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
April 17 @ 6:30 pm – TBD
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Woodcock Wander
at Mequon Nature Preserve
Join Dan Panetti, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Mequon, on an evening stroll in search of the American Woodcock – a secretive species most easily found when engaged in wild aerial courtship displays. Although the Woodcocks are technically “shorebirds,” they typically are found in woodlands, forest openings, and ephemeral ponds. The diverse habitats of the Mequon Nature Preserve make this an ideal location for observing them. The outing will start around dusk at 7:00 p.m. with an informational talk followed by a hike in and around the preserve listening for the “peent” call of the male as he corkscrews from on high to the ground in his distinctive courtship display. (Rain date of April 18 in case previous day is unsuitable for people and woodcock!)
Meet at Mequon Nature Preserve (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration required by April 17 at 12:00 (noon).
Register Here
April 17
@
6:30 pm
–
8:30 pm
March 13 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Habitat Restoration & Monitoring on Oneida Nation’s Lands
In Person and Virtual
Join Tony Kuchma, from the Oneida Nation; and Erin Giese, from UW-Green Bay’s Cofrin Center; to learn about their collaborative partnership to implement a volunteer bird monitoring program at multiple restoration sites on the Oneida Nation Reservation near Green Bay. Over 100 volunteers conducted bird surveys on five restoration sites, totaling >120 bird species and >75,000 bird observations. Bird data collected for this program are used to inform land management decisions.
If you’re joining in-person, meet at Mequon Nature Preserve (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
No pre-registration required.
Join on Zoom
March 13
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
February 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Aerial Insectivores in Wisconsin
In Person and Virtual
There is growing concern about the apparent population decline of many “aerial insectivores” – those species that feed on their insect prey in flight. These species belong to several avian orders and families, that include swallows and martins, chimney swifts, some forest flycatchers, plus nightjars such as whip-poor-wills and nighthawks. We’ll focus here on three of the swallows found across the Upper Midwest: Purple Martin, Bank Swallow, and Barn Swallow.
If you’re joining in-person, meet in the Riveredge Barn.
Ages 16+ | Free to attend
No pre-registration required.
Join on Zoom
February 14
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
January 1 @ 7:30 am – 1:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Field Trip to Port Pier
Every bird is a new bird! The Cutright Bird Club is inviting members of all of the Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition to participate in their annual, always fun, New Year’s Day Birding Field Trip in search of new birds for your 2024 list! We will end at noon with a celebratory lunch (sub sandwiches, chips, cookies, and beverages) in the Riveredge Nature Center barn.
Park and meet at the Port Washington Marina and Pier (address below).
Ages 12+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration is required by December 28 at 8:00 am. Contact Carl Schwartz at [email protected] or 414-416-3272 to register.
Email Carl
January 1
@
7:30 am
–
1:30 pm
January 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Bald Eagle Nest Watch
In Person and Virtual
In coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Badgerland Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) launched the Bald Eagle Nest Watch (BENW) project with the goal of monitoring and better understanding how Bald Eagle populations are doing in Wisconsin. The Bald Eagle Nest Watch is a citizen science program which began in 2018 with just a dozen nests in Dane County. It has now grown to include over 100 nests in 36 counties!
While Bald Eagles have made a remarkable recovery in Wisconsin, they continue to face significant threats. BENW volunteers monitor nest sites, track trends in eagle populations, and provide nest and fledging observation reports to the WDNR. As the Bald Eagle population expands, BENW is seriously looking for more volunteers to assist in finding and monitoring nests. Volunteers are especially needed in Ozaukee and Washington Counties. If you love Bald Eagles and have an interest in learning more about them (and maybe even becoming a volunteer), this program is for you!
If you’re joining in-person, meet at Lac Lawrann Conservancy in West Bend (address below).
Ages 18+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration is required by January 8 at 11:59 pm through Lac Lawrann Conservancy.
Lac Lawrann Events Calendar
January 10
@
7:00 pm
–
8:30 pm
November 10 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Owl Prowl at the Bog
Join the Cedarburg Bog Owl Prowl team of veteran birders as we prowl the Bog 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 to date 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 as well with 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 for the weather (sweater or fleece plus a warm coat, wool hat, warm gloves, wool socks, and good walking shoes or boots).
Park and meet at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Field Station in Saukville (address below).
Ages 10+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration is required by November 8 at 11:59 pm through the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog
Register Here
November 10, 2023
@
5:30 pm
–
6:30 pm
October 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ozaukee Washington Bird Coalition
Exploring eBird
Have your cell phones handy and join Alex Mann and Braden Meyer , two very accomplished eBirders, as they demystify the eBird process, show you how to get started, and once started show you how to use eBird information in ways you probably haven’t even thought of! Not only will Braden and Alex cover the basics of eBirding for newcomers, they will also present advanced ways of using eBird to enhance your bird finding skills and improve your record keeping.
Join in person at Riveredge or virtually with Zoom.
Ages 12+ | Free to attend
Pre-registration is not required.
Join on Zoom
October 17, 2023
@
7:00 pm
–
9:00 pm
