Sunday Dec 21: Lakeshore State Park, 8:30-10:30am
Lakeshore State Park 500 N Harbor Drive
Meeting spot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mx547vZEj41KiPLo6
Parking near the Pierhead Lighthouse
Meet at the south end (red arrow on pic). One of Wisconsin’s newest state parks, Lakeshore SP sits on the edge of downtown. The lagoon by Summerfest grounds often has a number of ducks. The short grass prairies host grassland sparrows. The shrubs and trees have lots of birdy visitors. In the summer, there are nesting Purple Martins, Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows in the boxes. A great place to bird in any season.
Website: Friends of Lakeshore State Park https://friendslsp.org/
eBird site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L386716
Trails: Paved sidewalks, no elevation change.
Restrooms: PortaPotty available, Discovery World restrooms open after 9:00am
Park Map: Map
Join us! Walks are free and open to all levels of birders
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Milwaukee Birding News
Master Naturalist Training Registration Now Open. Dates and location of trainings: https://wimasternaturalist.org/
Need a winter bird book? Check out these recommendations from the American Birding Association Podcast Top 2025 Bird Books or this Top 2025 list from Bird Nerd Book Club
Ever wonder about the value of eBird photos? Could be huge: How AI is Transforming Conservation Science
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
Too cold to bird last week!
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
DECEMBER
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
Guided Bird Hike: Winter Residents at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Sunday, Dec 21
Details and registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/guided-bird-hike-winter-residents/
JANUARY
NEW YEAR’S DAY EXCURSION AND LUNCHEON
Thursday Jan. 1, 7:30am
The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club is inviting all members of Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition organizations to participate in their annual “Every Bird Is a New Bird” Field Trip to launch your 2026 list! We will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Coal Dock Park in Port Washington and end at noon with lunch (sub sandwiches, chips, cookies, and beverages) in the Riveredge Nature Center barn. Please RSVP to Carl Schwartz at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com or at 414-416-3272 by Dec 28 so we have enough food.
Trip leaders: Carl Schwartz (you can contact him at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com or 414-416-3272) and Joan Sommer
Milwaukee Lakefront Birding
Sunday, Jan 11 with WSO: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Details and registration: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22242/-/milwaukee-lakefront-birding
Guided Bird Hike: Observing Winter Survival Strategies
Sunday, Jan 11 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/guided-bird-hike-observing-winter-survival-strategies/
Uncovering Bird Behavior
Saturday, Jan 17 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and Registration: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/uncovering-bird-behavior/
NORTH TO ALASKA
Wednesday Jan. 14, 7:00pm in person @ Riveredge Nature Center and via Zoom
Karen Etter Hale, who chairs the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership, spent the summer of 2025 traveling north to Alaska with her husband in their camper van. This night, she offers us a photo tour of the wildlife and majestic landscapes from Lake Mills to Anchorage and back again. Zoom info will be provided in subsequent emails.
Owling at Paradise Valley
Sunday, Jan 18
BIPOC Birding Club of Madison and Milwaukee event
Details: https://www.bipocbirdingclub.org/events/2026-owling-joint-event
** 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 December 8-14
- Dineen Park (last time in the list for 2025)
- Hunger Task Force Farm (root river 11)- note that access is limited and permission needed (it’s a working farm). Usually M-F 8:30-4:30. Email Sarah in advance at: sarah.bressler@hungertaskforce.org
- Menomonee River Pkwy 7
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
DECEMBER 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.
- Fox Brook Park (pass or day fee)
- Menomonee Park (pass or daily fee) – if you don’t have a pass, you can park at Joecks Park on Lannon Rd and walk in through the yellow gate. Note the only open bathroom I found was in the dog exercise area and it’s primitive; so go ahead of time! Some trails are ski only, watch signs.
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily fee)- nice trails and big park
- Muskego Park (pass or daily fee) – nice trailsnn
Milwaukee Birders 