Dane County Landfill
Dane County Landfill, Dane County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Industrial.
Best Birds: The landfill is primarily birded in the fall and winter months for rare gulls. Having a scope is advantageous so as to pick through the gulls one by one. Sightings of Glaucous, Lesser Black-Backed, and Iceland Gull (Thayeri is the most common subspecies, but Kumlieni is found as well) are annual. Great Black-Backed Gull is irregular. Any/all plumage cycles of the gulls are possible (immature, 2nd cycle, 3rd cycle, adult). Typically, the gulls are only present when the landfill is being actively worked during business hours (afterwards they retreat to roost on the area lakes). Check the nearby fields on Femrite Drive for flocks on the ground or the retention pond near I-39/90 when it is partially frozen over. Observe from parking lots of the business park north of the pond. Note, once the Madison area lakes freeze over, most of the Ring-Billed Gull leave the area and it becomes easier to locate rare gulls.
Directions: 9 miles east of Madison, northeast of the intersection of Highway 12/18 and Highway AB. Observe birds safely from the road shoulders along Highway AB or Highway 12/18. Recently the best vantage points have been (43.045186, -89.246939) and (43.040969, -89.247377), although this changes from year to year. Check the nearby fields on Femrite Drive (43.046943, -89.237853) for flocks on the ground or the retention pond near I-39/90 when it is partially frozen over (43.050034, -89.269250). Observe from the parking lots of the business park north of the pond, entering from Femrite Drive).
Site Address & Additional Information:
7102 US-12, Madison, WI
https://landfill.countyofdane.com/services/landfill
Shawn Miller
