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Promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin's birds.

Horicon Marsh Field Trip 2017 – Aug. 13

      We met at our new (earlier) start time at 7:00 AM along Highway 49 – just east of the pumphouse.  The weather conditions were perfect today, with sunny skies, little or no wind, and temperatures in the 60’s.  This particular area has provided the best shorebird habitat along Hwy. 49 this summer, but the lack of rain in recent weeks has reduced the wet area to a... Read More   

Web-based Membership Software Coming this Fall

WSO is in the process of upgrading to a web-based membership software system. Why should we upgrade, you might ask? The new system, known as Wild Apricot, allows us to integrate membership, development, communications and event management in a single database. Currently, we have four different excel spreadsheets for each of these items. It also provides more data security because of automated... Read More   

White River Marsh Field Trip Summary

It was a pretty nice morning as folks began gathering along White River Road. The sky was clear and the temperature was chilly, but at that point in the day the winds were still pretty light. As folks were getting out of their cars there was quite a bit of early morning sounds emanating from the marsh. American Bittern was “pumping”, Soras were whinnying, Sandhill Cranes were unison-calling,... Read More   

2017 Passenger Pigeon Award Winners

Each of the Passenger Pigeon Awards to be presented at the 78th annual Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Convention in Carter will recognize outstanding examples of partnerships that have earned Wisconsin a national reputation for academic and government collaboration with the state’s highly energized birding community. The honors will be presented at an awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday, June... Read More   

Dane and Columbia Co Ponds Field Trip Report

Under cloudy skies the temperature was not bad at around 34 degrees, but there was a brisk northwest wind blowing, so it sure felt chilly at Goose Pond as the 30 or so participants gathered at 7:00 AM. The pond was full of waterfowl, with over 400 Tundra Swans present, along with scads of Canada Geese, and a respectable number of Cackling and a few Greater White-fronted Geese mixed in. A fair... Read More   

Sheboygan Field Trip Report

For a morning in mid-March, it sure seemed chilly! The temperature started about 18 degrees, with a moderate wind blowing, but at least it was sunny. About 25 birders showed up at the Sheboygan Marina, our gathering point, but there weren’t many birds present so we soon moved over to the North Point area. Two Harlequin Ducks (female-type plumage) had been present here in recent days, and we... Read More   

2016 State BIGBY Champ: Ross Mueller

The Big Green Birding Year – BIGBY – has become my preferred method of birding for the last four years. And 2016 was a particularly good year, thanks to my birding friends, especially members of the Northeast Wisconsin Birding Club, and to my experiences in previous years, iPhones, Facebook pages, good weather at important times and good fortune. And the BIGBY page on the WSO website kept up... Read More   

2016 BIGBY Summary

Back in January 2016, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology took the reins, or perhaps more appropriately “the handlebars” of the Wisconsin Green Birding Challenge — better known as BIGBY, a.k.a. “Big Green Big Year.” WSO now manages the spreadsheet and a webpage dedicated to this very exciting form of birding. Since that time, a Green Birding Facebook page also has been created,... Read More   

Buena Vista and Necedah NWR Field Trip Report

About 16 birders gathered at 8:00 AM on January 28 along Hwy. W in Portage County (just NW of Bancroft) in the Buena Vista Grasslands. The skies were cloudy, and there was a moderate west wind, but at least the temperatures were well above zero this time – in the mid-20s. After sharing greetings, and waiting a short time for late arrivals, we headed west to Taft Road, and then took it north. A... Read More   

Milwaukee Lakefront Field Trip Report

The sunshine was bright, but the temperature was bitterly cold (0 degrees) – and a brisk west wind added to the chill. Despite the cold, close to 40 hardcore birders showed up at South Shore Yacht Club as we gathered for our first field trip of the year. Unfortunately, the very cold weather of the past several days had completely frozen the entire harbor area, and the only waterfowl hanging out... Read More   

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become a memberWe welcome all birders!

donate todayHelp us promote the enjoyment, study and conservation of Wisconsin's birds!

Popular Posts

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Social

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