April Rare Birds Magpie! Garganey! Sharp-tailed Sandpiper! Long Billed-Curlew!
By Mark Korducki
April started out colder and wetter than normal. It rained or snowed on the first 10 days of the month. This cold start delayed migration and made for some slow birding.
The one rare sighting that occurred during the early part of the month was a group of three Black-billed Magpies in Bayfield County. At least two of these birds have been seen consistently and now Have...
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Nesting Milwaukee eagle died from bird flu
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Initial tests on the Bald Eagle that died April 9th after it was found grounded in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood indicate it was suffering from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), according to the Wisconsin Humane Society.
An influenza strain called EA H5N1 is circulating among domestic and wild birds in North America. Wildlife and...
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Avian influenza and Wisconsin birds: What you need to know
Madison Audubon
The Wisconsin DNR announced in late March 2022 that highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (also known as HPAI or EA H5 Avian Influenza) has been detected in wild raptor and waterfowl species in Wisconsin. WHAT ABOUT BIRD FEEDERS?
Many of you have been asking us about bird feeders, which we recommended people take down during 2021’s outbreak of a mystery illness that...
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WSO invites the state to join its Big Birding Bash May 21-22 - full schedule here!
WSO’s Big Birding Bash
The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology invites the bird lovers of Wisconsin to participate in the state’s first ever Big Birding Bash. There’s something on offer for birders of all levels (members and non-members alike). Join us for a bird walk, field trip, volunteer work day, or community science event on May 21 or May 22. Anything goes as...
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WSO members voting on new leadership
For many decades, members of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology elected its officers during an annual meeting at its spring convention. Beginning in 2020, officer terms were extended from one year to two, with elections to be held every two years. Due to COVID 19, that election was held online and by mail.
The Board Of Directors had hoped to conduct the 2022 election...
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WSO Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip – April 23, 2022
This year’s outing was held, Saturday, April 23, 2022. This is the latest date we’ve ever had this trip. (Good thing, as Marathon County’s April weather has felt more like February). We had a total of 20 attendees from across the state. The weather was nice and partly cloudy with brief peaks of the sun. A bit cool starting out, mid-40’s, but as the day progressed temperatures rose into...
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Go birding for a cause with ’22 Great Wisconsin Birdathon
By Caitlyn Schuchhardt NRF Outreach Coordinator
Spring is here, and you know what that means! Red-winged Blackbirds are singing their characteristic conk-la-reeeeeee and Sandhill Cranes are calling -- calling for you to register for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, that is!
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon is organized by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and is the largest fundraiser for...
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’22 Honey Creek campaign honors Harold Kruse: ‘Guardian of the Hills’
Harold and Carla Kruse
By Rebecca GilmanWSO is pleased to announce that this year’s fundraising campaign for our Honey Creek Preserve will be held in honor of Harold G. Kruse, whose tireless conservation efforts led to the creation of the preserve and to the permanent protection of more than 8,000 acres of the surrounding Baraboo Hills.
Our tribute to Kruse, which will culminate in the...
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WSO honors broadcaster, educator Laura Erickson, 6 others
By Wendy Schultz WSO Awards Chair
Despite the tenacity of the COVID pandemic, there are still good people who do good things for birds, and the past year (crazy as it was) still yielded a number of exceptional nominations for WSO’s annual Passenger Pigeon Awards. It is with great pleasure that we present our 2022 award recipients:
The Golden Passenger Pigeon Award is...
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WSO, Madison Aububon, and ABC fight for bird-safe glass ordinance
Nearly a billion birds die each year after colliding with glass in the United States. That's almost 2.7 million birds a day. It is a staggering number of largely preventable deaths. In August 2020, the City of Madison adopted Wisconsin's first bird-safe building ordinance which required large construction projects to use bird-friendly strategies and glass aimed at reducing...
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BIPOC Birding Club enjoying success in its first year
Photo by Theresa Brown From left: Dexter Patterson, Rita Flores Wiskowski and Dr. Jeff Galligan
By Rita Flores Wiskowski
The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin was founded in Madison in June 2021 by Dr. Jeff Galligan and Dexter Patterson. It’s a community for and of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) outdoor enthusiasts who are interested in birds and the beauty of natural...
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