Saturday, Aug 8
Havenwoods State Forest
6141 N Hopkins St, Milwaukee
Time: 8:30-10:30
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.

Havenwoods State Forest is hosting Smokey Bear’s birthday party Saturday. Stick around meet Smokey, do some crafts, and have some cake, though no candles obviously.
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, Aug 9: Warnimont Park – Kelly Senior Center

Warnimont Park – Kelly Senior Center
6100 S Lake Drive, Cudahy
8:00-10:00 am

Meet-up by the Kelly Senior Center parking lot. A mix of paved and grassy trails that go through woods, fields and along the bluff for lake views Great during migration for warblers, good views of ducks on the lake from the bluffs. Small golf course pond at the north end of the park can have a variety of ducks. And as always, in a wooded area chanced for woodpeckers and owls. 

eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L18715142
Trails: Mostly flat. Some paved (watch out for fast bikes), mulch and grass.
Restrooms: Seasonal bathrooms
Park map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/ParkMaps/Warnimont11.pdf

Note: 2026 USA Triathlon Nationals are being held at Lakeshore State Park and the Lakefront this weekend. We are shifting our second Sunday at Lakeshore to next week Aug 16.

Join us! Walks are always free and always fun . Open to all levels of birders

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Milwaukee Birding News

The Swifts are Coming! WI DNR is collecting information on Chimney Swifts this fall. Share with DNR any swift night outs, roost sites, and counts. Watch for our Swift Night Outs with Wisconsin Metro Audubon.

Comment to protect wetlands. Current US Fish and Wildlife Service regulations protect wetlands, including prairie potholes, critical to duck breeding and survival with an easement arrangement. Farmers voluntarily enter an easement for land near wetlands allowing them to graze herds while following a drain tile setback to protect the nearby wetlands. There is a proposal to reduce the setback distance. Read more in this article.
We need to protect duck populations and wetlands by saying we support the setbacks in the current regulation on the Federal Register comment section. Comment period ends Friday, Aug 7

Birdcast is back online! Fall migration is upon us. You know what to do:
1. Study fall warblers
2. Collision-proof your windows
3. Spiff up your bird bath
4. Lights out from 11:00pm – 6:00am

Report on Bird Populations. PBS extended interview Horizons: The Alarming Decline of Bird Populations and Why Humans Should Care

Care about Birds? Live in city of Milwaukee? Support the Urban Bird Treaty. Learn more and complete digital postcard HERE

Last Week

Twenty birders came out to Washington Park Sunday. Biggest surprise of the day – no Canada Geese. We started with spotting two Great Blue Herons and a Green Heron at the east end of the pond. We walked north around the pond ending up back at the parking lot. Along the way we were treated to more herons (though nothing like the Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Juneau lagoon), chatty Eastern Kingbirds, a few buzzing Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers and a Cooper’s Hawk. As always the morning was filled with good birds, people and fun. Thanks all!

eBird List (Thanks John!): https://ebird.org/checklist/S379359354 (Do you look at John’s list? It is the whole story of our adventures including where we saw all the birds. Check it out!)

Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:

Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page

August

Rain Garden Planting with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Wed, Aug 5
Details and registration HERE

Feminist Bird Club – MKE
Sunday, Aug 9
Details and registration HERE

The Art of Birding with Chuck Stebeleton
Sunday, Aug 9 at Lynden Sculpture Garden
Details and registration HERE

Wisconsin Society for Ornithology at Horicon Marsh
Sunday, Aug 9
Details and registration HERE

Bird Hike: Fruit Foragers
Sunday, Aug 9 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE

Native Plant Sale
Sunday, Aug 9 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE

Connections Between Birds and Humans
Tuesday, Aug 11 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE

The Extraordinary Caterpillar movie
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2:30 at Elm Grove library

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

Wild Inside
Saturday & Sunday, Aug 15-16, 12:00pm at Oriental Theater
Showing at the Milwaukee Film Festival, this documentary traces Flaco, an Eurasian Eagle Owl, after his escape from Central Park Zoo. Panel discussion after the Sunday showing. Milwaukee Birders will have a table promoting birding in the Milwaukee Area. Details HERE

Field Illustration for Birders
Saturday, Aug 22 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details and registration HERE

Mighty Migration Series from Southeast Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Tuesday Aug 25 – Thursday Aug 27, 7:00pm webinars
1) Mystery of Migration, 2) Ecological Forecasting for Bird Conservation, and 3) Conserving Birds One Coffee Cup at a Time
Details and registration HERE

Bird Walk at Afterglow Farms with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Thursday, August 27
Details and registration HERE

** 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. During the year, some parks are priorities for birding. We can help MKE Parks! Pick a priority park from the list below, go bird, eBird it and note time spent there.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS : Aug 1-7

• Alcott Park
• Armour Park
• Barnard Park
• Chippewa Park
• Honey Creek Pkwy 2,3,4,5
• Little Menomonee River Pkwy 3,6
• Menomonee River Pkwy 2,3,8 (no trail for 2 or 3)
• Milwaukee River Pkwy 5
• Mitchell Blvd Park
• Oak Creek Pkwy 3,4
• Pulaski Park (Cudahy)
• Root River 7,8,15 (no trail on 15)
• Southwood Glen Park
• Zablocki 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)
• Ashippun River Greenway (free, no trail)
• 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)
• Fox Bend South free (small parking area on gravel; don’t block the gate) On Forest Home Ave, 42.86084° N, 88.23814° W. Start on the farm access road heading in direction of river. You can access a fair amount of it via this road, plus a dirt trail, plus walking back through a grain field that has been mowed (watch for horned larks). Backtracking a bit or a bit of bushwhacking depending on what you feel like doing. This property is quite large and we haven’t been to all of it yet.
• Fox Brook Park (fee or daily pass)
• Fox River Park (fee or pass OR park by the condos along and walk in)
• Ice Age Trail Monches segment
• Monches County park (daily fee or pass)
• Mukwonago Park (daily fee or pass)
• Nagawaukee Park (pass or daily fee)
• Ryan Park- (pass or day fee)
• New Berlin Recreation Trail (free- bike from edge of Greenfield Park into Waukesha!)