Sunday, Nov 30
No scheduled walk
Join us! Walks are free and open to all levels of birders
Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
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Milwaukee Birding News
Action Needed! Voice Opposition to a Sandhill Crane Hunt
Call and write your representatives to voice your opposition to a hunting season in Wisconsin.
Find your representative: https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/
More on the proposal from the International Crane Foundation
Wonder how the splits and lumps impact your eBird Life List? Get a personalized report. From your “My eBird” page, choose, “Download My Data” and then “Personalized eBird Taxonomy Report”. Learn more about the changes https://ebird.org/news/your-personalized-report-from-the-ebird-taxonomy-update
Christmas Bird Counts coming up. Sign up yourself or yourself and some friends to bird a block, The north Milwaukee County CBC will be Saturday Dec 20. Email Zoe, ZFinney@schlitzaudubon.org to get involved. The south Milwaukee CBC will be on Sunday Dec 14. For a block assignment on that day email, Carol Howard, Carol.Howard@milwaukeecountywi.gov
Birds in Art at the Yawkey Woodson Museum in Wausau closes January 4. A fabulous annual exhibit of painted, photographed, printed, sculpted, collaged, drawn, and pasteled birds. This is its 50th year! A good stop on a long holiday road trip.
Last Week
A bunch of us set out Sunday morning at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center hoping to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch or a Pileated Woodpecker. A Kildeer called and a Cooper’s Hawk flew over before we left the parking lot. Taking the Green Tree Trail and heading to Mystery Pond, we heard and saw Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets as well as Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. Mystery Pond was pretty still, even Carl’s pishing didn’t pull out many birds. A Winter Wren was spotted just east of Turtle Pond.
We took a coffee, cookie, and brownie break in the Hearth Room of the Nature Center before heading down to the lake. A few Buffleheads and Red-breasted Mergansers were floating on a calm Lake Michigan. On the way back up the Elizabeth Trail, we stopped to check out some maple leaves with (we think) spider egg nests on them.
eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S285877721 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S285877719
Dennis Miller
Donna Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
november
Family Owl Prowl
Saturday, Nov 29 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/family-owl-prowl-2/
DECEMBER
Winter Ducks of Lake Michigan
Saturday, Dec 6 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/winter-ducks-of-lake-michigan/
Field Adventure: Birding at Lakeshore State Park
Wednesday, Dec 10 with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/field-adventure-lakeshore-state-park/
Adult Owl Prowl
Thursday, Dec 11 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/adult-owl-prowl-2/
Christmas Bird Count with BIPOC Birding Club
At Hopkins Hollow
Saturday, December 20
Come be part of Christmas Bird Count. Details at link
https://www.bipocbirdingclub.org/events/milwaukee-christmas-bird-count-2025
Christmas Bird Count with UEC East Side
At UEC-Riverside
Saturday, December 20
Come be part of Christmas Bird Count. Details and Registration:
https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar/event?id=3363
Christmas Bird Count with UEC West Side
At UEC-Menomonee Valley
Saturday, December 20
Come be part of Christmas Bird Count. Details and Registration:
https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/calendar/event?id=3364
** Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook! for event announcements
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 !
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 November 15-22
- Alcott Park
- Armour Park
- Chippewa Park
- Honey Creek Pkwy #2, 3, 4 (major construction continuing on 3, may be a challenge)
- Johnstone Park
- Madison Park
- Menomonee River Pkwy 8
- Wyrick Park
Based on the needs spreadsheet from MKE Parks, 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
NOVEMBER bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Berg Property – free – address S102W33451 CTH LO should get you there or very close. Small parking area, partial asphal trail and then a mix of grass and dirt. You may want to do a little off-trail to get to the river.
- Menomonee Park (pass or daily fee)
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily permit fee required- note they have camping!)
- Muskego Park (pass or daily fee)
- Retzer Nature Center (free)
- New Berlin Recreation Trail – bike path from Greenfield Park to Waukesha! Free
Milwaukee Birders 