SATURDAY, July 11: Havenwoods sf 8:30-10:30
SunDAY, July 12: lakeshore state park 8:00-10:00
Saturday, July 11
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. Walk wind through grassland, woods, along shrubby borders and by a pond. There is a 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, July 12
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 9:00am
Park Map: Map
Join us! Walks are always free and always fun . 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
Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
Milwaukee Birding News
Get to Horicon! The park offers free guided Whooping Crane walks on the second Thursdays of the month. Details HERE
Did you read Woman, Watching? A great book about birding in Canada in the 1950s. World Migratory Bird Day planners chose it for book club this month. Join the discussion on Thursday. And see the list of upcoming books HERE
Care about Birds? Live in city of Milwaukee? Support the Urban Bird Treaty. Learn more and complete digital postcard HERE
Last Week
No walk last week
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
JULY
Understanding Bird Populations and How They Change
Wednesday, July 8 7:00-8:30 pm, Riveredge Nature Center
Ozaukee-Washington Bird Coalition presents Bill Mueller speaking on which populations are up, which are down and why. Join in-person or by zoom. Details HERE
BioBlitz at Riveredge Nature Center
Saturday, July 11
Details and registration https://riveredgenaturecenter.org/event/riveredge-bioblitz-2026/
Guided Hike: Avian Insectivores
Sunday, July 12, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Art of Birding with Chuck Stebleton
Sunday, July 12 at Lynden Sculpture Gardens
Details and registration HERE
Field Adventure: Birding by Canoe
Saturday, July 18, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
Seminar: Birds of the Evening
Tuesday, July 28, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE
August
Monitoring Eastern Bluebirds in a Suburban Neighborhood and Their Surprising Adaptability with Bird Bander Al Sherkow
Wednesday Aug. 12, 7pm, in person @ Mequon Nature Preserve and via Zoom
For many years, Al Sherkow has been the area’s busiest, most experienced and most-in-demand bird bander, working on monitoring projects at the Urban Ecology Center, Riveredge Nature Center, and the Mequon Nature Preserve. In 2025, he monitored 19 traditional bluebird nest boxes, and 18 newspaper holders. These latter birds aren’t following the guidelines for placing bluebird boxes. That they are using the newspaper holders is an interesting adaptation to expand their range into this suburban neighborhood. Al and his neighbors have learned a lot, and this program will share it with you.
To Register: https://ticketstripe.com/MonitoringEasternBluebirds
To join meeting via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cHBUigyBRiadeqzpt_BbDA
** Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook!
Check out Milwaukee Birders on Facebook and Instagram 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 : July 1-7
- Alcott Park
- Armour Park
- Baran Park
- Barnard Park
- Chippewa Park
- Dretzka Park
- Honey Creek Pkwy 5
- Johnstone Pak
- Kosziousko Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy #3, 6
- Melody View Preserve
- Milwaukee River Pkwy #3
- Mitchell Blvd Park
- Oak Creek Pkwy #4,5
- Pulaski Park (Milwaukee)
- Southwood Glen Park
- 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. A Waukesha County Park pass is needed for a number of these locations. To purchase passes visit:
https://wiwaukeshacountyweb.myvscloud.com/…/splash.html#
Note that seniors (60+) can purchase annual park passes for only $20!
July bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Ashippun Lake – Waukesha County- (free)
- Berg Property (off LO west a little bit from Mukwonago Park)
- Fox Bend Park-(access through St Martins Woods SNA or Big Bend Park but don’t count bird in BBP)
- Ice Age Trail Monches segment
- Menomonee Park (daily fee or pass)
- Minooka Park (daily fee or pass)
- Monches County park (daily fee or pass)
- Muskego Park (daily fee or pass)
- Nagawaukee Park (pass or daily fee)
- Ryan Park (daily fee or pass)
- Ashippun River Greenway- free
- New Berlin Recreation Trail (free- bike from edge of Greenfield Park into Waukesha!)