-By Carrie Becker and Lisa Gaumnitz-
The snow may be flying, but Great Horned Owls are already sitting on eggs, defying the idea of creature comfort. Their breeding activity is spurring hundreds of volunteers to begin the fifth and final season of collecting data for a comprehensive, once-in-a-generation statewide breeding bird survey.
To energize these volunteers for the final push and...
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Registration Opens for Very Special WSO Convention
-By Dar and Cathy Tiede WSO Convention Committee Chairs-
Daylight hours are getting longer, cardinals are singing, and spring is on the way! Time to open registration for WSO’s 80th annual convention! The convention will take place Friday May 24 through Monday May 27 in the Eau Claire area with the Gaylord Nelson Audubon Society as local co-host.
Convention activities will take...
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Rare Birds Brought Unexpected Color
-By Mark Korducki-
The month of January begin with mild conditions and no snow. Milwaukee had a record high of 54 degrees on the 5th. These warm conditions continued until the middle of the month before much of the state was blanketed by snow and the polar vortex moved in and dropped temperatures well below zero. Temperatures during the month’s final few days were expected to...
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SAVE THE DATE! May 19 at Honey Creek Preserve
Great opportunity to view rock-star birds, preserve their habitat!
What: 2019 Honey Creek Birdathon and Bandathon
Where: Harold and Carla Kruse Honey Creek Nature Preserve
When: 8 a.m. Sunday, May 19
How to get there: The Honey Creek Nature Preserve can be reached by going west out of Prairie du Sac on Highway PF approximately 15 miles to Skyview Drive (Lins Road on older maps). Turn left...
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Prolific Birder to Keynote Atlas’ Final Kickoff
-By Carrie Becker WBBA II Communications Director-
Visitors to the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas Final Kickoff this April will have the opportunity to learn from (and maybe even hoist a beer with!) Ian Davies, one of the “Big 4” coordinators at eBird. Arguably one of the most prolific birders in the world, Davies has trekked to 45 countries in his search of birds, observing...
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Deep Freeze Field Trip at Buena Vista!
Written by Tom Schultz
We had been concerned about the bitter cold forecast, and even posted a warning on the WSO website a few days ahead… but the reality on the morning of January 26 was even worse. The temperature on the drive over to the Buena Vista grasslands dropped down to -27 degrees at one point!
Due to this brutal cold snap, we really weren’t expecting anyone to show up, but as we...
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WSO Milwaukee Lakeshore Field Trip 2019
Written by Tom Schultz
The temperature was relatively mild (in the low to mid 30’s) on January 12, but it sure didn’t feel like it – with a strong wind blowing in off Lake Michigan that really dropped the wind chill! Birders began gathering prior to 8:00 AM at South Shore Yacht Club, and the group eventually reached about 40. The first excitement of the morning was provided by an adult...
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Hardy Hammond’s Flycatcher Likely a New State Record
By Mark Korducki
After a cold and snowy November, December saw temperatures well above normal and most areas received little snow. This warmer than normal weather played a role in allowing insectivores to find food and may have resulted in one of the highlights of the year.
A sharp-eyed birder was driving along a rural Sauk County road and saw what he believed to be a late Eastern Phoebe...
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Reduced Hotel Rates for WSO Convention
-By Dar and Cathy Tiede- (WSO Convention Committee Chairs)
The 80th annual WSO convention will take place from Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27, 2019, at the River Prairie Center in Altoona. The River Prairie Center is only minutes from downtown Eau Claire on a beautiful bend in the Eau Claire River. Our local co-host for the event is the Gaylord Nelson Audubon Society.
The...
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Three Changes for Bird City Wisconsin
Observatory assumes sponsorship of pioneering conservation program
Shorewood, Wis. - Bird City Wisconsin has notified its partners and member communities about three important changes in the pioneering program for urban bird conservation.
The first is that Bird City has a new fiscal sponsor. The board of directors of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory voted unanimously on Oct. 19...
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April Gathering Kicks Off Final Field Season for Atlas II
-By Carrie Becker- (WBBA II Communications Chair)
As we welcome 2019, organizers of the 2nd Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas are looking ahead with urgency to the final breeding season of the five-year survey. It’s now or never to finish this project!
To kick off the upcoming season of data collection, birders from around the state will gather April 5–7 at the Holiday Inn &...
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