Sept 27 at 8:00am
Shorewood Nature Preserve
3950 N Lake Drive, Shorewood
At just 8-acres, this little lakefront park packs in the birds. Possibility for ducks on Lake Michigan. Number of woodpeckers and year-round residents on the terrace. Look for warblers and other migrants in the shrubby edges around the amphitheater.
Website: https://www.villageofshorewood.org/148/Parks
eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L282134
Trails: Steep mulched and paved trail to the beach. Dirt and mulched trail loop on the terrace.
Restrooms: None
Park Map:
Join us! Walks are always free and always fun . Open to all levels of birders
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Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
Milwaukee Birding News
2026-27 Finch Forecast. Every year the Finch Research Network produces a finch irruption forecast based on the summer health of a variety of cone and seed-bearing trees and budworm populations. Not looking like a spectacular year for us to see winter finches. Get the details HERE
Art Exhibit. See Judith’s work at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center now thru Dec 26, 2026.
Everything you need to know for a hawk watch. Find great resources at Hawk Migration Association including the guide seen below
Last Week
Sixteen birders showed up to check out Bender Park. We started at the marina, we looked carefully for an unusual gull or any shorebird. Nothing. Lots of Ring-billed and a few Herring. Though we did find a Song Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher and several Mallards on the rocks and in the boat launch area. The shrubs along the parking lot road were busier with sparrows, kinglets and a Black-and-White Warbler.
We drove to the upper lot, passing a sunning Turkey Vulture on the way up. We walked a bit on the new section of the Oak Leaf Trail turning east into the woods and towards the bluff. We heard and saw Red-winged Blackbirds as we exited our cars. From there we hit little pockets of birds. Sparrows, including a Field Sparrow, were seen and heard in the field along the bike trail. Then some warblers on the edge of the woods. As we were leaving the woods at the north end, there was another burst of warbler activity. Both at the marina and on top of the bluff an American Pipit was heard yet not seen.
Marina eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S396828418
Bluff eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S396873982
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
September
Night Hunters Owls of Wisconsin
Wednesdays, Sept 30-Oct 14 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
October
Bird-A-PaloozaThursday, Oct 1 4:00-6:30pm
Friday, Oct 2, 4:00-6:30
Community Meeting on Shorewood Nature Preserve
Tuesday, Oct 6
Details HERE
Bird Banding with Milwaukee Audubon Society
Thursday, Oct 8 in Glendale
Details HERE
The Big Sit with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Saturday, Oct 10 at Wehr Nature Center
Details HERE
Hawks at Harrington Beach with Wisconsin Society of Ornithology
Sunday, Oct 11
Registration and details HERE
The Dawn of an Osprey Population in SE Wisconsin: A Success Story
Wednesday, Oct 21 by Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Details HERE
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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 : Sept 8-14
- Alcott Lark
- Dretzka Park
- Franklin Savanna (if you haven’t been, messenger us using the Messenger feature and we can explain access. Neat place but needs some explanation.
- Grootemat Nature Preserve
- Kern Park
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 3,4, 5,6 – (4 is called S of Good Hope, N of Hwy 145, 5 is called Little Menomonee River S of Mill Rd, North of Appleton)
- Menomonee River Pkwy 1,2,3,4,5 (no trail for 2, 3,4 and 4 is called Menomonee River, S of Silver Spring, west of 45)
- Milwaukee River Pkwy 1,3,5
- Oak Creek Pkwy 3,4, 5,6,7, 10,11, 13 (some don’t have trails)
- Root River 3,4,6,7,8,14,16,18- some don’t have trails
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!
September 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)
- Ice Age Trail Monches segment
- Menomonee Park
- Monches County park (daily fee or pass)
- Mukwonago Park (daily fee or pass)
- Muskego Park
- Nagawaukee Park (pass or daily fee)
- Pewaukee River Greenway
- Ryan Park- (pass or day fee)
- School Section Lake (requires lake pass)
- Spring Brook Greenway
- New Berlin Recreation Trail (free- bike from edge of Greenfield Park into Waukesha!)