservationist, and Amanda Tokuyama, GIS & Field Data Manager with the Urban Ecology Center, for Female Bird Day at Washington Park! For this bird walk, we will tour the urban natural area at Washington Park and look for all birds we can find including many migrating and breeding birds. In honor of Female Bird Day, we will be paying close attention to female birds and reviewing how to identify female birds from their male counterparts by looking at plumage and behavior.
This event is free and open to all participants with any level of birding experience. Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow. No registration needed.

For this event, we are also participating in the Wisconsin Birdathon which is raising funds for the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. Supporting the Birdathon is optional, but if you wish to do so you can make a donation to the Female Bird Day’s Wisconsin Birdathon here.

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.

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

And our Waukesha Parks…

Share your ebird list with their ebird account: WaukeshaCountyBirding

May bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots

Berg Property – parking is a small parking area in front of a locked gate, just a bit east of the Rainbow Springs natural area parking lot, just before a driveway for a home. There are paths that go through a wooded area and then follow the river a bit. Very nice walking!

Ashippun Lake (at the boat launch, no fee required)

Fox Bend Park (no fee, access instruction from Waukesha County Parks below)

Fox Brook Park (pass or daily permit)

Naga-Waukee Park (pass or daily permit fee required)

Mukwonago Park (pass or daily permit fee required)

School Section Lake (Lake access permit, daily is $8)

*Fox Bend access:

From the north side of the river this property technically includes the WCLC Martin’s Woods State Natural Area, so plug that into Google Maps and it will take you to our gravel parking lot located here (42.886093, -88.233287). Walk down a mowed path towards the river, which will cross a powerline corridor, into the woods again and follow the small path to the river. It may pay to simply walk the powerline corridor as well since you’ll pick up more habitat variety.

Accessing Fox Bend from the south side involves parking in another gravel lot off of road L (42.860818, -88.238123). Walk the drive up past the farm fields to the woods and access the floodplain area. Please note that we are currently working on a 20+ acre wetland restoration and scrape here for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl so the site may be closed during active construction. Be advised to stay away from active construction zones that you encounter.

Info about the Waukesha surveys:
– Track time spent (separately from milwaukee); we will report to the county at year end
– Please use the breeding behavior codes in ebird if you note breeding behaviors
– if you are interested in specific birds they are targeting at the locations (based on suitable habitat or other factors) please contact Colleen at +14143796741 (call or text)- give me your email and I’ll share more information with you.