Great Wisconsin Birdathon soars, raising $117,000 for birds
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon gave away a copy of Wingspan, the popular bird-themed board game, and the winner was one of our newest family teams from Wood County, the Round Barn Birders! They birded all season long, exploring new places and finding new birds together as a family. Photo courtesy of their team captain, Lisa Kowalski.
By Caitlyn Schuchhardt Outreach Coordinator Natural Resources...
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Summer Rare Birds: Cassin’s Kingbird would be a new state record
Dan Belter photographed what has been identified as a Cassin’s Kingbird in Marathon County on June 5.
By Mark Korducki
The exciting spring for rarities continued into early June. In Marathon County, a trip to search for Dickcissels turned up a much more exciting surprise for a Wausau birder. An unusual flycatcher was photographed and subsequently identified as a Cassin's Kingbird. If...
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Action Alert: Support a ban on lead use on National Wildlife Refuges
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to open or expand hunting and/or sport fishing on 19 National Wildlife Refuges. In addition, they are proposing to ban the use of lead on these newly opened refuge lands. This ban on lead would include upland game hunting, big game hunting, as well as sport fishing. While none of the proposed refuges are in Wisconsin, it is still important for...
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Gopalan elected to lead WSO
In an election conducted largely online, WSO members have overwhelmingly elected to two-year terms the slate of officers proposed by the Board of Directors in May. On a vote of 197 to 2 (with 21-mail-in ballots), members elected these officers:
President: Sunil Gopalan Vice President: Lynn Barber Secretary: Rebecca Gilman
Barber and Gilman were elected to the WSO Board...
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Bah on Birds: Bell's Vireo
Bah on Birds: Bell’s Vireo
by Mariama Bah, age 15
Hello and welcome to “Bah on Birds.” I’m Mariama Bah, author of “Bah on Birds” and a volunteer for the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology. In my free time, I like to crochet, read books, and learn new things, which is why I joined WSO. What I hope to accomplish with my volunteer work is to educate people about the endangered and...
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WSO - Honey Creek Birdathon
By Jeff Baughman
On Saturday, June 18, 2022, the WSO held its Birdathon/Bandathon at our Honey Creek property in Sauk County. The Birdathon portion of the event included an early dawn chorus field trip and later a hike on our trails north of Skyview Road.
The dawn chorus trip started at Alder Drive and Skyview Roads intersection at 4 AM. It was a perfect morning for birding, with clear skies...
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May brings surprising array of rare birds !
By Mark Korducki
It has been a fantastic month of birding.
Jim Edlhuber photographed this second state record Fulvous Whistling Duck on Lake Waubesa in Dane County on May 16.
The most unusual sighting during May occurred in Dane County where a Fulvous Whistling Duck was discovered. This bird was a one day wonder but proved quite cooperative that day and, thanks to modern communication...
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WSO’s Big Birding Bash tallies at least 239 species
WSO invited the bird lovers of Wisconsin to participate in the state’s first ever Big Birding Bash over the weekend of May 21-22. It was an open invitation to members and non-members alike and to birders of all levels to join a bird walk, field trip, volunteer work day or community science event.
The only ask from WSO was that groups or individuals contribute their sightings during those...
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Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit Field Trip, June 2022
Our group of 19 birders met at Jersey Flats Prairie Restoration Project parking lot at 6 AM to begin our WSO field trip through a small part of the KMSF-NU. After introductions and a brief itinerary, we took a short walk on a mowed trail into the prairie. Soon we had nice scope views of our target species Henslow’s Sparrow. We eventually heard 4 of these small, flat headed sparrows...
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WSO unveils the newest version of ‘Haunts’
The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology is proud to unveil the latest edition of the state’s original and most comprehensive bird-finding resource: Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts – in its first ever online and interactive format.
Since its inception, Haunts has been considered a premier Wisconsin birding resource. The selected sites in the latest edition, chosen by 110 local experts in...
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White River Marsh 2022 Report
By Tom Schultz, WSO field trip committee
It was beautiful dawn at White River Marsh, with clear skies and calm winds – even though the early morning temperature was only about 35 degrees. Our group of about 20 gathered along White River Road, and soon began a slow walk down the gravel roadway.
The marsh was alive with bird song, with SORA and VIRGINIA RAILS calling, and SWAMP SPARROWS...
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