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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... Read More   

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... Read More   

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... Read More   

’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... Read More   

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... Read More   

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... Read More   

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... Read More   

WSO asks YOU to help organize Big Birding Bash on May 21-22

The Wisconsin Society of Ornithology, in place of its annual convention this year, would like to invite birders of all levels (members and non-members) throughout Wisconsin to participate in the state’s first Big Birding Bash. The event will consist of birding walks, field trips and other birding opportunities offered throughout Wisconsin on May 21 or May 22. Any groups or individuals will be... Read More   

Dane and Columbia County Ponds 2022 Report

Wow, this field trip felt much more like January than late March!  The temperature all morning under cloudy skies was 23 degrees, which was cold enough, but the strong northwest winds made the wind chills really brutal.  Besides that, there were snow flurries in the air from time to time. Despite the frigid weather, there were 19 hardy individuals who showed up at Goose Pond Sanctuary... Read More   

2022 Sheboygan Lakefront Field Trip Report

by Tom Schultz About 20 of us gathered at the Sheboygan Marina at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 12 for what was supposed to be the first outing of Spring – but really felt more like a January field trip!  The temperature was only 7 degrees, and there was a stiff NW wind blowing.  Fortunately, the skies were clear and the sun was bright – but it sure didn’t seem to provide much... Read More   

Sheboygan Field Trip Report - 3/12/22

By Tom Schultz About 20 of us gathered at the Sheboygan Marina at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 12 for what was supposed to be the first outing of Spring – but really felt more like a January field trip!  The temperature was only 7 degrees, and there was a stiff NW wind blowing.  Fortunately, the skies were clear and the sun was bright – but it sure didn’t seem to provide much... Read More   
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