By Rebecca Gilman WSO Secretary
Attendees at this year’s WSO Birdathon/Bandathon were greeted with a new green space at our 372-acre Harold and Carla Kruse Honey Creek Nature Preserve. The house that once belonged to David and Hazel Cox and was purchased from surviving members of the Cox family in 2021 has been removed.
The decision to demolish the Cox house was a difficult one for...
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WSO records panel thinks Eu. Goldfinch belongs on ABA checklist
The WSO Records Committee recently reviewed a new scientific paper published in NeoBiota by Julie Craves and Nicholas Anich that explored the spread of European Goldfinches in the Midwest.
The five-member committee, chaired by Quentin Yoerger, voted unanimously that it felt this species met all criteria for inclusion on the ABA list as an established exotic.
The committee then reached out...
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WSO 2023 Convention Wrap Up
The WSO partnered with the Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club to hold our 2023 convention on May 19-21 in Waukesha. This first convention we have been able to hold since 2019 was very well receieved. Special thanks are due to all the volunteers and leaders from the WSO and Goss Bird Club without whom this event would not have been possible.
We were excited to see that there were almost...
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Mead Wildlife Area April 22, 2023
This year’s outing was held, Saturday, April 22, 2023. Like last year, this is the latest date we’ve ever had this trip. (AGAIN a good thing, as Marathon County’s April weather has felt more like February). The weather was cold 32 degrees, breezy and partly cloudy. By the time we were done it was still only 38 degrees. We had a total of 15 attendees from across the state.
The water levels...
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White River Marsh - May 6th, 2023
White River Marsh 2023 Field Trip Report by Tom Schultz
It was a relatively mild morning on May 6, with the early morning temperature around 50 degrees. The skies were cloudy, and there were periodic sprinkles. Our planned start for this field trip was 5:00 AM, but we invited attendees to arrive at 4:30 if they were interested in trying for YELLOW RAIL, which had been...
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Buena Vista Grasslands -
By Rob Pendergast
On April 30th, 6 birders met up at the historical marker in Buena Vista. Conditions were less than favorable for grassland birding - wind, rain, temps in the 30’s, it seemed much more like November than the eve of May.
At the historical marker we noted a lone GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN hunkered down in the grass trying to stay warm. An UPLAND SANDPIPER called a few...
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WSO honors 9 Passenger Pigeon Award recipients
Despite the challenges of separation and isolation during the pandemic, many people continue to work hard on behalf of birds. After receiving a number of worthy nominations, WSO’s Board of Directors selected nine Passenger Pigeon Award recipients for 2023. They will be recognized on Friday May 19th at WSO’s 81st Annual Convention at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee.
This will be a...
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April Rare Birds: Painted Redstart leads flush of rare migrants
Jeremy Meyer photographed this male Painted Redstart at the Spring Green Preserve in Sauk County on April 24.
By Mark Korducki
The month began with cold and snowy conditions but by Easter weekend the weather had changed dramatically. A week of above normal temperatures, including several record highs, increased the push of migrants into Wisconsin and brought with it several...
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Can you imagine a world without songbirds? Campaign aims to make it easier to help birds at home
Madison resident Kate Dike and husband Fred returned from the Bringing Birds Back Conference
in Oshkosh ready to spread the SOS Save Our Songbirds message.
By Lisa Gaumnitz SOS Save Our Songbirds Coordinator
Madison - The beautiful songs and plumage of birds are welcome signs of spring, yet many bird lovers are noticing their feeders — and nearby fields and forests...
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Full schedule for May 28 Honey Creek Birdathon/Bandathon
By Jennifer Lazewski WSO Executive Director
The annual Honey Creek Birdathon/Bandathon is scheduled for Sunday May 28 at the Harold and Carla Kruse Honey Creek Nature Preserve. We hope to see you there for a great morning of activities at WSO’s incredible bird habitat in the Baraboo Hills Important Bird Area. Tom Schultz and Jeff Baughman will be leading Birdathon activities throughout the...
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Dane and Columbia County Ponds Field Trip Report – 4/2/23
After having our field trip postponed by one day due to forecasted bad weather, our group met at 7:00 AM on Sunday, April 2nd at Goose Pond. The temperature as we gathered was 27 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and brisk south winds (about 10-25 mph).
Lots of waterfowl were present on the pond as we arrived, although some groups of swans and other birds were departing. In view...
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