by Tom Schultz
About 20 of us gathered at the Sheboygan Marina at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 12 for what was supposed to be the first outing of Spring – but really felt more like a January field trip! The temperature was only 7 degrees, and there was a stiff NW wind blowing. Fortunately, the skies were clear and the sun was bright – but it sure didn’t seem to provide much...
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Sheboygan Field Trip Report - 3/12/22
By Tom Schultz
About 20 of us gathered at the Sheboygan Marina at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 12 for what was supposed to be the first outing of Spring – but really felt more like a January field trip! The temperature was only 7 degrees, and there was a stiff NW wind blowing. Fortunately, the skies were clear and the sun was bright – but it sure didn’t seem to provide much...
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Your photos on an updated WSO website!
The WSO is in the process of launching an updated website; one with a more modern look and feel, a mobile-friendly and responsive layout, and one which we can use to more effectively communicate with our membership.
As part of this process, we'd like to refresh the photos used on the website as well. We know many of you are excellent photographers and we're reaching out with the hope that...
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Flight Forward campaign achieves goal
By Jennifer Lazewski WSO Executive Director
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of our membership, we have met our goal of raising $150,000 to expand the society’s operations and programs. A generous lead gift from Dr. Adel B Korkor kicked off the appeal, which accomplished the targeted goal.
Members of WSO’s Board of Directors contributed nearly one-third of the amount. The rest came...
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Birds may be helpless against cats, but we don't have to be
Predation by domestic cats is the No. 1 human-caused threat to birds in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. alone, outdoor catskill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year. Although this number may seem unbelievable, it represents the combinedimpact of tens of millions of outdoor cats.
By Steve Betchkal
I belong to a popular city-wide neighborhood chat group here in Eau Claire called...
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Buena Vista Field Trip Report – February 12th, 2022
The snowfall this winter has been on the light side, so some roads that had been impassable during other years were easy to drive – including Prairie Chicken Road and Swamp Road, which were where we started. The latter road had a NORTHERN SHRIKE perched atop a small tree, as well as a COMMON RAVEN and a couple of AMERICAN CROWS.
We drove west on Hwy. W to Townline Road, which we took...
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WSO is Recruiting!
The WSO is hiring an Administrative Assistant in a part time role. The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology is a nonprofit organization whose mission is promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin’s birds. This person would have a primary role in membership services and assist with communications, publications, events, and funds development. We are looking for a collaborative...
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Flight forward appeal soars to 80% of goal!
Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of our membership, the Flight Forward appeal has raised $119,000, or nearly 80% of its goal. These funds will be used to support the organization’s operations, staff and program development.
“It is crucial that we do a better job of protecting birds and bringing attention to the many threats facing our feathered friends. We can only do that by...
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Rare duck is young birder's Christmas present
By Nathaniel Wegner
A great thing about birding is you never know what you’re going to see on any particular day.
When thinking about where to bird on Sunday, Dec. 26, finding an Iceland Gull was on my mind, but otherwise I didn’t really have any specific birds I was after, so we decided to visit some of our regular winter birding spots along Lake Michigan in...
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December Rare Birds: Tufted Duck, Say’s Phoebe and 9 warbler species!
By Mark Korducki
December was another mild month, continuing the trend of 2021. Lakes and ponds froze up later than normal and there was still a lot of open water during the Christmas Bird Count period. There were a few significant snowstorms in central and northern Wisconsin and very strong winds, which may have brought in a few rare birds.
Jeremy Meyer (www.jmeyerphotography.net) photographed...
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Milwaukee Lakefront Field Trip Report - January 2022
By Tom Schultz
On Sunday, January 9, WSO held its first field trip of the year, with 27 birders gathering at South Shore Yacht Club at 8:00 AM. Although the initial temperature was around 24 degrees, it felt much colder with a 15-25 mph NW wind ushering in a strong cold front. The temperature fell through the morning, eventually dropping to 12 degrees, with the brutal wind...
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