Sunday, March 22, 8:30-10:30
Jackson Park
3500 W. Forest Home Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53215
Meet at the Jackson Pavillion (Red arrow)on W Kinnickinnick along the north side of the pond. Parking available on road, yellow highlighted area. The two islands can have a mix of herons. Orioles can be found along the stream and the woods have the usual woodpecker and nuthatch assortment.
Website: http://jacksonpark.us/
eBird site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2132433
Trails: Mown paths, mulch and some sidewalk.
Restrooms: Available in the Community Room-Pavillion
Park Map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/Jackson.pdf
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
Woodcocks are back! A birder favorite for their goofy walk, their big eyes, and amazing, courtship flight. Find a walk on list below or find Woodcocks on your own. Visit a field with tall enough grass for bird cover, just before dusk, listen for their buzzy “peent” call, and watch for them to suddenly take flight. They will head high into the sky and come spiraling down with whistling wings to land very close to the exact spot they launched from. Truly spectacular to see! We will be heading to Harrington Beach for a Woodcock Walk on Saturday evening, April 4.
Help make Milwaukee waterways cleaner for birds and humans! Register for the 31st Annual Spring Riverkeeper Clean Up on April 25. Pick a site that is near to you or dear to you. Milwaukee Birders will be working at Lakeshore State Park and Havenwoods State Forest.
240,000 birds crossed Milwaukee County Saturday night, and more are coming! Let’s help these migrating birds out:
Provide native plant habitats (we know birds are stopping in cities),
Collision proof windows (from window paint to screens see ideas),
Lights Out on migration nights (sign up for high migration night alerts).
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is still here. It is highly contagious among some bird species, specifically waterfowl, water birds, raptors, and scavengers. Learn more about protecting yourself, birds in your backyard, and wild birds: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease/Avianinfluenza
Last Week
Ten of us gathered in the gravel parking lot at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve. From the lot, we saw an American Kestrel perched on a small conifer to the west, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, numerous Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Song Sparrows. AS we were heading to the trail, a Northern Flicker flew across the pond. A very good start. And as it turns out, the biggest concentration of bird species in one place. The rest of the walk around the perimeter of the preserve was cold, windy, and not very birdy. We did have a few fun flyovers: Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Crane pair, Mallards, and a wedge of swans, sp.
At the pond just south of the Hawk Watch platform, we watched two Canada Geese. They swam to the edge of the bottom and stretched out their necks until the length of their necks were just in the water. According to the “Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior,” this is a classic courtship pose of precopulatory behavior. We will look for goslings around that pond come June. Thanks to all who came out on such a blustery day. It’s Wisconsin, keep winter coats around until May! And thanks to John for keeping the list.
eBird, 21 species: https://ebird.org/checklist/S312124929
Pic John Kaspar
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
MARCH
Birds & Stars: Navigation at Night
Wednesday, March 25th, 7-8:30 PM at Urban Ecology Center
This relaxed evening lecture explores how birds navigate using stars, landscapes, and Earth’s magnetic field. We’ll take a fascinating look at migration, night skies, and the science that guides birds across incredible distances. Join the UEC Research Team (me) and guest presenter Bob Bonadurer, Daniel M. Soref Planetarium Director, for a short indoor presentation followed by an outdoor exploration of the night sky, where we’ll look for the same navigational clues birds rely on to find their way. Register here.
Understanding Bird Populations and How They Change
Thursdays Mar 26-Apr 23 at UW Field Station
Details and Registration HERE
Winter Walk at Seminary Woods with BIPOC Birders
Saturday, March 28
Details HERE
Dane and Columbia County Birding with Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Saturday, March 28, Registration ends March 26
Details and Registration: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22245/-/dane-columbia-counties
Field Trip: Columbia/Dane counties in search of early migrants
Sunday, March 29, 7:00am meet up
Tour ponds and flooded fields in this very productive area. A wide variety of water birds, shorebirds, migrant passerines and others are possible (i.e.: swans, Greater White-fronted &Ross’s Geese, pipits, longspurs, sparrows, etc.).Carpooling at 7 a.m. from park & ride lot at Highway 33 and I-41. No signup required.
Trip Leader: Carl Schwartz; you can contact him at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com or 414-416-3272
April
Bird Adaptations – Drop-In Program
Wednesday, Apr 1, Riveredge Nature Center
Bird banding and more. Detail HERE
Woodcock Walk
Wednesday, April 8 Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
Frogs and Woodcocks at Cedarburg Bog
Wednesday, April 8
Details HERE
“Artificial Intelligence, Citizen Science, and Conservation” by Dr Ian Owen
Thursday, April 9, UW-Milwaukee
Talk and reception. Details HERE
Birding at Turtle Park with Kira
Friday, April 10
Free, registration required. Details HERE
Dabblers and Divers: Ducks of Schlitz Audubon
Saturday, April 11
Details HERE
Guided Bird Hike: Spring Migrants
Sunday Apr 12 Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
Bird Conservation and Coffee Seminar
Sunday, Apr 12, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
SOS Save Our Songbirds: Three Actions to Help Songbirds at Home
Wednesday, April 15, Wehr Nature Center
Details HERE
Birding Pike Lake and Hartford area with Noel J Cutright Bird Club
Saturday, April 18 7:00 am meet up
Check out Big Cedar Lake, Wildlife Drive, flooded fields, and more before heading to the northeast corner of Pike Lake.
Meet up at the Jackson Park-and-Ride (on CR P, just north of Hwy 60)
No sign-up needed. Trip leader: Carl Schwartz, cschwartz@wi.rr.com or 414-416-3272
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Annual Convention Registration closes April 20
Keynote by Laura Erickson, educational sessions, meals, and the highlight of WSO Conventions – the field trips! Accompany local birders to hotspots for great birding. The Convention is in Madison, May 15-17. Details and registration HERE
Stationary Birding at Turtle Park with Kira
Friday, April 17
Free, registration required, Details HERE
Gardening for Hummingbirds
Sunday, April 19 by Goss Bird Club
Details HERE
Woodcock Walk with Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Wednesday, April 22 at Mequon Nature Preserve
Details HERE
Port Washington Bird Sanctuary Field Trip with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Thursday, April 23
Details HERE
Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip with Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Saturday, April 25
Details HERE
Beyond the Bird Feeder: Bird ID
Saturday, April 25 at Wehr Nature Center
Details: HERE
Native Tree Giveaway by Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Saturday, April 25, Port Washington
Details HERE
** 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.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS : March 8-14
- Popuch Park (small neighborhood 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
March bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Berg Property – free – address S102W33451 CTH LO should get you there or very close. It’s just west of Mukwonago so you could do them both in one trip!
- Fox Bend Park- fee or pass- looking for 8 shared surveys
- Monches County Park- fee or pass- looking for 4 shared surveys
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily fee) – looking for 7 shared surveys
- Ashippun Lake – Waukesha County- (free)- looking for 1 shared survey
- New Berlin Trail (free)- 5 shared surveys needed