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Flight forward appeal soars to 80% of goal!

Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of our membership, the Flight Forward appeal has raised $119,000, or nearly 80% of its goal. These funds will be used to support the organization’s operations, staff and program development. “It is crucial that we do a better job of protecting birds and bringing attention to the many threats facing our feathered friends. We can only do that by... Read More   

Rare duck is young birder's Christmas present

By Nathaniel Wegner A great thing about birding is you never know what you’re going to see on any particular day.     When thinking about where to bird on Sunday, Dec. 26, finding an Iceland Gull was on my mind, but otherwise I didn’t really have any specific birds I was after, so we decided to visit some of our regular winter birding spots along Lake Michigan in... Read More   

December Rare Birds: Tufted Duck, Say’s Phoebe and 9 warbler species!

By Mark Korducki December was another mild month, continuing the trend of 2021. Lakes and ponds froze up later than normal and there was still a lot of open water during the Christmas Bird Count period. There were a few significant snowstorms in central and northern Wisconsin and very strong winds, which may have brought in a few rare birds. Jeremy Meyer (www.jmeyerphotography.net) photographed... Read More   

Milwaukee Lakefront Field Trip Report - January 2022

By Tom Schultz On Sunday, January 9, WSO held its first field trip of the year, with 27 birders gathering at South Shore Yacht Club at 8:00 AM.  Although the initial temperature was around 24 degrees, it felt much colder with a 15-25 mph NW wind ushering in a strong cold front.  The temperature fell through the morning, eventually dropping to 12 degrees, with the brutal wind... Read More   

Is Hunting Sandhill Cranes Truly Necessary?

by Augustus Dougherty

Conservation efforts once saved the iconic bird from extinction. Now, Wisconsin lawmakers want to legalize hunting them again.  Read the full article here: Is Hunting Sandhill Cranes Truly Necessary?

 

<b>Sandhill Crane</b>s

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Moving forward on the Flight!

  By Mary Korkor WSO President     2021 was supposed to be the year we returned to normal, but as we all know now… there seems to be a “new normal.”     Sometimes, a new normal means improved outreach, better communication, consistent follow-through and more opportunity for impact. That is how I am feeling about 2022, with the addition of our new executive... Read More   

WSO director’s agenda for 2022: Help members become educated, engaged conservationists

By Jennifer Lazewski Executive Director Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Happy New Year! I am looking forward to sharing 2022 with you in my first full year as WSO’s executive director. While my first few months have been spent mostly working with WSO leaders and getting to better know others in the Wisconsin birding community, I am ready for outreach and action now. We will be discovering... Read More   

November Rare Birds: Ross’s Gull, Lewis’s Woodpecker top off exciting month

By Mark Korducki     November started out quite mild but quickly turned to more seasonal temperatures with a few light snowfalls in some parts of the state. There was a pattern of strong westerly winds that can be conducive to bringing rarities to the state. Overall it was a good month of birding with some exciting finds. The highlight of the month was a Ross's Gull found Nov. 27... Read More   

New cap, book available at WSO Store

  By Dar Tiede WSO Store Manager WSO is pleased to announce two additions to our store offerings. Current inventory for each of these new items is limited to about 20 and restocking before Christmas is unlikely given current delivery times. We plan to restock these items during 2022 as needed.  Please place your order as soon as possible for delivery before Christmas. We will do our... Read More   

Flight Forward Campaign: Securing the Future of Wisconsin Brirds

   The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology is a statewide organization with over 1,100 members that is dedicated to fostering a love of birds through research, conservation advocacy, and educational outreach. For more than 80 years the WSO has been the state’s go-to organization for the study of birds. Each year the WSO awards grants to researchers who are working diligently... Read More   

WSO Conservation Committee Stewardship Fund, crane hunt, wildlife act, golf course are all on its radar

In an Oct. 17th report to the WSO Board of Directors, the Society’s Conservation Committee, chaired by Carl Schroeder, reported that is acting on or monitoring these issues: Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund: The KN Stewardship Fund was reauthorized for four years by the State Legislature and signed by the governor on July 8 at an annual funding level of $33.25 million. While this is less than... Read More   
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