News - Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

Is Hunting Sandhill Cranes Truly Necessary?

by Augustus Dougherty

Conservation efforts once saved the iconic bird from extinction. Now, Wisconsin lawmakers want to legalize hunting them again. Read the full article here: Is Hunting Sandhill Cranes Truly Necessary?

<b>Sandhill Crane</b>s

Moving forward on the Flight!

By Mary Korkor WSO President 2021 was supposed to be the year we returned to normal, but as we all know now… there seems to be a “new normal.” Sometimes, a new normal means improved outreach, better communication, consistent follow-through and more opportunity for impact. That is how I am feeling about 2022, with the addition of our new executive... Read More

WSO director’s agenda for 2022: Help members become educated, engaged conservationists

By Jennifer Lazewski Executive Director Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Happy New Year! I am looking forward to sharing 2022 with you in my first full year as WSO’s executive director. While my first few months have been spent mostly working with WSO leaders and getting to better know others in the Wisconsin birding community, I am ready for outreach and action now. We will be discovering... Read More

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