November 13 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Owl Prowl
at Cedarburg Bog
Join the Cedarburg Bog Owl Prowl team as we search for owls. We will be looking for Barred, Great-Horned, Northern Saw-whet, and Eastern Screech-Owls for sure and maybe a rare species such as Long-eared Owl. There are no guarantees as owls can be fickle; however, we have never struck out when weather conditions are right! Bring binoculars, water, and a small flashlight. We will mostly be owling along Blue Goose Road and possibly St. Augustine Road with a few short forays off these roads into the woods and/or into the Bog itself. We will be standing in place for extended periods of time so dress warmly with good walking shoes or boots. You may want to eat a snack or early dinner before arrival. If there are strong winds, heavy precipitation, and/or severe temperatures, this outing may be postponed. The OWBC will let you know in the afternoon by email if there is a postponement.
Meet at the UWM Field Station in Saukville (address below).
Ages 18+. Free to attend. Preregistration is required through the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog website.
Registration
November 15
@
5:30 pm
–
7:30 pm
November 13 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Motus in WI
at MNP & on Zoom
“Motus in Wisconsin: A Big Leap in Wildlife Tracking” by Jacob Woulf , Motus coordinator for Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a collaborative research effort that uses small radio tags and receiving stations to detect animals (primarily birds) as they move across the landscape. Unlike GPS transmitters that give precise location data, Motus tags emit a radio signal that can only be detected within a short distance (~9miles) of a Motus tower. Many organisms that carry Motus tags are not large enough for a GPS transmitter; Motus tags are also significantly less expensive than GPS transmitters. Because of their limited detection range, Motus towers must be strategically placed. LMBO received a large grant to construct 16 Motus stations along the western shore of Lake Michigan and also is working on a buildout of stations moving westward across the state.
Woulf graduated from UW-Green Bay in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in animal biology and in 2022 with a master’s degree in environmental science and policy. While there he tracked movements of American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants during the breeding season; he was hired by LMBO to help expand the Motus network in Wisconsin.
This program is offered in-person and virtually. If joining in person, meet at Mequon Nature Preserve (address bel0w). Zoom link is found below!
Ages 18+. Free to attend. Pre-registration required to attend in person.
Register for the In-Person Program
Join on Zoom
November 13
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
October 9 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Owls- Fact or Fiction
at Riveredge & on Zoom
“Owls – Fact or Fiction?” with Mary Holleback & Dan Wundrock What’s a group of owls called? How far away can an owl see at night? How do they find their prey? Just how good is their hearing? Learn some fun trivia about a variety of Wisconsin’s most secretive night time avian predators. You might even find out “who cooks for you” or whoooooo’s the earliest nester in the state!
This program is offered in-person and virtually. If joining in person, meet at Riveredge. The presentation will be held in the barn. Zoom link is found below!
Ages 18+. Free to attend. No pre-registration required.
Join on Zoom
October 9
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
October 6 @ 6:30 am – 4:00 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Big Sit
The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club, in cooperation with the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory and OWBC, will host its annual “Big Sit!” at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, five miles north of Port Washington. The count begins on the Bill Cowart Memorial Hawk Watch Platform on the northeast corner of the preserve. The Sit’s 17-foot circle is on the perfectly-sized hawk watch platform at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve. Since 2007, birders have recorded a total of 262 species at Forest Beach. Join for a half- hour, or just part of the day!
Meet at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve (address below).
Ages 18+
Free to attend | Pre-registration is not required.
October 6
@
6:30 am
–
4:00 pm
September 11 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Fall Bird Identification
at Riveredge & on Zoom
Are you baffled by confusing fall warblers? Do lbb’s (little brown birds) have you stumped? Would you like to impress other birders with your knowledge of hawk identification while watching them stream by the platform at Forest Beach? Then this program is for you. Carl Schwartz, president of the NJC Bird Club, will share some tips and tricks to help you ID some of Wisconsin’s most challenging fall migrants.
This program is offered in-person and virtually. If joining in person, meet at Riveredge. The presentation will be held in the barn. Zoom link is found below!
Ages 18+. Free to attend. No pre-registration required.
Join on Zoom
September 11
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
August 14 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Standing Up for Birds
at Riveredge & on Zoom
Join us for “Standing Up for Birds” with Matt Mendenhall, managing editor of the American Bird Conservancy’s Bird Conservation magazine. For more than 25 years, ABC has been standing up for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. The Conservancy’s strategic approach to conservation drives results that are measurable, with significant strides to prevent the extinction of the most endangered birds, conserve important bird habitat, reduce top threats to birds, and build an Americas-wide community of bird conservationists.
This program is offered in-person and virtually. If joining in person, meet at Riveredge. The presentation will be held in the barn. Zoom link is found below!
Ages 18+. Free to attend. No pre-registration required.
Join on Zoom
August 14
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
July 10 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
3 Billion Birds Lost & What to do about it
at Mequon Nature Preserve & on Zoom
“Three Billion Birds Lost – and What to Do About It” Why American Bird Species are in Such Decline & What Needs to be Done”; by Dr. Jackie Augustine, Audubon of Kansas executive director. A recent study revealed that we’ve lost one in four individual birds since 1970. However, not all species declined, and some habitats have experienced greater declines than others. Augustine, explains how this was estimated, describes trends in the data with respect to species and habitats, and shares ways you can prevent further losses in your own neighborhood as well as in general.
This program is offered in-person and virtually.
If joining in person, meet at Mequon Nature Preserve (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration required by July 10 at 12:00 pm (noon).
Register here Join on Zoom
July 10
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
June 12 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Cedar Grove Ornithology Reserve
at Lac Lawrann & on Zoom
“The History, Research, Thrills and Surprise Findings at the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station” by station manager Danny Erickson. The western shore of Lake Michigan has long been known to concentrate birds of prey during their annual southward migration each Fall. To study this movement, scientists long ago established the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station, the longest continuing raptor banding operation in North America, to band migrating raptors and track avian migratory trends. Erickson will discuss CGORS history, the thrills of raptor migration and the exciting research findings helping us to better understand and conserve raptors in the western Great Lakes region.
Erickson is a bird banding biologist from Wauwatosa, where his interest in nature and biology led him to study wildlife ecology at UW-Madison. He has learned from many skilled raptor researchers at Hawkwatch International, The Peregrine Fund, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, and Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch. Since 2021, Danny has overseen CGORS’ raptor count and banding operations each fall.
This program is offered in-person and virtually.
If joining in person, meet at Lac Lawrann Conservancy in West Bend (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration required by June 12 at 12:00 pm (noon).
Register though Lac Lawrann Join on Zoom
June 12
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
May 24 @ 6:30 am – 9:30 am
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Birding at the Bog by Canoe or Kayak
Mud Lake in the Cedarburg Bog is one of the top birding spots in the county. We’ll do about 1 mile of paddling and 1 1/2 miles of walking looking for late migrants and avian residents uncommon to rare in southeastern Wisconsin. With advanced permission a limited number of personal kayaks and canoes will be allowed. Canoes will be provided at a $10 rental fee payable at the time of the outing.
The outing starts and ends at the UW-Milwaukee Field Station (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend (not including canoe rental)
Pre-registration required by May 23 at 5:00 pm.
Register at Friends of the Bog Website
May 24
@
6:30 am
–
9:30 am
May 8 @ 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Nocturnal Bird Call Identification
at Mequon Nature Preserve
Sam Corbo will discuss his experiences recording nocturnal migration over his Shorewood home over the last three years (and counting). What started as a curiosity and an effort to build up his yard list has grown into a near obsession, and while some interesting finds were anticipated, results have been quite surprising! (Check out Sam’s station’s eBird profile, “skcorboNFC” for some examples!). Incredible numbers of regular migrants have been joined by true rarities including several Wisconsin review species as well as some tantalizing mysteries that remain unidentified for now. He plans to not only share what has turned out to be quite an adventure, but also provide a tutorial for anyone interested in wading into the NFC (night flight call) world.
This program is offered in-person and virtually.
If joining in person, meet at Mequon Nature Preserve (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration required by May 8 at 12:00 pm (noon).
Register Here to Attend In-Person
Join on Zoom
May 8
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
