Aug 24 and Aug 31 no scheduled Sunday walks.
Check out Saturday Fall Warbler walks at Lake Park and Sunday Bird Walks with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society at Wehr Nature Center
Next Walk: Sunday, September 7 at Jackson Park
Join us! Walks are free and open to all levels of birders
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:
We are in the parks a lot! Share your thoughts with parks staff at the meeting for Trails Network Plan on Aug 27 from 4:00-7:00 at South Shore Park

Do you know of a Chimney Swift chimney? Swifts will be moving through soon. We are always on the lookout for an active chimney that has good viewing possibilities. Let us know if you see one, use the Contact Page, and put location in the comment section.
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:
Twelve us met up at Mequon Nature Preserve last Sunday. The six American Kestrels we saw seemed okay with the cloudy skies. In the first grassy meadow west of the path, there were also Eastern Meadowlarks. Sadly, we neither heard nor saw Dickcissels or Henslow’s Sparrows. We clearly heard the tick-tick-trilling rattle of Sedge Wrens and caught glimpses of them as they moved between grass tufts. We made our way out to the new viewing platform west of Harvie’s Woods as the morning became muggier. Fully grown cattails blocked views of the scrape. Cattails obstructed views at the boardwalk marsh area as well. Coming down the hill to the parking lot, a lone Indigo Bunting sang from a treetop and a bunch of Mourning Doves hung out in a tree. Judith moved a small, feisty crayfish off the path and we continued to our cars. Many of us had places to go, some were heading to the ponds in Jackson and none of us thought to check the Donges Bay Ponds.
List Mequon Nature Preserve: https://ebird.org/checklist/S267862448


Willet Pictures from All About Birds – Willet
Ongoing FREE GUIDED 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 with Milwaukee Birders. 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 always open 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),
Please register: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar?
3700 W Pierce St
Mostly paved trails. Restrooms available
Wednesdays 8:00am Washington Park
Urban Ecology Center (UEC)
Please register: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar?
4023 W Galena St
Mostly grass and paved paths. Restrooms available
Thursdays 8:00am Riverside Park
Urban Ecology Center (UEC)
Please register: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar?
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
Second Saturdays 8:30-10:30 Havenwoods
6141 N Hopkins St, Milwaukee
Join Milwaukee Birders at Havenwoods. State park sticker NOT needed. Meet in front of the building (Restrooms available). Binoculars available to borrow. Flat trails go along gravel, wood, grass and mulched paths. Walk wind through grassland, woods, along shrubby borders and to a pond. Really nice variety of birds. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/havenwoods
Third Saturdays, 8:00-9:15 Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
1111 E Brown Deer Rd, Bayside
Loop through woods, grasslands and around Mystery Lake for a variety of habitats. Free, registration required 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
List of Milwaukee area BIRD CLUBS !
Upcoming Area Bird Talks & walks Registration and fees:
Have a birding event to share? Let me know, email us on the Contact Page
September
“The Mystery of Migration” by Bill Volkert
Sponsored by MNP and the Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition
Wednesday, September 10 at 7:00pm at Mequon Nature Preserve and via Zoom
One of the most fascinating aspects of the lives of birds is their ability to migrate thousands of miles as they follow the changing seasons. This presentation will explore the annual migration of birds, their seasonal phenology, and explore recent studies that reveal more information and instill greater wonder over the phenomenon of bird migration. Birds not only come and go with the seasons, but they do so in the same order every year. This program will provide an insight into why birds migrate and the orderly succession of species that arrive in Wisconsin each spring.
Details and In-Person Registration: https://ticketstripe.com/TheMysteryofMigration
Virtual Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3vHnyivzQTWROz7kSbrnUA
Bird Banding Demonstration
Saturday, Sept. 13 at Mequon Nature Preserve
Have you ever wondered how birds are studied? While birds are relatively easy to observe in the natural world, there is only so much that can be seen through a pair of your favorite binoculars. Bird banding allows for an up-close look at individuals and species and gives a glimpse into breeding, migration, age, and health that would otherwise be difficult to study from afar. Join licensed master banders and MNP staff as they demonstrate songbird capturing and banding techniques and how birds are examined and what that information can tell us. Get an up-close look at species utilizing MNP for breeding and migration stop over.
Questions? Contact: Nick Gall, Ecological Restoration Manager
Mequon Nature Preserve Office: (262) 242-8055
THIS EVENT HAS LIMITED OPENINGS AND REQUIRES REGISTRATION
Event Registration: https://ticketstripe.com/BirdBandingDemo2025
Raptor Ambassadors: A Behind-the-Scenes Workshop
Saturday, September 13 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Spend a day at our private Raptor Facility. Lindsay Focht, Raptor & Animal Ambassador Director, will introduce you to each raptor ambassador while we discuss the daily management of the birds, build enrichment for them, and learn what it takes to care for these magnificent animals. You will have the exhilarating experience of closely interacting with our star birds. Come prepared to get dirty and be amazed!
Details and registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/raptor-behind-the-scenes-workshop/?mc_cid=6a8de928ab&mc_eid=ecc276900b
The Art of Birding at Lynden Sculpture Garden
Sunday, September 14
Join poet and Wisconsin Master Naturalist volunteer Chuck Stebelton on the second Sunday of each month to bird by eye and ear with a focus on the life histories of wild birds. We’ll watch for seasonal migrants and resident bird species and seek out the best bird habitats to identify as many species as we can. Please dress for the weather and plan to walk in varied terrain. Bring your binoculars and field guides if you have them; no previous birding experience required.
Details and registration: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/calendar/2025-09-14?mini=calendar%2F2025-09

Sept 26 The Birds
Friday, September 26 at 7:00pm
Free Friday Night Flicks at Lake Park
Understanding Threats to Birds with Dr Peter Marra
Tuesday, Sept 30 from 7:00-8:30pm at Mequon Nature Preserve
Free. Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking talk with ornithologist and author Dr. Peter Marra as he explores the major threats facing birds today including one of the most significan yet often overlooked: domestic cats. Discover the key factors behind bird population declines and, most importantly, practical steps we can each take to help safegaurd their future.
Sponsored Friends of Cedarburg Bog, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory, Mequon Nature Preserve, Noel Cutright Bird Club, and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Details and registration: https://ticketstripe.com/ThreatstoBirds
** 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 priority park, go bird, eBird it and note time spent there.
- For August 15-21
- Bender – Fitzsimmons Rd (last time for the year !)
- Caesar Park
- Honey Creek Pkwy 2,4
- Johnstone Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 2, 5
- Madison Park
- Maitland Park (last time for the year!)
- Menomonee River Pkwy 2, 3, 7
- (2 is Good Hope to Appleton, 3 is Appleton to Silver Spring, 7 is Burleigh to North Ave)
- Milwaukee River Pkwy 3
- Oak Creek Parkway 7 (last time for the year!)
- Pulaski Park (Milwaukee)
- Root River Pkwy 5Baran Park
- Bender – Fitzsimmons Rd
- Caesar Park
- Dretzka Park
- Johnstone Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 2, 5
- Maitland Park
- Menomonee River Pkwy 2, 3 (2 is Good Hope to Appleton, 3 is Appleton to Silver Spring)
- Milwaukee River Pkwy 2,3
- Oak Creek Parkway 5,7,14
- Pulaski Park (Milwaukee)
- Wyrick Park
Based on the needs 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
Wisconsin Metro Audubon is also birding for Waukesha Parks…
Bird where you can and share your ebird list with their ebird account: WaukeshaCountyBirding
AUGUST bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Berg Property – free – address S102W33451 CTH LO should get you there or very close.
- Ice Age Trail- Monches segment
- Monches County Park (pass or daily fee)
- Naga-Waukee Park (pass or daily permit fee required)
- New Berlin Recreation Trail – bike path from Greenfield Park to Waukesha!
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily permit fee required- note they have camping!)
- Muskego Park (pass or daily permit- note they have camping!)
- Ryan Park
One response to “Sunday Aug 24: No Walk”
Hi! I went yesterday to check the Donges Bay ponds at the Mequon NC and they weren’t there! Saw cattails but no ponds. John saw in Discord that others tried also to no avail . Thanks for the recap!
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