Sunday, March 22, 8:30-10:30
Forest Beach Migratory Preserve
4970 Country Club Rd, Port Washington, WI 53074
A former golf course, this restored land has a number of great bird habitats. On over 100-acres, there are small ponds, wetlands, conifer stands, open grasslands, and woods. On the Northeastern corner of the property is a viewing platform for fall Hawk watches. It is amazing to see raptors flying south along the shore from that vantage point. The Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition’s October Hawk Watch is worth attending.
Website: https://www.restoringlands.org/forest-beach-migratory-preserve
eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L631950
Trails: Mix of grass, mulch and paved paths
Restrooms: None
Park map: Habitat map: https://www.restoringlands.org/_files/ugd/949e20_462f951754524429a7e0b667930c2fb0.pdf
Join us! Walks are free and open to all levels of birders
Nearly every morning, there is a
FREE Bird Walk in Milwaukee
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Milwaukee Birding News
Barred Owl Nest Cam. Schlitz Audubon has a breeding pair of Barred Owls – watch their nest box. She’s keeping two eggs dry and warm. https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptors/barred-owl-nest-box-cam/
Want to hear all about eBird and AI and Conservation? Come hear Dr Ian Owen, Executive Director of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, speak at Dean’s Distinguished Lecture in the Natural Sciences at UW-Milwaukee on April 9. RSVP for this free event HERE
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Annual Convention Registration now open! Keynote by Laura Erickson, educational sessions, meals, and the highlight of WSO Conventions – the field trips! Accompany local birders to hotspots for great birding. The Convention is in Madison, May 15-17. Details and registration HERE
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is still here. It is highly contagious among some bird species, specifically waterfowl, water birds, raptors, and scavengers. Learn more about protecting yourself, birds in your backyard, and wild birds: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease/Avianinfluenza
Last Week
Saturday, ten birders walked a two-mile loop spotting 25 species. It was a beautiful morning with a pause between the storms: no wind and clear blue skies. Red-winged Blackbirds were all over, followed closely by the number of American Robins. The two raptors of the day were an American Kestrel and a Cooper’s Hawk. A couple Golden-crowned Kinglets were in the shrubs along the trail and seemed to follow us as we went. Additional spring migrants were Common Grackles and Eastern Meadowlarks, singing their “Spring is here” melody. Already looking forward to our April 11 walk there!
eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S309083879
Sunday’s walk along the Hank Aaron Trail was canceled due to impending rain.
Upcoming Bird Talks & walks:
Have a birding event to share? email us on the Contact Page
MARCH
Birding Along the Ice Age Trail
Wednesday, March 18, field trip with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
Learn about Lincoln Park -Milwaukee River Improvements
Wednesday, Mar 18 at Blatz Pavillion
Details: https://mkewaterwaypartners.org/2026-lp-spring-event/
Dane and Columbia County Birding with Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Saturday, March 21
Details and Registration: https://wsobirds.org/birding-events/eventdetail/22245/-/dane-columbia-counties
Gardening for the Birds and the Bees: Introduction to Native Gardening for Beginners
Saturday, March 21, Wehr Nature Center
Details HERE
Birding the Milwaukee Public Museum with Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Saturday, March 21 11:00am
Details HERE
Guided Bird HIke: Early Spring Migrants
Sunday, Mar 22 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
Birds & Stars: Navigation at Night
Wednesday, March 25th 7-8:30 PM at Urban Ecology Center
This relaxed evening lecture explores how birds navigate using stars, landscapes, and Earth’s magnetic field. We’ll take a fascinating look at migration, night skies, and the science that guides birds across incredible distances. Join the UEC Research Team (me) and guest presenter Bob Bonadurer, Daniel M. Soref Planetarium Director, for a short indoor presentation followed by an outdoor exploration of the night sky, where we’ll look for the same navigational clues birds rely on to find their way. Register here.
Understanding Bird Populations and How They Change
Thursdays Mar 26-Apr 23 at UW Field Station
Details and Registration HERE
Field Trip: Columbia/Dane counties in search of early migrants
Sunday, March 29, 7:00am meet up
Tour ponds and flooded fields in this very productive area. A wide variety of water birds, shorebirds, migrant passerines and others are possible (i.e.: swans, Greater White-fronted &Ross’s Geese, pipits, longspurs, sparrows, etc.).Carpooling at 7 a.m. from park & ride lot at Highway 33 and I-41. No signup required.
Trip Leader: Carl Schwartz; you can contact him at cschwartz3@wi.rr.com or 414-416-3272
April
Bird Adaptations – Drop-In Program
Wednesday, Apr 1, Riveredge Nature Center
Bird banding and more. Detail HERE
Woodcock Walk
Wednesday, April 8 Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
“Artificial Intelligence, Citizen Science, and Conservation” by Dr Ian Owen
Thursday, April 9, UW-Milwaukee
Talk and reception. Details HERE
Dabblers and Divers: Ducks of Schlitz Audubon
Saturday, April 11
Details HERE
Guided Bird Hike: Spring Migrants
Sunday Apr 12 Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
Bird Conservation and Coffee Seminar
Sunday, Apr 12, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Details HERE
SOS Save Our Songbirds: Three Actions to Help Songbirds at Home
Wednesday, April 15, Wehr Nature Center
Details HERE
Gardening for Hummingbirds
Sunday, April 19 by Goss Bird Club
Details HERE
Woodcock Walk with Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Wednesday, April 22 at Mequon Nature Preserve
Details HERE
Port Washington Bird Sanctuary Field Trip with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Thursday, April 23
Details HERE
Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip with Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Saturday, April 25
Details HERE
Beyond the Bird Feeder: Bird ID
Saturday, April 25 at Wehr Nature Center
Details: HERE
Native Tree Giveaway by Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Saturday, April 25, Port Washington
Details HERE
** Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook! for event announcements
Check out Chirp Chat episodes by Xcaret Nuñez. It’s all about birding Milwaukee area on WUWM 89.7 last Wednesday of the month
List of Milwaukee area BIRD CLUBS !
Milwaukee parks that need birding this week
The county needs eBird records throughout the year for every park and natural area. Every week there are priority parks needing eBird lists. A park could be a priority because no surveys have been done for that week. Alternatively, it could be prioritized because there are surveys, but MKE Parks suspect more species might reside there than previously identified.
We can help MKE Parks! Pick a priority park, go bird, eBird it and note time spent there.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS : March 8-14
- Armour Park
- Grootemat Nature Preserve
- Little Menomonee River Pkwy 2 (no trail, will be wet, be careful!) Entry off the dead end at W Heather Ave, walk next to Ryder Truck Rental to the river.
- Wyrick Park
Based on the needs spreadsheet from MKE Parks, Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society (Thanks Colleen!) curates suggested locations based on accessibility to the property and availability on the ebird hotspots tool. Please track your time spent! At the end of the year WMAS provides hours to the county.
Follow Wisconsin Metro Audubon on Facebook for their weekly park posts.
Note- even if it’s already been birded this week, going another day or even a different time of day helps. The parks department wants a number of surveys for each park. Birding more than once in a week is very helpful!
Find a park and a park map: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks/Explore/Find-a-Park
Wisconsin Metro Audubon is also birding for Waukesha Parks…
Bird where you can and share your ebird list with their ebird account: WaukeshaCountyBirding
March bird surveys needed at these locations- all are ebird hotspots
- Berg Property – free – address S102W33451 CTH LO should get you there or very close. It’s just west of Mukwonago so you could do them both in one trip!
- Fox Bend Park- fee or pass- looking for 8 shared surveys
- Monches County Park- fee or pass- looking for 4 shared surveys
- Mukwonago Park (pass or daily fee) – looking for 7 shared surveys
- Ashippun Lake – Waukesha County- (free)- looking for 1 shared survey
- New Berlin Trail (free)- 5 shared surveys needed