Saturday, April 11, 8:30-10:30
Havenwoods State Forest
6141 N Hopkins St, Milwaukee
Join Milwaukee Birders at Havenwoods. State park sticker NOT needed, though you can buy one there. Meet in front of the building (Restrooms available). Binoculars are available to borrow. Flat trails go along gravel, wood, grass, and mulched paths. Our walk winds through grasslands, woods, along shrubby borders, and by a pond. Really nice variety of habitats and birds. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/havenwoods
Website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/havenwoods
eBird Site: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L252263
Trails: Gravel, Grass and Wood Chips
Restrooms: Available in building
Park Map: Trail Map
Sunday, April 12, 8:30-10:30
Lakeshore State Park
500 N Harbor Drive
Meet at the south end (red arrow on pic), parking along highlighted area. One of Wisconsin’s newest state parks, Lakeshore sits on the edge of downtown. The lagoon by Summerfest grounds often has a number of ducks. The short grass prairies host many sparrow species. 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 changes.
Restrooms: PortaPotty available, Discovery World restrooms open after 9:00 am
Park Map: Map
Join us! Walks are free and open to all levels of birders
Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
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
Warbler Review Time. Checkout this video from Badgerland Birders
More Videos. National Audubon has a channel, too. Many good videos here about protecting birds, bird ID, and more. Liking the new “Birds on the Move” series.
Another sign of spring: Lake Park Warbler Walks start Saturday, April 18, 8:30 am. Meet at the warming house south of the playground. All levels welcome. Overwhelmed by warbler ID? Come on this walk: lots of eyes for spotting them and plenty of helpful birders to explain identification. These walks run mid-April through the last Saturday in May
Last Week
Eighteen of us began on the beach. Passing between the ephemeral ponds on path to beach, we saw a few Brown Creepers and several Golden-crowned Kinglets. Phoebes, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-Rumped Warblers were flitting about on the sand. At the point, a Horned Grebe was close in while Red-breasted Mergansers, and Lesser Scaup were farther out. A Pied-billed grebe was swimming in the quarry. Overhead was an immature Bald Eagle and an American Kestrel. On the path back to the parking lot were Hermit Thrushes, Sapsuckers, and Cardinals.
At Puckett’s Pond, we saw ten Blue-winged Teal and one Green-winged. At this point, it was cold, cloudy, windy, but dry. As we walked up the campground, we saw a large cloud mass and lots of rain heading our way. We were hearing lots of peent-ing but not seeing any woodcocks. Hoods up we quickly walked to the shelter without ever seeing a flight display. Sigh. Check the list below for additional woodcock walks in the area and/or start hanging out at fields with shrub borders at sunset.
Harrington Beach – beach walk, https://ebird.org/checklist/S317076488
Harrington Beach – campground area, https://ebird.org/checklist/S317085458
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
April
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
Bird Walk at Retzer Nature Center with Goss Bird Club
Fridays, April 3-June 12, 7:00am start
No fee or reservations needed. 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
Discover Wisconsin Ducks, Two-part Series
Wednesday, April 15 & 18, Riveredge 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 : April 1-7
- Baran Park
- Currie Park
- Dineen Park
- Dretzka Park
- Franklin Savanna (if you haven’t been and need access help contact Colleen at 414-379-6741)
- Grootemat Nature Preserve
- Kern Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (2 definitely has no trails, at least Apple of the others do but check maps if you don’t want to bushwhack)
- Menomonee River Parkway 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Milwaukee River Pkwy 1, 3, 5
- Oak Creek Pkwy 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 (north and south) 13, 14 (for 12- no trails and for 13, there is no trail, and be VERY careful of property lines as private property is to both sides)
- Root River Pkwy 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 18 (no trails for 15, 16, 18)
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! Needs 6 shared surveys
- Fox Bend Park- fee or pass- looking for 6 shared surveys
- Monches County Park- fee or pass- looking for 4 shared surveys
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily fee) – looking for 6 shared surveys
- Nagawaukee Park- daily fee or pass – needs 3 shared surveys
- Ashippun Lake – Waukesha County- (free)- looking for 1 shared survey
- School Section Lake- requires LAKE (not a park pass) daily or season pass- needs 5 shared surveys
- New Berlin Trail (free)- 6 shared surveys needed