Activities

Meetings:

Wausau Bird Club meets the first Monday of every month. From September – May,  meetings are held at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau, Wisconsin from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. From June thru August, meetings are held in local parks and include a bird walk. Just a reminder, meetings are cancelled in winter if the Wausau School System closed due to bad winter conditions.

The Wausau Bird Club offers a variety of events throughout the year. Here are a few of our future area bird related events that you may look forward to.

2024 Events:

Great Wisconsin Birdathon runs April 15 – June 15. This event raises funds for the Wausau Bird Club as well as The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

April 27, World Migratory Bird Day Celebration to be held at Monk Gardens. Follow this link to see the WMBD poster for more details.

April 28. 7:00 – 10:00 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Council Ground, Merrill.  The field trip will begin at the boat landing at the Council Ground. A State Park Sticker is needed to enter the park. The hike is about 1 mile long. Text Chucky the day of the walk at 715-407-6970 or go to Wausau Area Birders and Birdwatchers Face Book page for updates in inclement weather.

April 30, 5:30 pm, Annual planting of native trees and shrubs on Barker-Stewert Island behind Wausau Eye Clinic. Call Susan if you can help (414) 232-8524.

May 6th, 6:00 pm, WBC’s Monthly Meeting – Field Trip/Bird Walk at the Eau Claire River Conservancy on Kent Street.

May 11, Spring Migration Count, If interested in surveying a territory in Marathon County, please contact Susan Haug at 414-232-8524.

May 11, 8:00-10:00 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Ice Age Trail. Plan to meet at Alta Springs Rd off of Hwy J near Irma (45.3527110,-89.559377). Text Chucky the day of the walk at 715-407-6970 or go to Wausau Area Birders and Birdwatchers Face Book page for updates in inclement weather.

May 14, 12:30 – 2:30pm, Field Trip to International Crane Foundation. We will be carpooling from Cedar Creek Mall parking lot at 10:00 am. This is just east of the Holiday Inn, in front of the convention center, close to the entrance road. Bring a bag lunch to be eaten at the Foundation’s picnic area.  The two-hour tour begins ate 12:30 followed by time in the gift shop. Dress for the weather, the tour goes out in all weather, rain or shine. Please contact Susan Haug at 414-232-8524.

May 17 – 19, Annual WSO Convention, Lighthouse Inn and Conference Center, Two Rivers, WI.

May 18, 8:00 am Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Ice Age Trail – Harrison Hills. Meet at parking lot off of Hwy B in Harrison (45.410415,-89.462508) Text Chucky the day of the walk at 715-407-6970 or go to Wausau Area Birders and Birdwatchers Face Book page for updates in inclement weather.

May 31 – June 6, WBC’s annual Campout. This year’s campout will take place at Jordan Park, northeast of Stevens Point just off Hwy 66 in Portage County.  There is water for canoes and kayaks and a nature trail for hiking. There are only 16 camp sites and all sites have electricity.  Susan and Dave have booked #7 if you would like to book one close and be near the action. If you prefer not to camp you may join the campers for the potluck picnic and morning bird walks.

June 1st, 7:00 am Birding Hike, Rib Mountain State Park with Myles Hurlburt

June 4, Monthly Meeting

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Past Events of 2024

January 8, 6:30 pm – Bird Club Meeting – UU Church 504 South Grant Street, Wausau.

February 5, 6:30 pm – Bird Club Meeting – Birds on Stamps – Area stamp collector Anita Stahl will present on stamps with a bird theme.

February 10, Bald Eagle Watching Days, Sauk Prairie, WI. To learn more go to Home – Ferry Bluff Eagle Council – Bald Eagle Watching Days.

February 16 – 19, Great Backyard Bird Count. This is an Audubon Society and Cornell Lab/eBird event that everyone can participate from home by reporting the birds in their yard.

March 4, 6:30 pm – Bird Club Meeting – Jon Krohn of Merrill presented on his trip to Newfoundland and Prince Eward Island and included sightings of birds, whales and icebergs. Thanks for an informative program Jon.

March 9, WSO Field Trip to Sheboygan Lakefront. WSO members are free to attend and nonmembers pay $10 if space is available. To learn more follow the link to WSO’s home page.

March 10, 11:00am – 1:00pm, Hawk Watch on Rib Mountain Tower. Chucky Wensel has organized this event and will meet with participants at the lookout tower at 11:00 am.

March 17, 7:30 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Council Ground, Merrill. This field trip began at the boat landing at the Council Ground.

March 20, 7:00-8:00am Wednesday, Aldo Leopold Audubon Society of Central Wisconsin will host Jacob Wolf to speak on Motus Station: Advance Wildlife Tracking. It was held at the Lincoln Center at 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point.

March 23 or alternate March 30, WSO Fieldtrip to Dane and Columbia Counties.

March 24, 7:30 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Council Ground, Merrill. The field trip will begin at the boat landing at the Council Ground. A State Park Sticker is needed to enter the park. The hike may up to 3 miles long. Text Chucky the day of the walk at 715-407-6970 or go to Wausau Area Birders and Birdwatchers Face Book page for updates in inclement weather.

April 7, 7:30 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Council Ground, Merrill. The field trip will begin at the boat landing at the Council Ground. A State Park Sticker is needed to enter the park. The hike may up to 3 miles long. Text Chucky the day of the walk at 715-407-6970 or go to Wausau Area Birders and Birdwatchers Face Book page for updates in inclement weather.

April 8, 6:30 pm – Bird Club Meeting, Check back for updated details.

April 8, 6:00 pm – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Meeting. Online responses can be submitted at noon April 10 – 13.

Great Wisconsin Birdathon runs April 15 – June 15. This event raises funds for the Wausau Bird Club as well as The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

Saturday, April 20, WSO Field Trip to Mead Wildlife Area

April 21, 8:00 am, Birding Field Trip with Chucky Wensel at Pride Ponds, Tomahawk. The field trip began at the parking lot on Pride Ponds Road (45.439214,-89.731547).

Past Events of 2023

Monday, January 9, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – WBC member, Jon Krohn gave a visually stimulating and informative presentation on his birding trip to Galveston Texas.

Monday, February 13, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. Harold Ehrenreich will give a talk on “Bees.”

February 17-20 The Great Backyard Bird Count in association with the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab/eBird. Follow this link to the Audubon website to learn more.

March – Wausau Bird Club Meeting Canceled.

March 18, Hawk Watch on Rib Mountain – Chucky Wensel stationed on top of the Rib Mountain State Park observation tower looking for migrating hawks, eagles and turkey vultures fling overhead. This event was scheduled earlier in the month but moved back due to bad weather.

March 21, Susan Haug Presentation – Susan spoke to the Marathon County Retired Teacher Association on spring birds.

March 24, Susan Haug Presentation – Susan spoke at the Bringing Back Birds conference in Oshkosh on the club’s ongoing tree and bush restoration project at Barker-Stewart Island. Go to WSO’s Bringing Birds Back Conference to learn more.

April 3, 6:30 pm  Susan Haug will present a program on the Birds of Belize and offer a refresher on Warblers.

April 10-13, Wisconsin Conservation Congress Virtual Spring Hearings. Elections will be held in person but locations are not yet listed. You can begin to fill out the online questionnaire beginning at Noon on 4/10 and ending at Noon on 4/13.

April 22, Saturday – WSO annual Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip. Go to Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s website to sign up for this program to view other fieldtrips that they offer. Last year 91 species were seen. If you would like Susan to register you, send her your name. A carpool is being organized starting at Cedar Creek.

April 29, Saturday 8:00 am – Dan Belter leads a walk around Bluegill Bay Park. Meet at the parking lot off Cloverland Lane. Target birds are spring migrants. This event lasted 2 hours and will be cancelled if raining.

April 29, Saturday 9:30 – 11:30 am – Wausau Bird Club’s Celebration of World Migratory Bird Day at Blue Gill Bay Park. This event included games and activities to help celebrate migratory birds. This year’s theme looked at the importance of water for avian migration success. To learn more about the celebration, follow this link.

May 1, 6:00 pm, Monthly Meeting This was a walk at Eau Claire River Conservancy with entrance on Kent Street that included the new boardwalk that the Wausau Bird Club helped fund.

May 13 Annual Spring Migration Bird Count

May 19 – 21  Annual Wisconsin Society of Ornithology Convention, This year’s convention was held in Waukesha. Go to WSO Convention for more information.

June 5, 6:00 pm – WBC’s Meeting was held on private bird friendly property on Wausau’s NE side at.

June 8 – June 11, Club Campout at Governor Thompson State Park, Crivitz, WI.

Monday, August 21, 730 pm – Swift Night Out The club’s annual chimney swift survey took the place of our August meeting.  We met at First Street and Grant Street on Grant by Grabel’s parking lot.

September 11th Club meeting cancelled!

Saturday, September 23, 1-2:30 pm Woodson Art Museum program – What Can You Do to Reduce Bird-Window Collisions?  Hundreds of millions of bird die each year after window collisions and nearly half of these “deadly thuds” happen at homes.

Save Our Songbirds (SOS) Coordinator Lisa Gaumnitz and Aldo Leopold Audubon Society Vice President Susan Schuller shared the science behind why birds hit windows and discussed local efforts to address the problem. They demonstrated three easy and affordable window treatments that help prevent collisions at home.

Monday, October 2 – Club meeting cancelled!

Monday, October 9, 6:00 to 7:30 pm – Private Tour of the Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art exhibition and their new Glass Box Studio. Members of the Wausau Bird Club and the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology were invited to a private showing of this years Birds in Art exhibition followed by a tour of the Museum’s newly constructed “Glass Box Studio.”

November 6, 6:30pm – Winter Bird Feeding Ideas Jen Chrudimsky from Wild Birds Unlimited discussed bird food and feeder ideas to attract winter birds to your yard.

December 4, 6:30 pm – Bird Club meeting – UU Church 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. Club member, Brent Brye will present highlights to a birding trip that he and Lucy took to Panama.

December 16, 6:30 pm – Wausau Bird Club’s Christmas Bird Count. Members surveyed assigned areas in the county to identify all birds observed for this national annual tradition. If you are interested in joining in this year’s count, please contact Sarah by December 1st at slang13@charter.net.

Past Events of 2022

Monday, January 3, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. We will have area poets and poetry enthusiast read poetry inspired by birds. Please note, if the Wausau School District cancels school due to inclement weather, the meeting will be cancelled.

Monday, February 7, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Bird Photography by Andy McGivern. Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau.  Andy McGivern presented photographs he had taken of birds in Central Wisconsin.  These included birds we find in our back yard to more exotic birds that could be found by visiting local parks, hiking trails and wildlife sancuaries.

Monday, March 7, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – UU Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. Member’s worked on signs for the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway.

Monday, April 4, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – This Meeting has been Canceled! We hope to see you at our May 2nd meeting when we walk the Cedar Creek Trail.

Monday, April 11, 7:00 pm through April 14 – Wisconsin Conservation Congress voting. More details to follow.

Saturday, April 23, Mead Wildlife Area WSO Annual Field Trip led by Myles Hurlburt (Wausau) and Rob Pendergast (Stevens Point).

Saturday, April 30, Wausau Bird Club Waterfowl Field Trip led by Dan Belter. This field trip began at DC Everest County Park (located near the Eagles Club, 1800 S 3rd Avenue, Wausau). After viewing birds on the lake, the group drove to Blue Gill Bay Park to look for early migrants.

Monday, May 2, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting at Cedar Creek Trail.  Club members met at the Northwood Conference Center, Rothschild where they parked and walked the paved trail along the Wisconsin River identifying spring migrants. 

Saturday, May 14, Annual Spring Migration Bird Count. The club spanned out over the Marathon County (the largest county in Wisconsin) and identified all of the birds in each birder’s assigned territory. The weather was beautiful and we are anticipating a successful count.

Saturday, May 21, 7:00 am World Migratory Bird Day Event – Bird walk led by Lucy Nitz at the Monk Botanical Gardens, 1800 N 1st Avenue, Wausau. Meet at the gate.

Thursday – Sunday, June 2 – 5, Campout at Mauthe Lake Campground North Kettle Moraine Forest. 

Saturday, June 4, 7:00 am – Spirng Birding Hike and the Friends of Rib Mountin. Myles Hurlburt led a tour on Rib Mountain’s north trail system for the Friends of Rib Mountain. The group met am on Grouse Lane off Hwy NN.

Monday, June 6, 6:00 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Bluegill Bay Park. 

Monday, July 11, 6:00 pm – Bird Club Meeting – Fern Island (Isle of Ferns Park)

August 13, 7:30 AM Shorbird Fieldtrip led by Dan Belter. Due to the rainy season we have had, area mudflats were hard to find and we had minimal shorebird activity in our area. We did, however, see a good variety of birds at the Mead’s South Rice Lake including 14 Great Egrets lining a ditch along one of the dikes. Just beyond that area we had good views of Merlin sitting in a tree. The only shorebirds viewed was a Solitary Sandpiper, some Wilson’s Snipe and Lesser Yellowlegs. Participants did enjoy themselves and request to have a program like this again next year.

August 24, 9:00 AM  Road Cleanup Members met at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on County Forest Road 105 of Hwy G. (Directions from Wausau – East on Hwy 52 to Hwy Q north to Hwy G east to County Forst Road north to parking lot.) Thanks to Lucy Nitz, Brent Brye, Dave and Susan Haug.

August 29, 7:15 PM Swift Night Out 2022  Members met at 1St Street and Grant Street downtown in the parking lot by Grabel’s Moving Co to select area chimneys to stake out and count the number of swifts that enter. Sunset is 7:40 pm and that is when swifts enter chimneys. We will meet at Culvers on Bridge Street to report our findings for this year’s count. Masks are required for this year’s initial meeting. If inclement weather, call (414)232-8524 to see if the survey will still take place.

September 10 – November 27 Bird in Art exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum. This annual exhibition is the best indoor bird watching you’ll find with original avian artwork created by an international cast of artists.

September 12, 6:30 pm Monthly Meeting – Bill Bertram, President of the Wausau and Marathon County Parks foundation introduced the club to the Pinery Heritage Waterway. Bill is leading the effort to create this waterway along the Wisconsin River in our area. Many area groups are involved in this project, including the Wausau Bird Club. Bill will focus on the birds and wildlife seen along this trail. He will also describe three additional trails being considered and ask for our support. This is our first indoor meeting since we began to isolate for Covid 19 and the meeting will take place at the UU Church, 504 Grant Street.

October 8  Hike-a-thon Ice Age Trail, Explore the scenic Ringle Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

October 13,  5:30 pm  Woodson Art Museum program – Why do Bird Sing? Lauren Riters, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor in the Department of Integrative Biology’s area of Behavioral Neuroscience, explored the means and motivation behind bird song.  This presentation was held at the Woodson Art Museum.

November 7th Monthly Bird Club Meeting Canceled!

November 10, 5:30-6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum Program – Join Birds in Art artist Sean Russell as he discusses the concepts and techniques inspiring his artwork. Featuring varied subjects, from geographical landscapes to flora and fauna, Russell’s artwork combines photography with mixed-media processes. The Museum and program are free to the public.

December 5, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting  –  Lynn Barber gave a wonderful program on her trip to Trinidad and Tobago with over 70 image of birds she had photographed.

December 17 – Christmas Bird Count. 

December 17, WBC’s Annual Holiday Party – Universalist Unitarian Church from 4:00 – 8:00 pm. There will be games to play so if you care to participate, please bring a new wrapped gift with a value of $3 – $5 for game prizes. No skill is involved to play the games, but you may want to practice your free throws.

Past Events of 2021

January 3rd Club Meeting Cancelled due to Covid 19.

January 23 Owl Field Trip – Club members met in Weston and their small caravan drove east to Freedom, Kaukauna, and Chilton in search of winter migrants and the short-eared owl. Wearing masks and social distancing, they saw 15 species including two snowy owls and four short-eared owls.

January 30 – Added Owl Field Trip – The initial field trip was so well received that a second trip was organized.

February 1st Club Meeting Cancelled

February 12-15 Great Backyard Bird Count Area birders recorded their backyard birds and helped create a real-time snapshot of where birds are. Amazingly, 6,346 bird species were reported around the world over the four day period on over 313,000 checklists. Check out the above link.

March 1 – Bird Club Meeting Cancelled

April 5 – Bird Club Meeting Cancelled

April 24 – Waterfowl Field Trip on Lake Wausau 7:30 am Dan Belter lead this outing which began at DC Everest County Park, and moved to Radtke Point as well as Rookery View Park, concluding at Bluegill Bay Park. There were may birds to see at all locations and this event had a good turn out.

May 3, 2021 Monday 6:30 pm, Bird Club meeting and bird walk at Eau Claire River Trail parking, 5600 Ryan St, Weston.

May 4, 2021 Tuesday 1:00 pm – Club members, including Ralph Fischer from Rusk County, met at Barker Stewart Island and planted newly purchased native trees, shrubs and wild flowers on the north side of the island in an effort to provide a better environment for birds and wildlife. A watering schedule has been worked out to keep the plants from drying out over the summer.

May 8, 2021 – Spring Migration Count –Club members were assigned designated areas on a grid of Marathon County and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

May 9, 2021 Sunday 7:30 am – Bird Walk – Eau Claire River Conversancy  led by Susan Haug.

May 15, 2021 Saturday 7:00 am – World Migratory Bird Day Event Bird Walk. Lucy Nitz led this bird walk through the Monk Botanical Gardens, 1800 N 1st Avenue, Wausau.

June 3 – June 6th – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. This year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Council Grounds State Park, Merrill, WI. With its close proximity to Wausau, club members not wishing to camp out can join the campers for bird walks, Friday fish fry, Saturday pot luck and visits to area attractions. Stay tuned for more information. When booking a site, try and reserve one near campsite 36 to be near the group.

June 7 – Bird Walk  6:30 pm at Fern Island Park. Meet in the parking lot at 500 River Drive, Wausau. Bring binoculars if you have them.

July 12 – Bird Walk  6:30 pm – Bluegill Bay County Park. Meet in the parking lot of 3800 Bluegill Avenue, Wausau, WI.

Monday, August 16  7:15 pm – Annual Swift Night Out. We met at Grant Street between 1st and 2nd Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town. After the survey was completed, we met at Culver’s on Bridge Street to tally our results.

Monday, October 4  6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. This was our first indoor meeting in some time. Participants wore masks and were spaced for safety. Susan Haug presented a program focused on the history of the Wausau Bird Club.

October 7,  8:00 am – Road Clean-up Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot.

Wednesday, October 27, Just a heads up – PBS will air a Nature program on Osprey.

Monday, November 1, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Universalist Unitarian Church. This meeting introduce the popular App Merlin and how it can aid you in identifying birds around the world via sight and sound.

Monday, December 6, 6:30 pm – Monthly Bird Club Meeting – Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau. Lynn Barber, author of Extreme Birder gave a talk on the “Birding the Islands of Western Alaska,” including St Lawrence Island (Gambell), St. Paul Island, Adak Island and some information on her birding experience on Attu. She prvided images and background information on each island.

Besides being the author of many books Lynn has held many positions in birding organizations: past president of the Fort Worth Audubon Society, past president of Texas Ornithological Society and a board member of the American Birding Association. Her book Extreme Birder tells the tale of Lynn’s Big Year of birding. She will share all her knowledge and experience in the field at this presentation.

 

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2020 Events:

February 1, Snowy Owl Fieldtrip 6:45 am to noon –  Dan Belter will lead a field trip to Western Marathon County to view Snowy Owls and other rural birds. Plan to meet in the Menards parking lot in the corner near the intersection of Stewart Ave and South 28th Ave at 6:45 am with a departure time of 7:00 am. Be sure to bring binoculars, snacks, water and a walkie talkie, if you have one.

February 3 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

February 14 – 17 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

March meeting cancelled.

April 6 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 4 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 9 Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

May 14 – 17 Wisconsin Society of Ornithology Connvention in Two Rivers. Visit the WSO website for additional information.

May 18 – Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

May 28 – 31, 2020 Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Council Grounds State Park, Merrill. Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds.  This will make it ease for area birders who aren’t big on camping out. You can meet up with the group for the bird walks and evening campfire. The first campsite has been reserved  at site 36 so reserve your site if you wish to camp. Susan will checkout area restaurants for a Friday night fish fry.

June 1 6:30 pm Club meeting – location to be determined.

June 6 6:30 am World Migratory Bird Day Walk at Monk Gardens, 1801 N 1st Ave, Wausau. Join us for walk/stroll through the gardens to observe and hear migrating birds that are either passing through or returned to nest and raise a family.

July 6 6:30 pm Club meeting – Location to be determined.

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Past Events of 2020

Monday, January 6 – Club Meeting, Poetry Club members read poems that included birds.

Past Events of 2019

Saturday, January 5 – Snowy Owl Trip, Trip leader Dan Belter lead a group to Western Marathon county and were lucky to see three snowy owls and a couple of eagles.

Monday, January 7 – Club meeting at UU Church – Darcie Howard, Executive Director of Monk Gardens spoke about the exciting programs, events and future plans for Monk Gardens.

Members were reminded that dues for 2019 are being collected.  If you haven’t payed your dues, please mail a check made out to the Wausau Bird Club to Susan.  The price remains $12/single and $15/family. (Susan Haug – 168305 River Rd, Ringle, WI  54471-5869)

Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 am – WSO trip along Milwaukee Lakefront Birding.  For more information, visit WSO’s website.

Friday, January 18 – Sunday, January 20  – Field trip to Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota. Dan Belter lead this trip to northern Minnesota’s frosty winter bog. Learn all about it by following this link to the Wausau Bird Club News Page.

Saturday, January 26 – Wisconsin Society of Ornithology (WSO) field trip to Buena Vista Marsh for wintering raptors, prairie chickens, and other grassland birds. Then on to Necedah National Wildlife Refugee for eagles and diving ducks and other winter birds.

Monday, February 4 – Club meeting at UU Church – Bob and Hiroko Sanders will show pictures of birds taken during their travels.

Feburary 15 – 18, Great Backyard Bird Count!

March 4th meeting cancelled!   –  March 4th meeting Cancelled!

Saturday, March 10 – WSO fieldtrip – Sheboygan Lakefront Birds. Starts at 8:00 am at the Sheboygan Marina. Follow link for more information and link to map.

Saturday’s March 16 or 23WSO field trip in Dane and Columbia County Ponds starting at Goose Pond near Arlington. Follow link for more information.

Monday, April 1 6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – John James Audubon and “The Birds of America” – Dr. Brett Barker will explore the life of pioneer naturalist John James Audubon and his contributions to ornithology and art to advance our understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Tuesday, April 9  7:00 pm – Wisconsin Conservation Congress meeting.

Saturday, April 13  7:30 amWSO field trip to Mead Wildlife area. Follow link for more information.

Friday, May 3 7:00 amBluegill Bay Park outing with Jeff Moore. Meet in the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:00 am.

Saturday, May 4  5:00 am or 8:00 amWSO field trip to White River Marsh. Follow link for more information.

Monday, May 6  6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – Program on spring birds. Sign up for Spring Migration Count.

Tuesday, May 7 – Bitzke Bird Walk outing with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Saturday, May 11th – Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 15 – Council Grounds State Park outing with Jeff Moore. Met at the Park entrance parking lot at 7:00 am. Some cars will need a state park sticker.

May 17 – 19 – Chequamegon Birding and Nature Festival  (Google Map)

Saturday, May 18  6:30 am – Monk Botanical Gardens – In celebration of World Migration Bird Day, join Jeff Moore for a bird walk through the gardens. Meet at the main entrance at 6:30 am.  1800 N 1st Avenue (Bring binoculars if you have them). All are invited.

May 24 – 27 – WSO’s 80th Annual Convention, Eau Claire, WI

May 30 – June 2th – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. Next year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Point Beach State Forest. Point Beach State Forest is a 2,903-acre Wisconsin state forest near Two Rivers, Wisconsin in Manitowoc County. The forest is located along 6 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. Stay tuned for more information. When booking a site, try and reserve one near site 116 to be near the group.

Monday, June 3  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Bluegill Bay  Park.

Tuesday, June 4 – WBC outing to Dells of the Eau Claire County Park with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Monday, July 1  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Fern Island.

Monday, September 9, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Matt Plank presented “The Lost Art of Bird Language: Tuning Into Nature’s Communication System.” He discussed observing bird behavior in the field or your back yard to help us tune into our surrounding wildlife.

October 8, 6:30 pm – This month’s club meeting was held at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum where Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk and tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition. 

October 22 Barker Stewart Island Invasive Species Removal. Members of the Wausau Bird Club spent a couple of hours removing invasive species along the northeast bank of Barker Stewart Island.

November 2, REGI’s Third Annual Gala Fundraiser – Hawk Tails and Cocktails.

Monday, November 4, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Bob and Hiroko Sanders presented a series of beautiful bird pictures they took during their travels and offered suggestions for preparing for your own travels and viewing birds.

Monday, November 11 – Field trip to the Aldo Leopold Foundation for a Crane Tour and a tour of The Shack

Monday, December 9, 6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Sarah Sabatke will distribute information for the Christmas Bird Count.

Saturday, December 14, Christmas Bird Count. Members surveyed assigned areas in the county to identify all birds observed for this national annual tradition. A post holiday party/event followed.

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Past Events of 2018

Monday, March 5    Meeting canceled due to blizzard.

Saturday, January 13 – Impromptu Snowy Owl Trip – Club members met at at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:30 am and drove to western Marathon County in search of snowy owls. They saw one snowy owl on their way out of town near Menards Building Center on Wausau’s West Side and another one in western Marathon county. The group also stopped at Kate Srozinski’s house to the Eastern Screech Owl inhabiting the next box in her back yard.

Saturday, February 10, 2018 6:30 am – Dan Belter lead a field trip to western Marathon County to view winter birds.

February 16 – 19 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

Monday, February 5, 2018 6:30 pmClub meeting at UU Church. Program: Andy McGivern presented “Birds of the United Arab Emirates.”

Thursday, March 22  6:15 pmHelp Cub Scout pack 439 build bird houses. Club members assisted cub scouts in building 30 bird houses at Weston Elementary School. Club volunteers include Sue and Dave Haug, Ralph Fisher, and Lucy Nitz. Thanks to Myles Hurlbert and Dan Belter for cutting all of the wood pieces in advance.

Monday, April 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.  Program: Special guest – Dr. John Munson will give a presentation on  “Mammals and birds of Kruger National Park, South Africa.”

Monday, April 9   7:00 pm   Wisconsin Conservation Congress Meeting – This is an annual DNR Spring Hearing/WCC County Meeting and was held Statewide. Our local meeting was held at DC Everest Middle School Auditorium in Weston, WI.

Wednesday, April 18 – WBC field trip to Lake Wausau with Field Trip organizer,  Jeff Moore. 7:00 am

Wednesday, April 18  (9:00 am – Noon)  A Bird Walk with Richard Crossley. Richard Crossley, acclaimed birder, photographer and author of the Crossley ID Guide series, gave a bird walk through Stevens Point’s picturesque Schmeeckle Reserve, followed by an intimate social hour and book signing. This program was sponsored by UW Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Center for Wildlife College of Natural Resources and their Continuing Education and Outreach program.

 WSO Field-trip Rescheduled – Saturday, April 21 –  WSO Wisconsin Society of Ornithology board member Myles Hurlburt at the George W. Mead Wildlife Area  WSO rescheduled this field-trip for the Mead Wildlife Area. With snow still on the ground, the group managed to see some interesting birds including, greater prairie chickens on a lek, yellow-headed blackbirds, an American bittern up close a personal, great white egrets, a winter wren and numerous other birds. All in all, a good field trip.

Wednesday, April 25 – WBC field trip to Bitzke Bird Walk with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. Plan to meet at Bitskie parking lot at 7:00 am to carpool. Be sure to bring boots and binoculars.

Monday, May 7  6:00 pm – Club Meeting to be held at Nine Mile Forest and Recreation Area. We met in the Chalet on Red Bud Road off of County Hwy N. After a short meeting, we went for a bird walk led by Sarah Sabadke and Jeff Moore. Highlights included the Ovenbird, a Raven, Blue-headed Vireos, Ruffed Grouse drumming, and Eastern Towhee.

Tuesday, May 8  7:00 pm – Wausau City Hall – International Migratory Bird Day proclamation.  407 Grant Street, Wausau WI  54403

Saturday, May 12 – Annual Spring Bird Count. Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 16 – WBC field trip to Council Grounds State Park, Merrill Wisconsin  with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. 

Saturday, May 19  6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day – Bird Walk in the Gardens, Monk Gardens.

May 31 to June 3 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2018 camping trip will be held at Copper Falls State Park. (Park map.) “Campout was fun in spite of the bad weather:  COLD and RAIN.  14 hardy souls braved all or part of the 3 day weekend.  We saw or heard close to 50 fifty species.  Next year we are going to Point Beach State Forest north of Manitowoc by Two Rivers.  Another Great Lake to deal with.” Susan Haug

Monday, June 4  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at Miller Bottom along the Wisconsin River. Plan to meet in Cedar Creek parking lot behind the Holiday Inn before 6:30 PM to carpool to the site. Bring binoculars, bug spray, your Spring Bird Count forms if you haven’t already mailed them, and wear gloves as we will pick up trash as we walk.

Wednesday, June 27  Field Trip to the Mead Wildlife Area with organizer, Jeff Moore. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited in Rib Mountain at 7:00 am to carpool.  

Monday, July 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Blue Gill Bay Park

Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 am – Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.

Wednesday, August 15  7:30 pm – Annual Swift Night Out. We will meet on Grant Street between 1st and 2nd Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town. After the survey, we will meet at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. Last year we observed a total of 408 chimney swifts going into seven area chimneys.

Saturday, August 18, Shorebird field trip with Dan Belter. Meet at the Wildbirds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain at 8:00. You should plan to return in early afternoon. Bring binoculars, bug spray, snacks, water and dress appropriately.

September 6 – 8th – S.O.S. for Our Flying Bug Eaters: Addressing Declines in Chimney Swifts, Nighthawks, Bats, & Other Aerial Insectivores – Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative and  Bird City Wisconsin have organized a conference to identify issues and possible solutions to the long-term declines in Wisconsin aerial insectivores – including Purple Martins, Chimney Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows, E. Whip-poor-wills, and C. Nighthawks. This event will take place at the Country Springs (Ingleside) Hotel, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Follow the link to learn more about this important event and how to registrar.

Saturday, September 8, Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art opening weekend events; 9 am – Noon. Meet the Artists, 9:30 – 10:30 am, Master Artist Cindy House Talk, 10:45 am – Noon “Artists in Action.”

Monday, September 10, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Mary Bacus gave a PowerPoint program highlighting her 21-day birding trip to Brazilian in the summer of 2017.

Thursday, September 20, 5:30-6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Michelle Houts, author of Count the Wings: The Life and Art of Charley Harper shared insights designed for nature and art enthusiasts.

Friday, September 28, 9 AM – Second 2018 Road Clean Up. Meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot. Bring gloves. If raining at 8:30 am, clean up is cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Tuesday, October 9 – 6:00 pm – Club meeting to be held at the Woodson Art Museum with a tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition by curator Andy McGivern.

Friday, October 12, 5:30 – 7 pm, Woodson Art Museum –  Join poet Ronnie Hess, author of O Is for Owl, for a reading and reception in the Birds in Art galleries followed by an open mic to share art- and nature-themed writing.

November 2-3, Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit to be held at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, Ozaukee County – This two-day summit included more than 40 speakers and focus on all topics environmental: past, current, and future research and monitoring, conservation advocacy, and ecological restoration being conducted in southeastern Wisconsin by diverse actors.

Saturday November 3,  5:30 – 10:00 pm -Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, Rothschild – 2nd Annual Hawk Tales & Cocktail Fundraiser for REGI (Raptor Education Group Inc.). This is the REGI’s largest fundraising event and will include dinner, a silent auction, raffle, and live music.

Monday, November 5,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – Steve and Evie Fisher gave a program on their adventure to Svalbard, Norway where they viewed polar bears and North Atlantic seabirds.

Thursday, November 15,  5:30 – 6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Behind the Wall of Birds. Join California artist Jane Kim as she tells the story of her 2,500-square-foot mural for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology depicting the evolution of birds.

Monday, December 3,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – sign up for the Christmas Bird Count to be held Saturday, December 15 and will also discuss a post county party.

Saturday, December 15 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2017

  • February 17, 2017,  The Great Backyard Bird Count – Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.
  • March 12 – WSO Field Trip – Sheboygan Lake Front birds
  • March 25 – WSO Field Trip – Dane and Columbia Counties
  • April 8,  WSO Field Trip – Mead Wildlife Area – Jeff Moore lead a carpool group from Wild Birds Unlimited’s parking lot departing at 6:45 am. Interested members carpooled to the Mead to meet up with WSO members from out of the area.
  • April 10, – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Meeting. 7:00 pm Weston Middle School, 9302 Schofield Ave., Weston  (Sandhill crane hunting on agenda)
  • April 21WSO Field Trip to Navarino State Wildlife Area
  • April 25, 7:00 am – Earth Day bird walk at Bluegill Bay Park (Upper Parking lot – not the boat landing) lead by Dan Belter. This excursion included a slow walk along the trails looking for migrant and resident birds.
  • April 25, 7:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day Proclamation was announced at the City Hall of Wausau.
  • May 1 – 6:00 pm – Monthly Meeting – at Cedar Creek Park behind the Green Mill Restaurant and BarIn front of convention center. Spring count territories will be discussed.
  • May 6 WSO Field Trip to White River Marsh – Green Lake County
  • May 12 – The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” raised donations traveled throughout central Wisconsin identifying as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period. The club team included Dan Belter, Mary Backus, Myles Hurlburt and Sarah Sabadke. Club members and members of the community were asked to follow this link wibirdathon.org to make a pledge and see the many Wisconsin organizations that benefit from your support.
  • May 13 – Wausau Bird Club’s 2017 Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 17 – 19 – Brat Fry Sales at County Market – Club members sold brats and soda to raise money for the the Wausau Bird Club.
  • May 20, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration Walk at Monk Gardens
  • June 1 – 4, 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2017 camping trip will be held at Hartman Creek State park, near Waupaca, Wisconsin.June 3 – WSO Field Trip – Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest.
  • June 5, 6:30 pm meeting   Held at Gaska Park, located on the corner of Volkman and Military road in Weston. This is a nice wooded city park with walking trails, creeks providing water for birds, and plenty of parking.  A number of warblers have been viewed in this area. We will meet at the parking lot at the east end of the park on Military Road by the ball diamond..
  • June 16 – 19 –  WSO Annual Convention, Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel – Book your room now. Regristration now open on the WSO website.
  • June 26, 8:00 am  Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.
  • July 10, 6:30 pm Club meeting at Fern Island This meeting was moved because our regularly scheduled meeting feel on the 4th of July weekend. It will be held at Fern Island, located on Wausau’s east side along River Drive just north of Thomas Street. There is plenty of parking and the walking is on level rotten granite paths. The area has woods, the Wisconsin River and some bays and inlets so there is a possibility of waterfowl.
  • July 15 & 16,  11:00 am – 3:00 pm  StoryWalk at Monk Gardens Wausau Bird Club sponsored one of the books on view at Monk Gardens where people of all ages were encouraged to walk the grounds while enjoying wonderful children’s books posted on stakes throughout the garden. Wausau Bird Club volunteers were available at the Chimney Swift Tower to explain the importance of this often unknown bird that is declining in numbers due to habitat loss.
  • August 7th meeting –Swift Night Out where we will count chimney swifts in downtown Wausau. We met on the corner of 1st and Grant Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town and met at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. A total of 408 chimney swifts were observed going into seven area chimneys.
  • September 11, 6:30 Club Meeting with special speaker – Michael John Jaeger, president of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology will present Wisconsin’s Proud Bird Conservation Tradition – What’s the Future? The meeting will take place at the Universalist/Unitarian Church, 504 Grant Street, Wausau, WI 54403. Please join us and bring a friend. This is a free event and open to the public.
  • 21, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Native Birds of Cuba – Cuban ornithologist Nils Navarro, author of Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide, lectured on the colorful and diverse species of birds found on his native island. This program is supported in part by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.
  • September 28, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Backyard Birdscaping – Mariette Nowak, author of Birdscaping in the 
    Midwest, discussed native plants that attract, shelter, and feed birds to enhance backyard birdwatching. Mariette was available to sign her book after her presentation.
  • Saturday, September 30, 2:00 pm at the Marathon County Library – Flock Together: extinct birds & what they’ve taught us. Author B. J. Hollars examined the extinction of birds from his book, Flock Together, and discuss environmental issues that pertain to Wisconsin and how we can save threatened species and ourselves. MCPL, Wausau, 3oo N. 1st Street.  * This event was part of the Central Wisconsin Book Festival, Sept. 29 & 30.
  • Tuesday, October 3, 6:30-9:30 pm – Backyard Bird Feeding – What is coming to your yard? presented by club member Dr. Brett Barker at the University of Wisconsin Marathon Campus in the Terrace Room.  There is a $39 fee to addend this class. You may registrar on-line at https://ce.usc.edu/wausau/catalog or by calling the Continuing Education Department at 715-261-6294.
  • Thursday, October 9, 6:30-8:00 pm – Club meeting at the Woodson Art Museum, Curator Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk through the 2017 Birds in Art exhibition providing highlights of this years collection of over 120 new works on view.
  • Sunday, October 29,  Road cleanup – Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The club began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it takes between one and two hours. All supplies are provided by the highway department. Be sure to wear warm clothes. Please call Susan Haug (715) 297-5006, if you would like to help so she may contact you if there is cancellation due to poor weather.
  • Saturday, November 4, 5:00-11:00 pm – Cocktails and Hawktails – Join REGI for their fundraising event of the year on at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center’s State Ballroom in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Learn more about their evening program by following this link to Cocktails and Hawktails.
  • Saturday, November 15, 1:00 – 2:00 pm — Lessons from Birds Lost  at the Woodson Art Museum – Join author and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire English professor B.J. Hollars for a conservation on conservation and a reading from his book, Flock Toghether: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds. You may read a review of Flock Together to learn more about the author and his book.
  • Saturday, November 15, 7:00 pm — Artist Tom Schultz presents The Art of Field Guide Illustration for the Aldo Leopold Audubon in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Lincoln St, Stevens Point. Sue Haug is planning to attend Tom’s program and would be willing to car pool. If interested in joining Sue please call her (715) 297-5006 to make arrangements.
  • Monday, December 4 – Wausau Bird Club meeting. Unitarian-Universalist Church, 504 Grant St, Wausau, WI 54403 The topic at this meeting will be how to use the web to access bird watching websites, use eBird to develop checklists and identify birding hotspots and rare bird sitings.
  • Saturday, December 16 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2016

  • May 17, Bus trip to the Horicon Marsh in southern Wisconsin. If interested in attending this trip, please contact us via the club email – wausaubirdclub@gmail.com.
  • May 21, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Monk Gardens, 1800 N 1st Ave., Wausau, Wisconsin
  • May 22, Wausau Bird Club’s Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 29, The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” are raising donations while challenged to list as many birds and they can find in a 24 hour period.
  • June 2 – 5, Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. This years camp is taking place at Governor Dodge State Park, located at 4175 State Highway 23 N, Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
  • June 8, 8:30 am, Road Cleanup and Field Trip – We will meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on County Hwy G.
  • Saturday, June 11, 10:00 am – Kestrel Chick Banding, Buena Vista Grasslands. Club president, Susan Haug organized a field trip to the Buena Vista Grasslands for members to witness the banding of Kestrel chicks. Carpooling from Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain. We’ll leave Wild Birds Unlimited at 9:00 am sharp. Directions to the Kestrel Banding site from Wausau: Take Hwy I-39 south to the Bancroft exit 43. Go east on Hwy W until you see a kiosk on the left side of the road. There is a pull out there.  We will meet at this location at 10:00 am. The tour is from 10:00 – Noon.  There is no fee. The Wausau Bird Club is making a donation to the group. If you have any questions, you may call Sue at (715) 297-5006.
  • Saturday, June 25, 2016, 8:30-10:30am Bluebird Trail, Mosinee   Dr. Kent Hall will lead a field trip related to the cavity nesting habits of the Bluebird. Club members and interested friends should meet at the Culver’s Restaurant in Cedar Creek Mall at 8:30 a.m. The field trip will take about 2 hours. Kent is coordinator of the Audubon Bluebird Trail ABT headquartered in Stevens Point. This is the 15th season for the Trail. During that time, the trail has produced 68,000 songbirds, 52,000 of which were Eastern Bluebirds. The trail is not only the “all-time” leader for Bluebird production in Wisconsin, it is the largest and most productive trail in North America. Currently, the ABT has 1,380 nest boxes in 7 counties and is monitored by 80 persons. Kent will show you nests of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows with eggs and chicks in them. He will also demonstrate data recording techniques. The route of Tom and Lynn Grimes will be used to demonstrate monitoring procedures. Tom and Lynn will also be on hand to answer any questions.
  • August Club Meeting and Bird Watching – Monday, August 1, 6:30 p.m. Meet in the parking lot of Fern Island or Isle of Ferns Park on Wausau’s east side off of River Drive. Being binoculars and mosquito spray.
  • Thursday, August 18, 2016,  7:15 pm – Swift Night Out  – Chimney Swifts nest in area Chimneys during the summer and migrate south in the fall. They can be seen flying over Wausau during the day and fly down chimneys at dusk to roost. We will meet in the Graebel parking lot near the corner of First and Grant Street, one block west of the YMCA. From there, we will split up and observe area chimneys and count the number of swifts that enter at dusk to obtain a count of the number of Chimney Swifts in the area. Please call (715) 297-5006 to see if the are any changes in the details or if there is inclement weather.
  •  Sunday August 28, 2016  –  Shorebird Field Trip – Dan Belter and Sarah Sabatke were scheduled to lead a field trip to view migrating shorebirds. Unfortunately, the abundance of rain has reduced the area shores to grassy areas and there were limited areas to view shore birds. The group chose to walk throught Blue Gill Bay Park where a number of warblers were seen that morning. It total 54 speices of birds were viewed by a group of 14 birders.
    Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road and cleaned a three mile stretch of highway. After the highway cleanup, participants went birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Please meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it usually take between one and two hours. All of the supplies are provided by the highway department. Participants often go birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Thursday, October 13, 2016  5:30 – 6:30 at the Woodson Art Museum      Changing Bird Populations     Bill Mueller, director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory and a veteran ornithologist, discusses changing trends in Wisconsin and Midwest bird populations, referencing monitoring efforts, including the Christmas Bird Count and the Wisconsin Breading Bird Atlas survey.
  • October 28-29, 2016 Protecting Birds Through Action & Art conference at Stoney Creek Inn, Rothschild, Wisconsin.
  • Wednesday, November 2, 2016   6:30 – 8:00 pm Tour Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum. Join Curators Andy McGivern and Catie Anderson for a tour of this year’s Birds in Art followed by refreshments.
  • Saturday, November 5, 2016 Saw-whet owl banding at the Linwood Springs Research Station, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We will meet at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 6:20 p.m. to carpool. We will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return around 11:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring a camera, cash to purchase items, a flashlight, and wear some hiking boots. This is a family event and open to children and adults. The cost is $15, $12 for seniors and $8 for children under 12. The fee is used to help cover expenses to run the research station.
  •    December 31, 2016,   Audubon Christmas Bird Count

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Meetings:

Wausau Bird Club meets the first Monday of every month. From September – May,  meetings are held at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau, Wisconsin from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. From June thru August, meetings are held in local parks and include a bird walk. Just a reminder, meetings are cancelled in winter if the Wausau School System closed due to bad winter conditions.

The Wausau Bird Club offers a variety of events throughout the year. Here are a few of our future area bird related events that you may look forward to.

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2021 Events:

 

 

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Past Events of 2021

 

Past Events of 2020

Monday, January 6 – Club Meeting, Poetry Club members read poems that included birds.

February 1, Snowy Owl Fieldtrip 6:45 am to noon –  Dan Belter will lead a field trip to Western Marathon County to view Snowy Owls and other rural birds. Plan to meet in the Menards parking lot in the corner near the intersection of Stewart Ave and South 28th Ave at 6:45 am with a departure time of 7:00 am. Be sure to bring binoculars, snacks, water and a walkie talkie, if you have one.

February 3 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

February 14 – 17 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

March meeting cancelled.

April 6 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 4 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 9 Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

May 14 – 17 Wisconsin Society of Ornithology Connvention in Two Rivers. Visit the WSO website for additional information.

May 18 – Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

May 28 – 31, 2020 Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Council Grounds State Park, Merrill. Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds.  This will make it ease for area birders who aren’t big on camping out. You can meet up with the group for the bird walks and evening campfire. The first campsite has been reserved  at site 36 so reserve your site if you wish to camp. Susan will checkout area restaurants for a Friday night fish fry.

June 1 6:30 pm Club meeting – location to be determined.

June 6 6:30 am World Migratory Bird Day Walk at Monk Gardens, 1801 N 1st Ave, Wausau. Join us for walk/stroll through the gardens to observe and hear migrating birds that are either passing through or returned to nest and raise a family.

July 6 6:30 pm Club meeting – Location to be determined.

 

Past Events of 2019

Saturday, January 5 – Snowy Owl Trip, Trip leader Dan Belter lead a group to Western Marathon county and were lucky to see three snowy owls and a couple of eagles.

Monday, January 7 – Club meeting at UU Church – Darcie Howard, Executive Director of Monk Gardens spoke about the exciting programs, events and future plans for Monk Gardens.

Members were reminded that dues for 2019 are being collected.  If you haven’t payed your dues, please mail a check made out to the Wausau Bird Club to Susan.  The price remains $12/single and $15/family. (Susan Haug – 168305 River Rd, Ringle, WI  54471-5869)

Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 am – WSO trip along Milwaukee Lakefront Birding.  For more information, visit WSO’s website.

Friday, January 18 – Sunday, January 20  – Field trip to Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota. Dan Belter lead this trip to northern Minnesota’s frosty winter bog. Learn all about it by following this link to the Wausau Bird Club News Page.

Saturday, January 26 – Wisconsin Society of Ornithology (WSO) field trip to Buena Vista Marsh for wintering raptors, prairie chickens, and other grassland birds. Then on to Necedah National Wildlife Refugee for eagles and diving ducks and other winter birds.

Monday, February 4 – Club meeting at UU Church – Bob and Hiroko Sanders will show pictures of birds taken during their travels.

Feburary 15 – 18, Great Backyard Bird Count!

March 4th meeting cancelled!   –  March 4th meeting Cancelled!

Saturday, March 10 – WSO fieldtrip – Sheboygan Lakefront Birds. Starts at 8:00 am at the Sheboygan Marina. Follow link for more information and link to map.

Saturday’s March 16 or 23WSO field trip in Dane and Columbia County Ponds starting at Goose Pond near Arlington. Follow link for more information.

Monday, April 1 6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – John James Audubon and “The Birds of America” – Dr. Brett Barker will explore the life of pioneer naturalist John James Audubon and his contributions to ornithology and art to advance our understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Tuesday, April 9  7:00 pm – Wisconsin Conservation Congress meeting.

Saturday, April 13  7:30 amWSO field trip to Mead Wildlife area. Follow link for more information.

Friday, May 3 7:00 amBluegill Bay Park outing with Jeff Moore. Meet in the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:00 am.

Saturday, May 4  5:00 am or 8:00 amWSO field trip to White River Marsh. Follow link for more information.

Monday, May 6  6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – Program on spring birds. Sign up for Spring Migration Count.

Tuesday, May 7 – Bitzke Bird Walk outing with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Saturday, May 11th – Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 15 – Council Grounds State Park outing with Jeff Moore. Met at the Park entrance parking lot at 7:00 am. Some cars will need a state park sticker.

May 17 – 19 – Chequamegon Birding and Nature Festival  (Google Map)

Saturday, May 18  6:30 am – Monk Botanical Gardens – In celebration of World Migration Bird Day, join Jeff Moore for a bird walk through the gardens. Meet at the main entrance at 6:30 am.  1800 N 1st Avenue (Bring binoculars if you have them). All are invited.

May 24 – 27 – WSO’s 80th Annual Convention, Eau Claire, WI

May 30 – June 2th – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. Next year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Point Beach State Forest. Point Beach State Forest is a 2,903-acre Wisconsin state forest near Two Rivers, Wisconsin in Manitowoc County. The forest is located along 6 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. Stay tuned for more information. When booking a site, try and reserve one near site 116 to be near the group.

Monday, June 3  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Bluegill Bay  Park.

Tuesday, June 4 – WBC outing to Dells of the Eau Claire County Park with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Monday, July 1  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Fern Island.

Monday, September 9, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Matt Plank presented “The Lost Art of Bird Language: Tuning Into Nature’s Communication System.” He discussed observing bird behavior in the field or your back yard to help us tune into our surrounding wildlife.

October 8, 6:30 pm – This month’s club meeting was held at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum where Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk and tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition. 

October 22 Barker Stewart Island Invasive Species Removal. Members of the Wausau Bird Club spent a couple of hours removing invasive species along the northeast bank of Barker Stewart Island.

November 2, REGI’s Third Annual Gala Fundraiser – Hawk Tails and Cocktails.

Monday, November 4, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Bob and Hiroko Sanders presented a series of beautiful bird pictures they took during their travels and offered suggestions for preparing for your own travels and viewing birds.

Monday, November 11 – Field trip to the Aldo Leopold Foundation for a Crane Tour and a tour of The Shack

Monday, December 9, 6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Sarah Sabatke will distribute information for the Christmas Bird Count.

Saturday, December 14, Christmas Bird Count. Members surveyed assigned areas in the county to identify all birds observed for this national annual tradition. A post holiday party/event followed.

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Past Events of 2018

Monday, March 5    Meeting canceled due to blizzard.

Saturday, January 13 – Impromptu Snowy Owl Trip – Club members met at at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:30 am and drove to western Marathon County in search of snowy owls. They saw one snowy owl on their way out of town near Menards Building Center on Wausau’s West Side and another one in western Marathon county. The group also stopped at Kate Srozinski’s house to the Eastern Screech Owl inhabiting the next box in her back yard.

Saturday, February 10, 2018 6:30 am – Dan Belter lead a field trip to western Marathon County to view winter birds.

February 16 – 19 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

Monday, February 5, 2018 6:30 pmClub meeting at UU Church. Program: Andy McGivern presented “Birds of the United Arab Emirates.”

Thursday, March 22  6:15 pmHelp Cub Scout pack 439 build bird houses. Club members assisted cub scouts in building 30 bird houses at Weston Elementary School. Club volunteers include Sue and Dave Haug, Ralph Fisher, and Lucy Nitz. Thanks to Myles Hurlbert and Dan Belter for cutting all of the wood pieces in advance.

Monday, April 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.  Program: Special guest – Dr. John Munson will give a presentation on  “Mammals and birds of Kruger National Park, South Africa.”

Monday, April 9   7:00 pm   Wisconsin Conservation Congress Meeting – This is an annual DNR Spring Hearing/WCC County Meeting and was held Statewide. Our local meeting was held at DC Everest Middle School Auditorium in Weston, WI.

Wednesday, April 18 – WBC field trip to Lake Wausau with Field Trip organizer,  Jeff Moore. 7:00 am

Wednesday, April 18  (9:00 am – Noon)  A Bird Walk with Richard Crossley. Richard Crossley, acclaimed birder, photographer and author of the Crossley ID Guide series, gave a bird walk through Stevens Point’s picturesque Schmeeckle Reserve, followed by an intimate social hour and book signing. This program was sponsored by UW Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Center for Wildlife College of Natural Resources and their Continuing Education and Outreach program.

 WSO Field-trip Rescheduled – Saturday, April 21 –  WSO Wisconsin Society of Ornithology board member Myles Hurlburt at the George W. Mead Wildlife Area  WSO rescheduled this field-trip for the Mead Wildlife Area. With snow still on the ground, the group managed to see some interesting birds including, greater prairie chickens on a lek, yellow-headed blackbirds, an American bittern up close a personal, great white egrets, a winter wren and numerous other birds. All in all, a good field trip.

Wednesday, April 25 – WBC field trip to Bitzke Bird Walk with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. Plan to meet at Bitskie parking lot at 7:00 am to carpool. Be sure to bring boots and binoculars.

Monday, May 7  6:00 pm – Club Meeting to be held at Nine Mile Forest and Recreation Area. We met in the Chalet on Red Bud Road off of County Hwy N. After a short meeting, we went for a bird walk led by Sarah Sabadke and Jeff Moore. Highlights included the Ovenbird, a Raven, Blue-headed Vireos, Ruffed Grouse drumming, and Eastern Towhee.

Tuesday, May 8  7:00 pm – Wausau City Hall – International Migratory Bird Day proclamation.  407 Grant Street, Wausau WI  54403

Saturday, May 12 – Annual Spring Bird Count. Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 16 – WBC field trip to Council Grounds State Park, Merrill Wisconsin  with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. 

Saturday, May 19  6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day – Bird Walk in the Gardens, Monk Gardens.

May 31 to June 3 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2018 camping trip will be held at Copper Falls State Park. (Park map.) “Campout was fun in spite of the bad weather:  COLD and RAIN.  14 hardy souls braved all or part of the 3 day weekend.  We saw or heard close to 50 fifty species.  Next year we are going to Point Beach State Forest north of Manitowoc by Two Rivers.  Another Great Lake to deal with.” Susan Haug

Monday, June 4  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at Miller Bottom along the Wisconsin River. Plan to meet in Cedar Creek parking lot behind the Holiday Inn before 6:30 PM to carpool to the site. Bring binoculars, bug spray, your Spring Bird Count forms if you haven’t already mailed them, and wear gloves as we will pick up trash as we walk.

Wednesday, June 27  Field Trip to the Mead Wildlife Area with organizer, Jeff Moore. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited in Rib Mountain at 7:00 am to carpool.  

Monday, July 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Blue Gill Bay Park

Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 am – Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.

Wednesday, August 15  7:30 pm – Annual Swift Night Out. We will meet on Grant Street between 1st and 2nd Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town. After the survey, we will meet at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. Last year we observed a total of 408 chimney swifts going into seven area chimneys.

Saturday, August 18, Shorebird field trip with Dan Belter. Meet at the Wildbirds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain at 8:00. You should plan to return in early afternoon. Bring binoculars, bug spray, snacks, water and dress appropriately.

September 6 – 8th – S.O.S. for Our Flying Bug Eaters: Addressing Declines in Chimney Swifts, Nighthawks, Bats, & Other Aerial Insectivores – Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative and  Bird City Wisconsin have organized a conference to identify issues and possible solutions to the long-term declines in Wisconsin aerial insectivores – including Purple Martins, Chimney Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows, E. Whip-poor-wills, and C. Nighthawks. This event will take place at the Country Springs (Ingleside) Hotel, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Follow the link to learn more about this important event and how to registrar.

Saturday, September 8, Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art opening weekend events; 9 am – Noon. Meet the Artists, 9:30 – 10:30 am, Master Artist Cindy House Talk, 10:45 am – Noon “Artists in Action.”

Monday, September 10, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Mary Bacus gave a PowerPoint program highlighting her 21-day birding trip to Brazilian in the summer of 2017.

Thursday, September 20, 5:30-6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Michelle Houts, author of Count the Wings: The Life and Art of Charley Harper shared insights designed for nature and art enthusiasts.

Friday, September 28, 9 AM – Second 2018 Road Clean Up. Meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot. Bring gloves. If raining at 8:30 am, clean up is cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Tuesday, October 9 – 6:00 pm – Club meeting to be held at the Woodson Art Museum with a tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition by curator Andy McGivern.

Friday, October 12, 5:30 – 7 pm, Woodson Art Museum –  Join poet Ronnie Hess, author of O Is for Owl, for a reading and reception in the Birds in Art galleries followed by an open mic to share art- and nature-themed writing.

November 2-3, Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit to be held at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, Ozaukee County – This two-day summit included more than 40 speakers and focus on all topics environmental: past, current, and future research and monitoring, conservation advocacy, and ecological restoration being conducted in southeastern Wisconsin by diverse actors.

Saturday November 3,  5:30 – 10:00 pm -Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, Rothschild – 2nd Annual Hawk Tales & Cocktail Fundraiser for REGI (Raptor Education Group Inc.). This is the REGI’s largest fundraising event and will include dinner, a silent auction, raffle, and live music.

Monday, November 5,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – Steve and Evie Fisher gave a program on their adventure to Svalbard, Norway where they viewed polar bears and North Atlantic seabirds.

Thursday, November 15,  5:30 – 6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Behind the Wall of Birds. Join California artist Jane Kim as she tells the story of her 2,500-square-foot mural for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology depicting the evolution of birds.

Monday, December 3,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – sign up for the Christmas Bird Count to be held Saturday, December 15 and will also discuss a post county party.

Saturday, December 15 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2017

  • February 17, 2017,  The Great Backyard Bird Count – Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.
  • March 12 – WSO Field Trip – Sheboygan Lake Front birds
  • March 25 – WSO Field Trip – Dane and Columbia Counties
  • April 8,  WSO Field Trip – Mead Wildlife Area – Jeff Moore lead a carpool group from Wild Birds Unlimited’s parking lot departing at 6:45 am. Interested members carpooled to the Mead to meet up with WSO members from out of the area.
  • April 10, – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Meeting. 7:00 pm Weston Middle School, 9302 Schofield Ave., Weston  (Sandhill crane hunting on agenda)
  • April 21WSO Field Trip to Navarino State Wildlife Area
  • April 25, 7:00 am – Earth Day bird walk at Bluegill Bay Park (Upper Parking lot – not the boat landing) lead by Dan Belter. This excursion included a slow walk along the trails looking for migrant and resident birds.
  • April 25, 7:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day Proclamation was announced at the City Hall of Wausau.
  • May 1 – 6:00 pm – Monthly Meeting – at Cedar Creek Park behind the Green Mill Restaurant and BarIn front of convention center. Spring count territories will be discussed.
  • May 6 WSO Field Trip to White River Marsh – Green Lake County
  • May 12 – The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” raised donations traveled throughout central Wisconsin identifying as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period. The club team included Dan Belter, Mary Backus, Myles Hurlburt and Sarah Sabadke. Club members and members of the community were asked to follow this link wibirdathon.org to make a pledge and see the many Wisconsin organizations that benefit from your support.
  • May 13 – Wausau Bird Club’s 2017 Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 17 – 19 – Brat Fry Sales at County Market – Club members sold brats and soda to raise money for the the Wausau Bird Club.
  • May 20, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration Walk at Monk Gardens
  • June 1 – 4, 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2017 camping trip will be held at Hartman Creek State park, near Waupaca, Wisconsin.June 3 – WSO Field Trip – Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest.
  • June 5, 6:30 pm meeting   Held at Gaska Park, located on the corner of Volkman and Military road in Weston. This is a nice wooded city park with walking trails, creeks providing water for birds, and plenty of parking.  A number of warblers have been viewed in this area. We will meet at the parking lot at the east end of the park on Military Road by the ball diamond..
  • June 16 – 19 –  WSO Annual Convention, Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel – Book your room now. Regristration now open on the WSO website.
  • June 26, 8:00 am  Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.
  • July 10, 6:30 pm Club meeting at Fern Island This meeting was moved because our regularly scheduled meeting feel on the 4th of July weekend. It will be held at Fern Island, located on Wausau’s east side along River Drive just north of Thomas Street. There is plenty of parking and the walking is on level rotten granite paths. The area has woods, the Wisconsin River and some bays and inlets so there is a possibility of waterfowl.
  • July 15 & 16,  11:00 am – 3:00 pm  StoryWalk at Monk Gardens Wausau Bird Club sponsored one of the books on view at Monk Gardens where people of all ages were encouraged to walk the grounds while enjoying wonderful children’s books posted on stakes throughout the garden. Wausau Bird Club volunteers were available at the Chimney Swift Tower to explain the importance of this often unknown bird that is declining in numbers due to habitat loss.
  • August 7th meeting –Swift Night Out where we will count chimney swifts in downtown Wausau. We met on the corner of 1st and Grant Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town and met at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. A total of 408 chimney swifts were observed going into seven area chimneys.
  • September 11, 6:30 Club Meeting with special speaker – Michael John Jaeger, president of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology will present Wisconsin’s Proud Bird Conservation Tradition – What’s the Future? The meeting will take place at the Universalist/Unitarian Church, 504 Grant Street, Wausau, WI 54403. Please join us and bring a friend. This is a free event and open to the public.
  • 21, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Native Birds of Cuba – Cuban ornithologist Nils Navarro, author of Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide, lectured on the colorful and diverse species of birds found on his native island. This program is supported in part by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.
  • September 28, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Backyard Birdscaping – Mariette Nowak, author of Birdscaping in the 
    Midwest, discussed native plants that attract, shelter, and feed birds to enhance backyard birdwatching. Mariette was available to sign her book after her presentation.
  • Saturday, September 30, 2:00 pm at the Marathon County Library – Flock Together: extinct birds & what they’ve taught us. Author B. J. Hollars examined the extinction of birds from his book, Flock Together, and discuss environmental issues that pertain to Wisconsin and how we can save threatened species and ourselves. MCPL, Wausau, 3oo N. 1st Street.  * This event was part of the Central Wisconsin Book Festival, Sept. 29 & 30.
  • Tuesday, October 3, 6:30-9:30 pm – Backyard Bird Feeding – What is coming to your yard? presented by club member Dr. Brett Barker at the University of Wisconsin Marathon Campus in the Terrace Room.  There is a $39 fee to addend this class. You may registrar on-line at https://ce.usc.edu/wausau/catalog or by calling the Continuing Education Department at 715-261-6294.
  • Thursday, October 9, 6:30-8:00 pm – Club meeting at the Woodson Art Museum, Curator Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk through the 2017 Birds in Art exhibition providing highlights of this years collection of over 120 new works on view.
  • Sunday, October 29,  Road cleanup – Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The club began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it takes between one and two hours. All supplies are provided by the highway department. Be sure to wear warm clothes. Please call Susan Haug (715) 297-5006, if you would like to help so she may contact you if there is cancellation due to poor weather.
  • Saturday, November 4, 5:00-11:00 pm – Cocktails and Hawktails – Join REGI for their fundraising event of the year on at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center’s State Ballroom in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Learn more about their evening program by following this link to Cocktails and Hawktails.
  • Saturday, November 15, 1:00 – 2:00 pm — Lessons from Birds Lost  at the Woodson Art Museum – Join author and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire English professor B.J. Hollars for a conservation on conservation and a reading from his book, Flock Toghether: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds. You may read a review of Flock Together to learn more about the author and his book.
  • Saturday, November 15, 7:00 pm — Artist Tom Schultz presents The Art of Field Guide Illustration for the Aldo Leopold Audubon in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Lincoln St, Stevens Point. Sue Haug is planning to attend Tom’s program and would be willing to car pool. If interested in joining Sue please call her (715) 297-5006 to make arrangements.
  • Monday, December 4 – Wausau Bird Club meeting. Unitarian-Universalist Church, 504 Grant St, Wausau, WI 54403 The topic at this meeting will be how to use the web to access bird watching websites, use eBird to develop checklists and identify birding hotspots and rare bird sitings.
  • Saturday, December 16 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2016

  • May 17, Bus trip to the Horicon Marsh in southern Wisconsin. If interested in attending this trip, please contact us via the club email – wausaubirdclub@gmail.com.
  • May 21, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Monk Gardens, 1800 N 1st Ave., Wausau, Wisconsin
  • May 22, Wausau Bird Club’s Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 29, The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” are raising donations while challenged to list as many birds and they can find in a 24 hour period.
  • June 2 – 5, Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. This years camp is taking place at Governor Dodge State Park, located at 4175 State Highway 23 N, Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
  • June 8, 8:30 am, Road Cleanup and Field Trip – We will meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on County Hwy G.
  • Saturday, June 11, 10:00 am – Kestrel Chick Banding, Buena Vista Grasslands. Club president, Susan Haug organized a field trip to the Buena Vista Grasslands for members to witness the banding of Kestrel chicks. Carpooling from Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain. We’ll leave Wild Birds Unlimited at 9:00 am sharp. Directions to the Kestrel Banding site from Wausau: Take Hwy I-39 south to the Bancroft exit 43. Go east on Hwy W until you see a kiosk on the left side of the road. There is a pull out there.  We will meet at this location at 10:00 am. The tour is from 10:00 – Noon.  There is no fee. The Wausau Bird Club is making a donation to the group. If you have any questions, you may call Sue at (715) 297-5006.
  • Saturday, June 25, 2016, 8:30-10:30am Bluebird Trail, Mosinee   Dr. Kent Hall will lead a field trip related to the cavity nesting habits of the Bluebird. Club members and interested friends should meet at the Culver’s Restaurant in Cedar Creek Mall at 8:30 a.m. The field trip will take about 2 hours. Kent is coordinator of the Audubon Bluebird Trail ABT headquartered in Stevens Point. This is the 15th season for the Trail. During that time, the trail has produced 68,000 songbirds, 52,000 of which were Eastern Bluebirds. The trail is not only the “all-time” leader for Bluebird production in Wisconsin, it is the largest and most productive trail in North America. Currently, the ABT has 1,380 nest boxes in 7 counties and is monitored by 80 persons. Kent will show you nests of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows with eggs and chicks in them. He will also demonstrate data recording techniques. The route of Tom and Lynn Grimes will be used to demonstrate monitoring procedures. Tom and Lynn will also be on hand to answer any questions.
  • August Club Meeting and Bird Watching – Monday, August 1, 6:30 p.m. Meet in the parking lot of Fern Island or Isle of Ferns Park on Wausau’s east side off of River Drive. Being binoculars and mosquito spray.
  • Thursday, August 18, 2016,  7:15 pm – Swift Night Out  – Chimney Swifts nest in area Chimneys during the summer and migrate south in the fall. They can be seen flying over Wausau during the day and fly down chimneys at dusk to roost. We will meet in the Graebel parking lot near the corner of First and Grant Street, one block west of the YMCA. From there, we will split up and observe area chimneys and count the number of swifts that enter at dusk to obtain a count of the number of Chimney Swifts in the area. Please call (715) 297-5006 to see if the are any changes in the details or if there is inclement weather.
  •  Sunday August 28, 2016  –  Shorebird Field Trip – Dan Belter and Sarah Sabatke were scheduled to lead a field trip to view migrating shorebirds. Unfortunately, the abundance of rain has reduced the area shores to grassy areas and there were limited areas to view shore birds. The group chose to walk throught Blue Gill Bay Park where a number of warblers were seen that morning. It total 54 speices of birds were viewed by a group of 14 birders.
    Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road and cleaned a three mile stretch of highway. After the highway cleanup, participants went birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Please meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it usually take between one and two hours. All of the supplies are provided by the highway department. Participants often go birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Thursday, October 13, 2016  5:30 – 6:30 at the Woodson Art Museum      Changing Bird Populations     Bill Mueller, director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory and a veteran ornithologist, discusses changing trends in Wisconsin and Midwest bird populations, referencing monitoring efforts, including the Christmas Bird Count and the Wisconsin Breading Bird Atlas survey.
  • October 28-29, 2016 Protecting Birds Through Action & Art conference at Stoney Creek Inn, Rothschild, Wisconsin.
  • Wednesday, November 2, 2016   6:30 – 8:00 pm Tour Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum. Join Curators Andy McGivern and Catie Anderson for a tour of this year’s Birds in Art followed by refreshments.
  • Saturday, November 5, 2016 Saw-whet owl banding at the Linwood Springs Research Station, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We will meet at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 6:20 p.m. to carpool. We will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return around 11:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring a camera, cash to purchase items, a flashlight, and wear some hiking boots. This is a family event and open to children and adults. The cost is $15, $12 for seniors and $8 for children under 12. The fee is used to help cover expenses to run the research station.
  •    December 31, 2016,   Audubon Christmas Bird Count

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Meetings:

Wausau Bird Club meets the first Monday of every month. From September – May,  meetings are held at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau, Wisconsin from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. From June thru August, meetings are held in local parks and include a bird walk. Just a reminder, meetings are cancelled in winter if the Wausau School System closed due to bad winter conditions.

The Wausau Bird Club offers a variety of events throughout the year. Here are a few of our future area bird related events that you may look forward to.

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2020 Events:

February 1, Snowy Owl Fieldtrip 6:45 am to noon –  Dan Belter will lead a field trip to Western Marathon County to view Snowy Owls and other rural birds. Plan to meet in the Menards parking lot in the corner near the intersection of Stewart Ave and South 28th Ave at 6:45 am with a departure time of 7:00 am. Be sure to bring binoculars, snacks, water and a walkie talkie, if you have one.

February 3 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

February 14 – 17 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

March meeting cancelled.

April 6 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 4 6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.

May 9 Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

May 14 – 17 Wisconsin Society of Ornithology Connvention in Two Rivers. Visit the WSO website for additional information.

May 18 – Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

May 28 – 31, 2020 Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Council Grounds State Park, Merrill. Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds.  This will make it ease for area birders who aren’t big on camping out. You can meet up with the group for the bird walks and evening campfire. The first campsite has been reserved  at site 36 so reserve your site if you wish to camp. Susan will checkout area restaurants for a Friday night fish fry.

June 1 6:30 pm Club meeting – location to be determined.

June 6 6:30 am World Migratory Bird Day Walk at Monk Gardens, 1801 N 1st Ave, Wausau. Join us for walk/stroll through the gardens to observe and hear migrating birds that are either passing through or returned to nest and raise a family.

July 6 6:30 pm Club meeting – Location to be determined.

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Past Events of 2020

Monday, January 6 – Club Meeting, Poetry Club members read poems that included birds.

Past Events of 2019

Saturday, January 5 – Snowy Owl Trip, Trip leader Dan Belter lead a group to Western Marathon county and were lucky to see three snowy owls and a couple of eagles.

Monday, January 7 – Club meeting at UU Church – Darcie Howard, Executive Director of Monk Gardens spoke about the exciting programs, events and future plans for Monk Gardens.

Members were reminded that dues for 2019 are being collected.  If you haven’t payed your dues, please mail a check made out to the Wausau Bird Club to Susan.  The price remains $12/single and $15/family. (Susan Haug – 168305 River Rd, Ringle, WI  54471-5869)

Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 am – WSO trip along Milwaukee Lakefront Birding.  For more information, visit WSO’s website.

Friday, January 18 – Sunday, January 20  – Field trip to Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota. Dan Belter lead this trip to northern Minnesota’s frosty winter bog. Learn all about it by following this link to the Wausau Bird Club News Page.

Saturday, January 26 – Wisconsin Society of Ornithology (WSO) field trip to Buena Vista Marsh for wintering raptors, prairie chickens, and other grassland birds. Then on to Necedah National Wildlife Refugee for eagles and diving ducks and other winter birds.

Monday, February 4 – Club meeting at UU Church – Bob and Hiroko Sanders will show pictures of birds taken during their travels.

Feburary 15 – 18, Great Backyard Bird Count!

March 4th meeting cancelled!   –  March 4th meeting Cancelled!

Saturday, March 10 – WSO fieldtrip – Sheboygan Lakefront Birds. Starts at 8:00 am at the Sheboygan Marina. Follow link for more information and link to map.

Saturday’s March 16 or 23WSO field trip in Dane and Columbia County Ponds starting at Goose Pond near Arlington. Follow link for more information.

Monday, April 1 6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – John James Audubon and “The Birds of America” – Dr. Brett Barker will explore the life of pioneer naturalist John James Audubon and his contributions to ornithology and art to advance our understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Tuesday, April 9  7:00 pm – Wisconsin Conservation Congress meeting.

Saturday, April 13  7:30 amWSO field trip to Mead Wildlife area. Follow link for more information.

Friday, May 3 7:00 amBluegill Bay Park outing with Jeff Moore. Meet in the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:00 am.

Saturday, May 4  5:00 am or 8:00 amWSO field trip to White River Marsh. Follow link for more information.

Monday, May 6  6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – Program on spring birds. Sign up for Spring Migration Count.

Tuesday, May 7 – Bitzke Bird Walk outing with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Saturday, May 11th – Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 15 – Council Grounds State Park outing with Jeff Moore. Met at the Park entrance parking lot at 7:00 am. Some cars will need a state park sticker.

May 17 – 19 – Chequamegon Birding and Nature Festival  (Google Map)

Saturday, May 18  6:30 am – Monk Botanical Gardens – In celebration of World Migration Bird Day, join Jeff Moore for a bird walk through the gardens. Meet at the main entrance at 6:30 am.  1800 N 1st Avenue (Bring binoculars if you have them). All are invited.

May 24 – 27 – WSO’s 80th Annual Convention, Eau Claire, WI

May 30 – June 2th – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. Next year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Point Beach State Forest. Point Beach State Forest is a 2,903-acre Wisconsin state forest near Two Rivers, Wisconsin in Manitowoc County. The forest is located along 6 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. Stay tuned for more information. When booking a site, try and reserve one near site 116 to be near the group.

Monday, June 3  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Bluegill Bay  Park.

Tuesday, June 4 – WBC outing to Dells of the Eau Claire County Park with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Monday, July 1  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Fern Island.

Monday, September 9, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Matt Plank presented “The Lost Art of Bird Language: Tuning Into Nature’s Communication System.” He discussed observing bird behavior in the field or your back yard to help us tune into our surrounding wildlife.

October 8, 6:30 pm – This month’s club meeting was held at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum where Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk and tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition. 

October 22 Barker Stewart Island Invasive Species Removal. Members of the Wausau Bird Club spent a couple of hours removing invasive species along the northeast bank of Barker Stewart Island.

November 2, REGI’s Third Annual Gala Fundraiser – Hawk Tails and Cocktails.

Monday, November 4, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Bob and Hiroko Sanders presented a series of beautiful bird pictures they took during their travels and offered suggestions for preparing for your own travels and viewing birds.

Monday, November 11 – Field trip to the Aldo Leopold Foundation for a Crane Tour and a tour of The Shack

Monday, December 9, 6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Sarah Sabatke will distribute information for the Christmas Bird Count.

Saturday, December 14, Christmas Bird Count. Members surveyed assigned areas in the county to identify all birds observed for this national annual tradition. A post holiday party/event followed.

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Past Events of 2018

Monday, March 5    Meeting canceled due to blizzard.

Saturday, January 13 – Impromptu Snowy Owl Trip – Club members met at at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:30 am and drove to western Marathon County in search of snowy owls. They saw one snowy owl on their way out of town near Menards Building Center on Wausau’s West Side and another one in western Marathon county. The group also stopped at Kate Srozinski’s house to the Eastern Screech Owl inhabiting the next box in her back yard.

Saturday, February 10, 2018 6:30 am – Dan Belter lead a field trip to western Marathon County to view winter birds.

February 16 – 19 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

Monday, February 5, 2018 6:30 pmClub meeting at UU Church. Program: Andy McGivern presented “Birds of the United Arab Emirates.”

Thursday, March 22  6:15 pmHelp Cub Scout pack 439 build bird houses. Club members assisted cub scouts in building 30 bird houses at Weston Elementary School. Club volunteers include Sue and Dave Haug, Ralph Fisher, and Lucy Nitz. Thanks to Myles Hurlbert and Dan Belter for cutting all of the wood pieces in advance.

Monday, April 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.  Program: Special guest – Dr. John Munson will give a presentation on  “Mammals and birds of Kruger National Park, South Africa.”

Monday, April 9   7:00 pm   Wisconsin Conservation Congress Meeting – This is an annual DNR Spring Hearing/WCC County Meeting and was held Statewide. Our local meeting was held at DC Everest Middle School Auditorium in Weston, WI.

Wednesday, April 18 – WBC field trip to Lake Wausau with Field Trip organizer,  Jeff Moore. 7:00 am

Wednesday, April 18  (9:00 am – Noon)  A Bird Walk with Richard Crossley. Richard Crossley, acclaimed birder, photographer and author of the Crossley ID Guide series, gave a bird walk through Stevens Point’s picturesque Schmeeckle Reserve, followed by an intimate social hour and book signing. This program was sponsored by UW Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Center for Wildlife College of Natural Resources and their Continuing Education and Outreach program.

 WSO Field-trip Rescheduled – Saturday, April 21 –  WSO Wisconsin Society of Ornithology board member Myles Hurlburt at the George W. Mead Wildlife Area  WSO rescheduled this field-trip for the Mead Wildlife Area. With snow still on the ground, the group managed to see some interesting birds including, greater prairie chickens on a lek, yellow-headed blackbirds, an American bittern up close a personal, great white egrets, a winter wren and numerous other birds. All in all, a good field trip.

Wednesday, April 25 – WBC field trip to Bitzke Bird Walk with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. Plan to meet at Bitskie parking lot at 7:00 am to carpool. Be sure to bring boots and binoculars.

Monday, May 7  6:00 pm – Club Meeting to be held at Nine Mile Forest and Recreation Area. We met in the Chalet on Red Bud Road off of County Hwy N. After a short meeting, we went for a bird walk led by Sarah Sabadke and Jeff Moore. Highlights included the Ovenbird, a Raven, Blue-headed Vireos, Ruffed Grouse drumming, and Eastern Towhee.

Tuesday, May 8  7:00 pm – Wausau City Hall – International Migratory Bird Day proclamation.  407 Grant Street, Wausau WI  54403

Saturday, May 12 – Annual Spring Bird Count. Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 16 – WBC field trip to Council Grounds State Park, Merrill Wisconsin  with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. 

Saturday, May 19  6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day – Bird Walk in the Gardens, Monk Gardens.

May 31 to June 3 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2018 camping trip will be held at Copper Falls State Park. (Park map.) “Campout was fun in spite of the bad weather:  COLD and RAIN.  14 hardy souls braved all or part of the 3 day weekend.  We saw or heard close to 50 fifty species.  Next year we are going to Point Beach State Forest north of Manitowoc by Two Rivers.  Another Great Lake to deal with.” Susan Haug

Monday, June 4  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at Miller Bottom along the Wisconsin River. Plan to meet in Cedar Creek parking lot behind the Holiday Inn before 6:30 PM to carpool to the site. Bring binoculars, bug spray, your Spring Bird Count forms if you haven’t already mailed them, and wear gloves as we will pick up trash as we walk.

Wednesday, June 27  Field Trip to the Mead Wildlife Area with organizer, Jeff Moore. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited in Rib Mountain at 7:00 am to carpool.  

Monday, July 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Blue Gill Bay Park

Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 am – Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.

Wednesday, August 15  7:30 pm – Annual Swift Night Out. We will meet on Grant Street between 1st and 2nd Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town. After the survey, we will meet at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. Last year we observed a total of 408 chimney swifts going into seven area chimneys.

Saturday, August 18, Shorebird field trip with Dan Belter. Meet at the Wildbirds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain at 8:00. You should plan to return in early afternoon. Bring binoculars, bug spray, snacks, water and dress appropriately.

September 6 – 8th – S.O.S. for Our Flying Bug Eaters: Addressing Declines in Chimney Swifts, Nighthawks, Bats, & Other Aerial Insectivores – Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative and  Bird City Wisconsin have organized a conference to identify issues and possible solutions to the long-term declines in Wisconsin aerial insectivores – including Purple Martins, Chimney Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows, E. Whip-poor-wills, and C. Nighthawks. This event will take place at the Country Springs (Ingleside) Hotel, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Follow the link to learn more about this important event and how to registrar.

Saturday, September 8, Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art opening weekend events; 9 am – Noon. Meet the Artists, 9:30 – 10:30 am, Master Artist Cindy House Talk, 10:45 am – Noon “Artists in Action.”

Monday, September 10, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Mary Bacus gave a PowerPoint program highlighting her 21-day birding trip to Brazilian in the summer of 2017.

Thursday, September 20, 5:30-6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Michelle Houts, author of Count the Wings: The Life and Art of Charley Harper shared insights designed for nature and art enthusiasts.

Friday, September 28, 9 AM – Second 2018 Road Clean Up. Meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot. Bring gloves. If raining at 8:30 am, clean up is cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Tuesday, October 9 – 6:00 pm – Club meeting to be held at the Woodson Art Museum with a tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition by curator Andy McGivern.

Friday, October 12, 5:30 – 7 pm, Woodson Art Museum –  Join poet Ronnie Hess, author of O Is for Owl, for a reading and reception in the Birds in Art galleries followed by an open mic to share art- and nature-themed writing.

November 2-3, Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit to be held at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, Ozaukee County – This two-day summit included more than 40 speakers and focus on all topics environmental: past, current, and future research and monitoring, conservation advocacy, and ecological restoration being conducted in southeastern Wisconsin by diverse actors.

Saturday November 3,  5:30 – 10:00 pm -Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, Rothschild – 2nd Annual Hawk Tales & Cocktail Fundraiser for REGI (Raptor Education Group Inc.). This is the REGI’s largest fundraising event and will include dinner, a silent auction, raffle, and live music.

Monday, November 5,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – Steve and Evie Fisher gave a program on their adventure to Svalbard, Norway where they viewed polar bears and North Atlantic seabirds.

Thursday, November 15,  5:30 – 6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Behind the Wall of Birds. Join California artist Jane Kim as she tells the story of her 2,500-square-foot mural for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology depicting the evolution of birds.

Monday, December 3,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – sign up for the Christmas Bird Count to be held Saturday, December 15 and will also discuss a post county party.

Saturday, December 15 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2017

  • February 17, 2017,  The Great Backyard Bird Count – Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.
  • March 12 – WSO Field Trip – Sheboygan Lake Front birds
  • March 25 – WSO Field Trip – Dane and Columbia Counties
  • April 8,  WSO Field Trip – Mead Wildlife Area – Jeff Moore lead a carpool group from Wild Birds Unlimited’s parking lot departing at 6:45 am. Interested members carpooled to the Mead to meet up with WSO members from out of the area.
  • April 10, – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Meeting. 7:00 pm Weston Middle School, 9302 Schofield Ave., Weston  (Sandhill crane hunting on agenda)
  • April 21WSO Field Trip to Navarino State Wildlife Area
  • April 25, 7:00 am – Earth Day bird walk at Bluegill Bay Park (Upper Parking lot – not the boat landing) lead by Dan Belter. This excursion included a slow walk along the trails looking for migrant and resident birds.
  • April 25, 7:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day Proclamation was announced at the City Hall of Wausau.
  • May 1 – 6:00 pm – Monthly Meeting – at Cedar Creek Park behind the Green Mill Restaurant and BarIn front of convention center. Spring count territories will be discussed.
  • May 6 WSO Field Trip to White River Marsh – Green Lake County
  • May 12 – The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” raised donations traveled throughout central Wisconsin identifying as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period. The club team included Dan Belter, Mary Backus, Myles Hurlburt and Sarah Sabadke. Club members and members of the community were asked to follow this link wibirdathon.org to make a pledge and see the many Wisconsin organizations that benefit from your support.
  • May 13 – Wausau Bird Club’s 2017 Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 17 – 19 – Brat Fry Sales at County Market – Club members sold brats and soda to raise money for the the Wausau Bird Club.
  • May 20, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration Walk at Monk Gardens
  • June 1 – 4, 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2017 camping trip will be held at Hartman Creek State park, near Waupaca, Wisconsin.June 3 – WSO Field Trip – Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest.
  • June 5, 6:30 pm meeting   Held at Gaska Park, located on the corner of Volkman and Military road in Weston. This is a nice wooded city park with walking trails, creeks providing water for birds, and plenty of parking.  A number of warblers have been viewed in this area. We will meet at the parking lot at the east end of the park on Military Road by the ball diamond..
  • June 16 – 19 –  WSO Annual Convention, Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel – Book your room now. Regristration now open on the WSO website.
  • June 26, 8:00 am  Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.
  • July 10, 6:30 pm Club meeting at Fern Island This meeting was moved because our regularly scheduled meeting feel on the 4th of July weekend. It will be held at Fern Island, located on Wausau’s east side along River Drive just north of Thomas Street. There is plenty of parking and the walking is on level rotten granite paths. The area has woods, the Wisconsin River and some bays and inlets so there is a possibility of waterfowl.
  • July 15 & 16,  11:00 am – 3:00 pm  StoryWalk at Monk Gardens Wausau Bird Club sponsored one of the books on view at Monk Gardens where people of all ages were encouraged to walk the grounds while enjoying wonderful children’s books posted on stakes throughout the garden. Wausau Bird Club volunteers were available at the Chimney Swift Tower to explain the importance of this often unknown bird that is declining in numbers due to habitat loss.
  • August 7th meeting –Swift Night Out where we will count chimney swifts in downtown Wausau. We met on the corner of 1st and Grant Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town and met at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. A total of 408 chimney swifts were observed going into seven area chimneys.
  • September 11, 6:30 Club Meeting with special speaker – Michael John Jaeger, president of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology will present Wisconsin’s Proud Bird Conservation Tradition – What’s the Future? The meeting will take place at the Universalist/Unitarian Church, 504 Grant Street, Wausau, WI 54403. Please join us and bring a friend. This is a free event and open to the public.
  • 21, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Native Birds of Cuba – Cuban ornithologist Nils Navarro, author of Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide, lectured on the colorful and diverse species of birds found on his native island. This program is supported in part by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.
  • September 28, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Backyard Birdscaping – Mariette Nowak, author of Birdscaping in the 
    Midwest, discussed native plants that attract, shelter, and feed birds to enhance backyard birdwatching. Mariette was available to sign her book after her presentation.
  • Saturday, September 30, 2:00 pm at the Marathon County Library – Flock Together: extinct birds & what they’ve taught us. Author B. J. Hollars examined the extinction of birds from his book, Flock Together, and discuss environmental issues that pertain to Wisconsin and how we can save threatened species and ourselves. MCPL, Wausau, 3oo N. 1st Street.  * This event was part of the Central Wisconsin Book Festival, Sept. 29 & 30.
  • Tuesday, October 3, 6:30-9:30 pm – Backyard Bird Feeding – What is coming to your yard? presented by club member Dr. Brett Barker at the University of Wisconsin Marathon Campus in the Terrace Room.  There is a $39 fee to addend this class. You may registrar on-line at https://ce.usc.edu/wausau/catalog or by calling the Continuing Education Department at 715-261-6294.
  • Thursday, October 9, 6:30-8:00 pm – Club meeting at the Woodson Art Museum, Curator Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk through the 2017 Birds in Art exhibition providing highlights of this years collection of over 120 new works on view.
  • Sunday, October 29,  Road cleanup – Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The club began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it takes between one and two hours. All supplies are provided by the highway department. Be sure to wear warm clothes. Please call Susan Haug (715) 297-5006, if you would like to help so she may contact you if there is cancellation due to poor weather.
  • Saturday, November 4, 5:00-11:00 pm – Cocktails and Hawktails – Join REGI for their fundraising event of the year on at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center’s State Ballroom in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Learn more about their evening program by following this link to Cocktails and Hawktails.
  • Saturday, November 15, 1:00 – 2:00 pm — Lessons from Birds Lost  at the Woodson Art Museum – Join author and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire English professor B.J. Hollars for a conservation on conservation and a reading from his book, Flock Toghether: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds. You may read a review of Flock Together to learn more about the author and his book.
  • Saturday, November 15, 7:00 pm — Artist Tom Schultz presents The Art of Field Guide Illustration for the Aldo Leopold Audubon in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Lincoln St, Stevens Point. Sue Haug is planning to attend Tom’s program and would be willing to car pool. If interested in joining Sue please call her (715) 297-5006 to make arrangements.
  • Monday, December 4 – Wausau Bird Club meeting. Unitarian-Universalist Church, 504 Grant St, Wausau, WI 54403 The topic at this meeting will be how to use the web to access bird watching websites, use eBird to develop checklists and identify birding hotspots and rare bird sitings.
  • Saturday, December 16 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2016

  • May 17, Bus trip to the Horicon Marsh in southern Wisconsin. If interested in attending this trip, please contact us via the club email – wausaubirdclub@gmail.com.
  • May 21, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Monk Gardens, 1800 N 1st Ave., Wausau, Wisconsin
  • May 22, Wausau Bird Club’s Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 29, The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” are raising donations while challenged to list as many birds and they can find in a 24 hour period.
  • June 2 – 5, Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. This years camp is taking place at Governor Dodge State Park, located at 4175 State Highway 23 N, Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
  • June 8, 8:30 am, Road Cleanup and Field Trip – We will meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on County Hwy G.
  • Saturday, June 11, 10:00 am – Kestrel Chick Banding, Buena Vista Grasslands. Club president, Susan Haug organized a field trip to the Buena Vista Grasslands for members to witness the banding of Kestrel chicks. Carpooling from Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain. We’ll leave Wild Birds Unlimited at 9:00 am sharp. Directions to the Kestrel Banding site from Wausau: Take Hwy I-39 south to the Bancroft exit 43. Go east on Hwy W until you see a kiosk on the left side of the road. There is a pull out there.  We will meet at this location at 10:00 am. The tour is from 10:00 – Noon.  There is no fee. The Wausau Bird Club is making a donation to the group. If you have any questions, you may call Sue at (715) 297-5006.
  • Saturday, June 25, 2016, 8:30-10:30am Bluebird Trail, Mosinee   Dr. Kent Hall will lead a field trip related to the cavity nesting habits of the Bluebird. Club members and interested friends should meet at the Culver’s Restaurant in Cedar Creek Mall at 8:30 a.m. The field trip will take about 2 hours. Kent is coordinator of the Audubon Bluebird Trail ABT headquartered in Stevens Point. This is the 15th season for the Trail. During that time, the trail has produced 68,000 songbirds, 52,000 of which were Eastern Bluebirds. The trail is not only the “all-time” leader for Bluebird production in Wisconsin, it is the largest and most productive trail in North America. Currently, the ABT has 1,380 nest boxes in 7 counties and is monitored by 80 persons. Kent will show you nests of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows with eggs and chicks in them. He will also demonstrate data recording techniques. The route of Tom and Lynn Grimes will be used to demonstrate monitoring procedures. Tom and Lynn will also be on hand to answer any questions.
  • August Club Meeting and Bird Watching – Monday, August 1, 6:30 p.m. Meet in the parking lot of Fern Island or Isle of Ferns Park on Wausau’s east side off of River Drive. Being binoculars and mosquito spray.
  • Thursday, August 18, 2016,  7:15 pm – Swift Night Out  – Chimney Swifts nest in area Chimneys during the summer and migrate south in the fall. They can be seen flying over Wausau during the day and fly down chimneys at dusk to roost. We will meet in the Graebel parking lot near the corner of First and Grant Street, one block west of the YMCA. From there, we will split up and observe area chimneys and count the number of swifts that enter at dusk to obtain a count of the number of Chimney Swifts in the area. Please call (715) 297-5006 to see if the are any changes in the details or if there is inclement weather.
  •  Sunday August 28, 2016  –  Shorebird Field Trip – Dan Belter and Sarah Sabatke were scheduled to lead a field trip to view migrating shorebirds. Unfortunately, the abundance of rain has reduced the area shores to grassy areas and there were limited areas to view shore birds. The group chose to walk throught Blue Gill Bay Park where a number of warblers were seen that morning. It total 54 speices of birds were viewed by a group of 14 birders.
    Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road and cleaned a three mile stretch of highway. After the highway cleanup, participants went birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Please meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it usually take between one and two hours. All of the supplies are provided by the highway department. Participants often go birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Thursday, October 13, 2016  5:30 – 6:30 at the Woodson Art Museum      Changing Bird Populations     Bill Mueller, director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory and a veteran ornithologist, discusses changing trends in Wisconsin and Midwest bird populations, referencing monitoring efforts, including the Christmas Bird Count and the Wisconsin Breading Bird Atlas survey.
  • October 28-29, 2016 Protecting Birds Through Action & Art conference at Stoney Creek Inn, Rothschild, Wisconsin.
  • Wednesday, November 2, 2016   6:30 – 8:00 pm Tour Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum. Join Curators Andy McGivern and Catie Anderson for a tour of this year’s Birds in Art followed by refreshments.
  • Saturday, November 5, 2016 Saw-whet owl banding at the Linwood Springs Research Station, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We will meet at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 6:20 p.m. to carpool. We will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return around 11:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring a camera, cash to purchase items, a flashlight, and wear some hiking boots. This is a family event and open to children and adults. The cost is $15, $12 for seniors and $8 for children under 12. The fee is used to help cover expenses to run the research station.
  •    December 31, 2016,   Audubon Christmas Bird Count

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Meetings:

Wausau Bird Club meets the first Monday of every month. From September – May,  meetings are held at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 South Grant Street, Wausau, Wisconsin from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. From June thru August, meetings are held in local parks and include a bird walk.

The Wausau Bird Club offers a variety of events throughout the year. Here are a few of our future area bird related events that you may look forward to.

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2019 Events:

 

Monday, April 1st 6:30 pm Club meeting at UU Church – John James Audubon and “The Birds of America” – Dr. Brett Barker will explore the life of this pioneer naturalist and his contributions to ornithology and art.

Tuesday, April 9  7:00 pm – Wisconsin Conservation Congress meeting.

Saturday, April 13  7:30 amWSO field trip to Mead Wildlife area. Follow link for more information.

Friday, May 3 7:00 amBluegill Bay Park outing with Jeff Moore. Meet in the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:00 am.

Saturday, May 4  5:00 am or 8:00 amWSO field trip to White River Marsh. Follow link for more information.

Monday, May 6  6:30 pm – Club meeting at UU Church – Program on spring birds. Sign up for Spring Migration Count.

Tuesday, May 7 – Bitzke Bird Walk outing with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Saturday, May 11th – Spring Migration Count –Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 15 – Council Grounds State Park outing with Jeff Moore. Met at the Park entrance parking lot at 7:00 am. Some cars will need a state park sticker.

May 17 – 19 – Chequamegon Birding and Nature Festival  (Google Map)

Saturday, May 18  6:30 am – Monk Botanical Gardens – In celebration of World Migration Bird Day join Jeff Moore for a bird walk through the gardens. Meet at the main entrance at 6:30 am.  1800 N 1st Avenue (Bring binoculars if you have them). All are invited.

May 24 – 27 – WSO’s 80th Annual Convention, Eau Claire, WI

May 30 – June 2th – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird sightings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. Next year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Point Beach State Forest. Point Beach State Forest is a 2,903-acre Wisconsin state forest near Two Rivers, Wisconsin in Manitowoc County. The forest is located along 6 miles of the Lake Michigan coast. Stay tuned for more information. When booking a site, try and reserve one near site 116 to be near the group.

Monday, June 3  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Bluegill Bay  Park.

Tuesday, June 4 – WBC outing to Dells of the Eau Claire County Park with Jeff Moore. Meet at Wausau East High School at 6:30 am.

Monday, July 1  6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Fern Island.

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Past Events of 2019

March 4th meeting cancelled!   –  March 4th meeting Cancelled!

Saturday, March 10 – WSO fieldtrip – Sheboygan Lakefront Birds. Starts at 8:00 am at the Sheboygan Marina. Follow link for more information and link to map.

Saturday’s March 16 or 23WSO field trip in Dane and Columbia County Ponds starting at Goose Pond near Arlington. Follow link for more information.

Monday, February 4 – Club meeting at UU Church – Bob and Hiroko Sanders will show pictures of birds taken during their travels.

Feburary 15 – 18, Great Backyard Bird Count!

Saturday, January 5 – Snowy Owl Trip, Trip leader Dan Belter lead a group to Western Marathon county and were lucky to see three snowy owls and a couple of eagles.

Monday, January 7 – Club meeting at UU Church – Darcie Howard, Executive Director of Monk Gardens spoke about the exciting programs, events and future plans for Monk Gardens.

Members were reminded that dues for 2019 are being collected.  If you haven’t payed your dues, please mail a check made out to the Wausau Bird Club to Susan.  The price remains $12/single and $15/family. (Susan Haug – 168305 River Rd, Ringle, WI  54471-5869)

Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 am – WSO trip along Milwaukee Lakefront Birding.  For more information, visit WSO’s website.

Friday, January 18 – Sunday, January 20  – Field trip to Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota. Dan Belter lead this trip to northern Minnesota’s frosty winter bog. Learn all about it by following this link to the Wausau Bird Club News Page.

Saturday, January 26 – Wisconsin Society of Ornithology (WSO) field trip to Buena Vista Marsh for wintering raptors, prairie chickens, and other grassland birds. Then on to Necedah National Wildlife Refugee for eagles and diving ducks and other winter birds.

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Past Events of 2018

Monday, March 5    Meeting canceled due to blizzard.

Saturday, January 13 – Impromptu Snowy Owl Trip – Club members met at at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 7:30 am and drove to western Marathon County in search of snowy owls. They saw one snowy owl on their way out of town near Menards Building Center on Wausau’s West Side and another one in western Marathon county. The group also stopped at Kate Srozinski’s house to the Eastern Screech Owl inhabiting the next box in her back yard.

Saturday, February 10, 2018 6:30 am – Dan Belter lead a field trip to western Marathon County to view winter birds.

February 16 – 19 – Great Backyard Bird Count  Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.

Monday, February 5, 2018 6:30 pmClub meeting at UU Church. Program: Andy McGivern presented “Birds of the United Arab Emirates.”

Thursday, March 22  6:15 pmHelp Cub Scout pack 439 build bird houses. Club members assisted cub scouts in building 30 bird houses at Weston Elementary School. Club volunteers include Sue and Dave Haug, Ralph Fisher, and Lucy Nitz. Thanks to Myles Hurlbert and Dan Belter for cutting all of the wood pieces in advance.

Monday, April 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at UU Church.  Program: Special guest – Dr. John Munson will give a presentation on  “Mammals and birds of Kruger National Park, South Africa.”

Monday, April 9   7:00 pm   Wisconsin Conservation Congress Meeting – This is an annual DNR Spring Hearing/WCC County Meeting and was held Statewide. Our local meeting was held at DC Everest Middle School Auditorium in Weston, WI.

Wednesday, April 18 – WBC field trip to Lake Wausau with Field Trip organizer,  Jeff Moore. 7:00 am

Wednesday, April 18  (9:00 am – Noon)  A Bird Walk with Richard Crossley. Richard Crossley, acclaimed birder, photographer and author of the Crossley ID Guide series, gave a bird walk through Stevens Point’s picturesque Schmeeckle Reserve, followed by an intimate social hour and book signing. This program was sponsored by UW Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Center for Wildlife College of Natural Resources and their Continuing Education and Outreach program.

 WSO Field-trip Rescheduled – Saturday, April 21 –  WSO Wisconsin Society of Ornithology board member Myles Hurlburt at the George W. Mead Wildlife Area  WSO rescheduled this field-trip for the Mead Wildlife Area. With snow still on the ground, the group managed to see some interesting birds including, greater prairie chickens on a lek, yellow-headed blackbirds, an American bittern up close a personal, great white egrets, a winter wren and numerous other birds. All in all, a good field trip.

Wednesday, April 25 – WBC field trip to Bitzke Bird Walk with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. Plan to meet at Bitskie parking lot at 7:00 am to carpool. Be sure to bring boots and binoculars.

Monday, May 7  6:00 pm – Club Meeting to be held at Nine Mile Forest and Recreation Area. We met in the Chalet on Red Bud Road off of County Hwy N. After a short meeting, we went for a bird walk led by Sarah Sabadke and Jeff Moore. Highlights included the Ovenbird, a Raven, Blue-headed Vireos, Ruffed Grouse drumming, and Eastern Towhee.

Tuesday, May 8  7:00 pm – Wausau City Hall – International Migratory Bird Day proclamation.  407 Grant Street, Wausau WI  54403

Saturday, May 12 – Annual Spring Bird Count. Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.

Wednesday, May 16 – WBC field trip to Council Grounds State Park, Merrill Wisconsin  with Field Trip organizer, Jeff Moore. 

Saturday, May 19  6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day – Bird Walk in the Gardens, Monk Gardens.

May 31 to June 3 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around a campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2018 camping trip will be held at Copper Falls State Park. (Park map.) “Campout was fun in spite of the bad weather:  COLD and RAIN.  14 hardy souls braved all or part of the 3 day weekend.  We saw or heard close to 50 fifty species.  Next year we are going to Point Beach State Forest north of Manitowoc by Two Rivers.  Another Great Lake to deal with.” Susan Haug

Monday, June 4  6:30 pm – Club Meeting at Miller Bottom along the Wisconsin River. Plan to meet in Cedar Creek parking lot behind the Holiday Inn before 6:30 PM to carpool to the site. Bring binoculars, bug spray, your Spring Bird Count forms if you haven’t already mailed them, and wear gloves as we will pick up trash as we walk.

Wednesday, June 27  Field Trip to the Mead Wildlife Area with organizer, Jeff Moore. Meet at Wild Birds Unlimited in Rib Mountain at 7:00 am to carpool.  

Monday, July 2  6:30 pm – Club Meeting – Blue Gill Bay Park

Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 am – Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.

Wednesday, August 15  7:30 pm – Annual Swift Night Out. We will meet on Grant Street between 1st and 2nd Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town. After the survey, we will meet at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. Last year we observed a total of 408 chimney swifts going into seven area chimneys.

Saturday, August 18, Shorebird field trip with Dan Belter. Meet at the Wildbirds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain at 8:00. You should plan to return in early afternoon. Bring binoculars, bug spray, snacks, water and dress appropriately.

September 6 – 8th – S.O.S. for Our Flying Bug Eaters: Addressing Declines in Chimney Swifts, Nighthawks, Bats, & Other Aerial Insectivores – Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative and  Bird City Wisconsin have organized a conference to identify issues and possible solutions to the long-term declines in Wisconsin aerial insectivores – including Purple Martins, Chimney Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows, E. Whip-poor-wills, and C. Nighthawks. This event will take place at the Country Springs (Ingleside) Hotel, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Follow the link to learn more about this important event and how to registrar.

Saturday, September 8, Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art opening weekend events; 9 am – Noon. Meet the Artists, 9:30 – 10:30 am, Master Artist Cindy House Talk, 10:45 am – Noon “Artists in Action.”

Monday, September 10, 6:30 pm – Club meeting – Mary Bacus gave a PowerPoint program highlighting her 21-day birding trip to Brazilian in the summer of 2017.

Thursday, September 20, 5:30-6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Michelle Houts, author of Count the Wings: The Life and Art of Charley Harper shared insights designed for nature and art enthusiasts.

Friday, September 28, 9 AM – Second 2018 Road Clean Up. Meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot. Bring gloves. If raining at 8:30 am, clean up is cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Tuesday, October 9 – 6:00 pm – Club meeting to be held at the Woodson Art Museum with a tour of this year’s Birds in Art exhibition by curator Andy McGivern.

Friday, October 12, 5:30 – 7 pm, Woodson Art Museum –  Join poet Ronnie Hess, author of O Is for Owl, for a reading and reception in the Birds in Art galleries followed by an open mic to share art- and nature-themed writing.

November 2-3, Southeastern Wisconsin Conservation Summit to be held at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve, Ozaukee County – This two-day summit included more than 40 speakers and focus on all topics environmental: past, current, and future research and monitoring, conservation advocacy, and ecological restoration being conducted in southeastern Wisconsin by diverse actors.

Saturday November 3,  5:30 – 10:00 pm -Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, Rothschild – 2nd Annual Hawk Tales & Cocktail Fundraiser for REGI (Raptor Education Group Inc.). This is the REGI’s largest fundraising event and will include dinner, a silent auction, raffle, and live music.

Monday, November 5,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – Steve and Evie Fisher gave a program on their adventure to Svalbard, Norway where they viewed polar bears and North Atlantic seabirds.

Thursday, November 15,  5:30 – 6:30 pm Woodson Art Museum – Behind the Wall of Birds. Join California artist Jane Kim as she tells the story of her 2,500-square-foot mural for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology depicting the evolution of birds.

Monday, December 3,  6:30 pm – Club meeting – sign up for the Christmas Bird Count to be held Saturday, December 15 and will also discuss a post county party.

Saturday, December 15 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2017

  • February 17, 2017,  The Great Backyard Bird Count – Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are.
  • March 12 – WSO Field Trip – Sheboygan Lake Front birds
  • March 25 – WSO Field Trip – Dane and Columbia Counties
  • April 8,  WSO Field Trip – Mead Wildlife Area – Jeff Moore lead a carpool group from Wild Birds Unlimited’s parking lot departing at 6:45 am. Interested members carpooled to the Mead to meet up with WSO members from out of the area.
  • April 10, – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Meeting. 7:00 pm Weston Middle School, 9302 Schofield Ave., Weston  (Sandhill crane hunting on agenda)
  • April 21WSO Field Trip to Navarino State Wildlife Area
  • April 25, 7:00 am – Earth Day bird walk at Bluegill Bay Park (Upper Parking lot – not the boat landing) lead by Dan Belter. This excursion included a slow walk along the trails looking for migrant and resident birds.
  • April 25, 7:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day Proclamation was announced at the City Hall of Wausau.
  • May 1 – 6:00 pm – Monthly Meeting – at Cedar Creek Park behind the Green Mill Restaurant and BarIn front of convention center. Spring count territories will be discussed.
  • May 6 WSO Field Trip to White River Marsh – Green Lake County
  • May 12 – The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” raised donations traveled throughout central Wisconsin identifying as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period. The club team included Dan Belter, Mary Backus, Myles Hurlburt and Sarah Sabadke. Club members and members of the community were asked to follow this link wibirdathon.org to make a pledge and see the many Wisconsin organizations that benefit from your support.
  • May 13 – Wausau Bird Club’s 2017 Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 17 – 19 – Brat Fry Sales at County Market – Club members sold brats and soda to raise money for the the Wausau Bird Club.
  • May 20, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration Walk at Monk Gardens
  • June 1 – 4, 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. The 2017 camping trip will be held at Hartman Creek State park, near Waupaca, Wisconsin.June 3 – WSO Field Trip – Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest.
  • June 5, 6:30 pm meeting   Held at Gaska Park, located on the corner of Volkman and Military road in Weston. This is a nice wooded city park with walking trails, creeks providing water for birds, and plenty of parking.  A number of warblers have been viewed in this area. We will meet at the parking lot at the east end of the park on Military Road by the ball diamond..
  • June 16 – 19 –  WSO Annual Convention, Potawatomi Carter Casino Hotel – Book your room now. Regristration now open on the WSO website.
  • June 26, 8:00 am  Road Cleanup – Join club members help make a section of Highway G beautiful. Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot located north of Cty Hwy G on Rocky Rd.  Optional bird watching if interested.
  • July 10, 6:30 pm Club meeting at Fern Island This meeting was moved because our regularly scheduled meeting feel on the 4th of July weekend. It will be held at Fern Island, located on Wausau’s east side along River Drive just north of Thomas Street. There is plenty of parking and the walking is on level rotten granite paths. The area has woods, the Wisconsin River and some bays and inlets so there is a possibility of waterfowl.
  • July 15 & 16,  11:00 am – 3:00 pm  StoryWalk at Monk Gardens Wausau Bird Club sponsored one of the books on view at Monk Gardens where people of all ages were encouraged to walk the grounds while enjoying wonderful children’s books posted on stakes throughout the garden. Wausau Bird Club volunteers were available at the Chimney Swift Tower to explain the importance of this often unknown bird that is declining in numbers due to habitat loss.
  • August 7th meeting –Swift Night Out where we will count chimney swifts in downtown Wausau. We met on the corner of 1st and Grant Street and divided up into groups to cover chimneys in various locations around town and met at Culver’s on Bridge St to tally our results. A total of 408 chimney swifts were observed going into seven area chimneys.
  • September 11, 6:30 Club Meeting with special speaker – Michael John Jaeger, president of the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology will present Wisconsin’s Proud Bird Conservation Tradition – What’s the Future? The meeting will take place at the Universalist/Unitarian Church, 504 Grant Street, Wausau, WI 54403. Please join us and bring a friend. This is a free event and open to the public.
  • 21, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Native Birds of Cuba – Cuban ornithologist Nils Navarro, author of Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide, lectured on the colorful and diverse species of birds found on his native island. This program is supported in part by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.
  • September 28, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Woodson Art Museum – Backyard Birdscaping – Mariette Nowak, author of Birdscaping in the 
    Midwest, discussed native plants that attract, shelter, and feed birds to enhance backyard birdwatching. Mariette was available to sign her book after her presentation.
  • Saturday, September 30, 2:00 pm at the Marathon County Library – Flock Together: extinct birds & what they’ve taught us. Author B. J. Hollars examined the extinction of birds from his book, Flock Together, and discuss environmental issues that pertain to Wisconsin and how we can save threatened species and ourselves. MCPL, Wausau, 3oo N. 1st Street.  * This event was part of the Central Wisconsin Book Festival, Sept. 29 & 30.
  • Tuesday, October 3, 6:30-9:30 pm – Backyard Bird Feeding – What is coming to your yard? presented by club member Dr. Brett Barker at the University of Wisconsin Marathon Campus in the Terrace Room.  There is a $39 fee to addend this class. You may registrar on-line at https://ce.usc.edu/wausau/catalog or by calling the Continuing Education Department at 715-261-6294.
  • Thursday, October 9, 6:30-8:00 pm – Club meeting at the Woodson Art Museum, Curator Andy McGivern gave a gallery walk through the 2017 Birds in Art exhibition providing highlights of this years collection of over 120 new works on view.
  • Sunday, October 29,  Road cleanup – Plan to meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The club began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it takes between one and two hours. All supplies are provided by the highway department. Be sure to wear warm clothes. Please call Susan Haug (715) 297-5006, if you would like to help so she may contact you if there is cancellation due to poor weather.
  • Saturday, November 4, 5:00-11:00 pm – Cocktails and Hawktails – Join REGI for their fundraising event of the year on at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center’s State Ballroom in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Learn more about their evening program by following this link to Cocktails and Hawktails.
  • Saturday, November 15, 1:00 – 2:00 pm — Lessons from Birds Lost  at the Woodson Art Museum – Join author and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire English professor B.J. Hollars for a conservation on conservation and a reading from his book, Flock Toghether: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds. You may read a review of Flock Together to learn more about the author and his book.
  • Saturday, November 15, 7:00 pm — Artist Tom Schultz presents The Art of Field Guide Illustration for the Aldo Leopold Audubon in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Lincoln St, Stevens Point. Sue Haug is planning to attend Tom’s program and would be willing to car pool. If interested in joining Sue please call her (715) 297-5006 to make arrangements.
  • Monday, December 4 – Wausau Bird Club meeting. Unitarian-Universalist Church, 504 Grant St, Wausau, WI 54403 The topic at this meeting will be how to use the web to access bird watching websites, use eBird to develop checklists and identify birding hotspots and rare bird sitings.
  • Saturday, December 16 – Christmas Bird Count –  Count areas were mailed to members who volunteered and the weather was favorable. It has been a tradition for the Wausau Bird Club to hold a get together after the Christmas Bird Count where food, beverage and the choice sightings of the day can be discussed.

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Past Events of 2016

  • May 17, Bus trip to the Horicon Marsh in southern Wisconsin. If interested in attending this trip, please contact us via the club email – wausaubirdclub@gmail.com.
  • May 21, 6:30 am – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Monk Gardens, 1800 N 1st Ave., Wausau, Wisconsin
  • May 22, Wausau Bird Club’s Spring Migration Count – Club members are assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results are shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count.
  • May 29, The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” are raising donations while challenged to list as many birds and they can find in a 24 hour period.
  • June 2 – 5, Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout – Members gather around the campfire to tell tall tales of amazing bird viewings. Each morning campers go for a hike in search of area birds. This years camp is taking place at Governor Dodge State Park, located at 4175 State Highway 23 N, Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
  • June 8, 8:30 am, Road Cleanup and Field Trip – We will meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on County Hwy G.
  • Saturday, June 11, 10:00 am – Kestrel Chick Banding, Buena Vista Grasslands. Club president, Susan Haug organized a field trip to the Buena Vista Grasslands for members to witness the banding of Kestrel chicks. Carpooling from Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Rib Mountain. We’ll leave Wild Birds Unlimited at 9:00 am sharp. Directions to the Kestrel Banding site from Wausau: Take Hwy I-39 south to the Bancroft exit 43. Go east on Hwy W until you see a kiosk on the left side of the road. There is a pull out there.  We will meet at this location at 10:00 am. The tour is from 10:00 – Noon.  There is no fee. The Wausau Bird Club is making a donation to the group. If you have any questions, you may call Sue at (715) 297-5006.
  • Saturday, June 25, 2016, 8:30-10:30am Bluebird Trail, Mosinee   Dr. Kent Hall will lead a field trip related to the cavity nesting habits of the Bluebird. Club members and interested friends should meet at the Culver’s Restaurant in Cedar Creek Mall at 8:30 a.m. The field trip will take about 2 hours. Kent is coordinator of the Audubon Bluebird Trail ABT headquartered in Stevens Point. This is the 15th season for the Trail. During that time, the trail has produced 68,000 songbirds, 52,000 of which were Eastern Bluebirds. The trail is not only the “all-time” leader for Bluebird production in Wisconsin, it is the largest and most productive trail in North America. Currently, the ABT has 1,380 nest boxes in 7 counties and is monitored by 80 persons. Kent will show you nests of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows with eggs and chicks in them. He will also demonstrate data recording techniques. The route of Tom and Lynn Grimes will be used to demonstrate monitoring procedures. Tom and Lynn will also be on hand to answer any questions.
  • August Club Meeting and Bird Watching – Monday, August 1, 6:30 p.m. Meet in the parking lot of Fern Island or Isle of Ferns Park on Wausau’s east side off of River Drive. Being binoculars and mosquito spray.
  • Thursday, August 18, 2016,  7:15 pm – Swift Night Out  – Chimney Swifts nest in area Chimneys during the summer and migrate south in the fall. They can be seen flying over Wausau during the day and fly down chimneys at dusk to roost. We will meet in the Graebel parking lot near the corner of First and Grant Street, one block west of the YMCA. From there, we will split up and observe area chimneys and count the number of swifts that enter at dusk to obtain a count of the number of Chimney Swifts in the area. Please call (715) 297-5006 to see if the are any changes in the details or if there is inclement weather.
  •  Sunday August 28, 2016  –  Shorebird Field Trip – Dan Belter and Sarah Sabatke were scheduled to lead a field trip to view migrating shorebirds. Unfortunately, the abundance of rain has reduced the area shores to grassy areas and there were limited areas to view shore birds. The group chose to walk throught Blue Gill Bay Park where a number of warblers were seen that morning. It total 54 speices of birds were viewed by a group of 14 birders.
    Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road and cleaned a three mile stretch of highway. After the highway cleanup, participants went birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Wednesday September 21st at 1:00 pm Road cleanup. Please meet at Bitzke Bird Walk parking lot on the corner of County Highway G and Rocky Road. The began cleaning a three mile stretch of highway a few years ago as a chance to give back to the area. The club is given credit on a sign. Depending on the number of participants, it usually take between one and two hours. All of the supplies are provided by the highway department. Participants often go birding at Bitzke Bird Walk.
  • Thursday, October 13, 2016  5:30 – 6:30 at the Woodson Art Museum      Changing Bird Populations     Bill Mueller, director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory and a veteran ornithologist, discusses changing trends in Wisconsin and Midwest bird populations, referencing monitoring efforts, including the Christmas Bird Count and the Wisconsin Breading Bird Atlas survey.
  • October 28-29, 2016 Protecting Birds Through Action & Art conference at Stoney Creek Inn, Rothschild, Wisconsin.
  • Wednesday, November 2, 2016   6:30 – 8:00 pm Tour Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum. Join Curators Andy McGivern and Catie Anderson for a tour of this year’s Birds in Art followed by refreshments.
  • Saturday, November 5, 2016 Saw-whet owl banding at the Linwood Springs Research Station, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We will meet at the Wild Birds Unlimited parking lot at 6:20 p.m. to carpool. We will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return around 11:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring a camera, cash to purchase items, a flashlight, and wear some hiking boots. This is a family event and open to children and adults. The cost is $15, $12 for seniors and $8 for children under 12. The fee is used to help cover expenses to run the research station.
  •    December 31, 2016,   Audubon Christmas Bird Count

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