Check out our Activities Page to see what events we have planed for the future.
Wausau continues to be a Bird City Wisconsin “High Flyer Bird City.”
Bird City Wisconsin provides highly visible public recognition to municipalities that understand that healthy communities are the sum of many parts, including birds. We support our communities in their efforts to protect and manage green space, educate their citizens, build and erect nesting structures, landscape with native plants, reduce threats to birds like collisions and outdoor cats, and generally make urban areas both friendlier for birds and places where people want to live and work. To learn more about this program and Wausau’s participation in it you may read the City’s application.
Aldo Leopold Foundation Tour, November 11.
A group of sixteen members visited the Aldo Leopold Foundation for a tour of The Shack as well as a guided tour to view flocks of migrating Sandhill Cranes.
Members of the Wausau Bird Club spent a couple of hours removing invasive species along the northeast bank of Barker Stewart Island.A Wintry Birding Trip to Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota
Naturalist, Dan Belter lead a trip to this frosty winter bog. Sixteen participants arrived in Duluth around noon and proceeded to find and identify an immature male King Eider along the shore of Lake Superior, just north of Duluth. Waterfowl viewed with the Eider include Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Mallards and two Black Ducks.
Black-backed Woodpecker
Warren Woessner Bog Boardwalk
In the afternoon the group traveled to Sax-Zim Bog and walked out on the boardwalk where Dan was able to locate a Black-backed Woodpecker to view and photograph. On Saturday, we arrived at the bog before sunrise in hopes of seeing the Great Gray Owl. One was located later in the day but it was well hidden. Tow members in our group saw the owl spread its wings and drop down into the trees not to be seen again.
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak male
Visiting the welcome center and a few of the feeding stations located in the 225 square-mile bog gave members of the group an opportunity to see a variety of birds not commonly seen in central Wisconsin. They include: Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Hawk Owl. Other notable birds spotted by some members of the group include White-winged Crossbill, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Black-billed Magpie, Common Redpoll, Pileated Woodpecker, and a Snowy Owl.
Northern Hawk Owl
Pine Grossbeak female
We were warned to bring warm clothes for good reason. Low temperatures in the bog dipped between 22 and 36 degrees below zero, depending on the car thermometer. It was a good thing much of our birding was done from our cars. The two exceptions were the hike to locate the Black-backed Woodpecker on Friday, and a hike into the bog on Saturday afternoon to find the Northern Hawk Owl. Susan Haug spotted this beautiful bird perched on a branch next to the tree trunk. We were fortunate that the owl flew to the top of a dead tree and posed for our group while we photographed it. It was amazing how many people visit the bog to view the unique habitat and bird life. Some visitors flew great distances and rented cars to get to the bog.
All in all, it was a great trip! A big thank you to Dan Belter for organizing and leading this adventure for the Wausau Bird Club!
Donation to the Club – Bob and Hiroko Sanders kindly donated a projector and carrying case to the club to use during meetings. The resolution is excellent and we are now able to view fine detail of our favorite subjects.
Roadside cleanup, Friday, September 28, 2018 – club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk on Hwy G for the second time this year and removed debris from the roadside.
Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout, May 31 to June 3, 2018, Fourteen hardy souls braved the cooler temperatures and some rain during all or part of the 3-day weekend and saw or heard close to fifty bird species. Pictured here are a few WBC members who spent the weekend together.
Next year’s camp out is scheduled to take place at Point Beach State Forest. Stay tuned for more information.
WBC Field Trip to Pitzke Bird Walk – Wednesday, April 25, 2018 Jeff Moore led this walk trough Bitzke Bird Walk in northeastern Marathon County. It took place during one of the coldest springs we have had in many years. Nine club members and guests were present for the two hour bird hike. Bird numbers were down from what one might expect for late April, largely due to the frozen ponds and cold temperatures.
We saw or heard around twenty-five species of birds, including snipe, fox sparrows, swamp sparrows, tree swallows, and northern harrier.
WBC Sponsored Field Trip – Wednesday morning April 18, 2018, Jeff Moore led a fieldtrip to sites on Lake Wausau. Jeff and five weather-hardy participants visited D.C Everest Park, the east end of Adolph Street, and Radtke Point. It was an unusually cold morning for this time of year: cloudy, windy, with temperatures in the upper 20s.
Twenty eight species were recorded, with highlights including wood duck, redhead, ring-necked duck, common goldeneye, and ruddy duck, among others. Herring and ring-billed gulls, bald eagle, and sharp-shinned hawk were also viewed. Considering the dramatic weather patterns and the fact that most of Lake Wausau was frozen, the field trip was considered successful.
Dr. John Munson presentation on Birds and Mammals of Krueger National Park
At our club meeting on Monday, April 2 6:30 pm Dr. John Munson of Stevens Point presented a program on Mammals and Birds of Kruger National Park, South Africa with 25 in attendance.
To see a YouTube video of Dr. Munson’s travels to Karger National Park follow this link.
If you are interested in joining Dr. Munson on one of his trips, send a message to www.wausaubirdclub@gmail.com to obtain contact information.
Peregrine Falcons Return A pair of peregrine falcons have returned to the Weston Power Plant nesting box, Rothschild, Wisconsin. Here is a link to the live feed.
Sunday, October 29, Road cleanup – club members met at Bitzke Bird Walk on Hwy G and removed debris from the roadside.
August 7th – Chimney Swift Survey – Club members met downtown and fanned out to observe area chimneys to count the number of chimney swifts that entered. A total of 408 swifts were reported with an estimated 330 swifts observed entering the large chimney at Thom Field Sports complex on Bridge Street and 10th Avenue. Watch the video to see over 330 swifts enter the chimney in a two minute period.
In Memory of … It is with great sadness that we report Ken Srozinski, husband of Kate, passed away on July 19 following heart surgery. Our sympathy goes out to Kate.
Ken helped the club in many ways, including the construction of two chimney swift towers – he knew about cement. Last summer Ken helped install bluebird houses for the bluebird trail at the Eastbay Sports Complex.
Ken will also be remembered for all of his work with the Friends of the Library where sorting books and book sales were his pride and joy. He spent countless hours with this project. A memorial service was held Saturday, July 22 at the Marathon County Public Library.
WBC Meeting at Fern Island Park July 10, 2017 – The July meeting at Fern Island Park included a walk through the park offering up 30 species of birds including American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Red-eyed Vireos, Baltimore Orioles among others.
WBC members on bridge leading to Fern Island Park.
June 1, 2017 – Wausau Bird Club member Dan Belter was featured in the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s Breeding Bird Atlas II newsletter for his volunteer work in gathering data of Wisconsin’s breeding birds. Follow the link to view the article.
Dan Belter Featured in Breeding Bird Atlas II Newsletter
May 12 – The Great Wisconsin Birdathon 2017 – Wausau Bird Club’s team “Wausau Bird Nerds” raised donations by traveling throughout central Wisconsin as they identified as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period. The club team included Dan Belter, Mary Backus, Myles Hurlburt and Sarah Sabadke with additional help from Ken Luepke, Jon Zellmer and Jim Peck.
Team Wausau Bird Nerds started at 2:00am in the morning on Friday, May 12. They visited Dewey Marsh in northern Portage County hoping to identify nocturnal birds. They also searched for birds in Portage county, Adams County before returning to Marathon County.
Whooping Crane viewed in Adams County
Highlights of the Birdathon were; sedge wren, Barred owl, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Red-shouldered hawk, Whooping crane, Orchard oriole, Upland sandpiper, Brewer’s blackbirds, Tufted Titmouse, Scarlet tanager, a variety of warblers, and many sparrow species, including the Harris’s sparrow in Western Marathon County.
We thank Wausau Bird Nerds for identifying over 140 birds in their 16 1/2 hour trek around Central Wisconsin and raising funds for the Wausau Bird Club and other Wisconsin organizations that support our natural heritage.
Wausau Bird Club met it goal of $2,000 thank to everyone who donated. A special thanks goes out to Bob and Yvonne Firary whose contribution pushed us over the top.
April 25, – Earth Day Bird Walk – Wausau area naturalist, Dan Belter lead a bird walk at Bluegill Bay Park this morning. The group of 17 area birders viewed just over 40 species. “Highlights were; Green Heron, House Wren, Belted Kingfisher, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, and White-throated Sparrows. The fly over White Pelican was also a nice surprise.” said Dan Belter in his Facebook post.
Migratory Bird Day field trip to Bluegill Bay Park. Lead by Dan Belter.
Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow spotted in a tree on the south side of Bluegill Bay Park.
Palm Warbler
April 16, Wausau Named High Flyer City by Bird City Wisconsin – The city of Wausau has once again received the highest honors from Bird City Wisconsin, a Milwaukee based organization for being a bird friendly community. Wausau joined Bird City Wisconsin in 2012. You may view the seven-page application form by following this link. To date, there are 101 Wisconsin Cities that have joined Bird City Wisconsin
One of the biggest challenges Wausau faces to maintain their High Flyer City status is encouraging people to keep their cats on leashes or indoors as a means to control the amount of predation of wild birds by cats. We also struggle with finding an agreeable solution to deal with feral cats that kill wild birds in staggering numbers each year.
Saturday, April 8, WSO Field Trip – Mead Wildlife Area –
Jeff Moore lead a carpool group from Wild Birds Unlimited’s parking lot to the George W. Mead Wildlife Headquarters. They met up with WSO members on this field trip led by Myles Hurlburt of Wausau and Rob Pendergast of Stevens Point. Trip highlights include an assortment of waterfowl, Prairie-Chickens, longspurs, as well as some early spring passerines like the Winter Wren, various sparrows and other songbirds.
Twenty-four participants viewed nine Greater Prairie Chicken on a Lek just north of Range Line Road off of Smokey Hill Road on this WSO organized field trip.
Two of nine Greater Prairie-chicken viewed at the Geo. W. Mead Wildlife Area
WSO field trip viewing waterfowl from observation deck on Smokey Hill Road, Geo. W. Mead Wildlife Area.
Saturday, June 25, 2016, Bluebird Trail, Mosinee
Kent is coordinator of the Audubon Bluebird Trail ABT headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, led a field trip exploring cavity nesting habits of the bluebird. 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 showed the group houses with Bluebird as well as Tree Swallow nests with eggs and chicks in them. He demonstrated data recording techniques. Field monitors Tom and Lynn Grimes were on hand to explain the procedures as well. They have monitored the Bluebird Trail for the past six years.
Saturday, June 11, 2016 Kestrel Chick Banding, Buena Vista Grasslands
Club members joined field biologist, Janet Eschenbauch, of the Central Wisconsin Kestrel Research program to learn about their kestrel monitoring program and what they do to ensure a diverse and healthy population in central Wisconsin. After retrieving kestrel chicks and adults from their next boxes, Janet showed how she measured and weighted each bird before banding it and placing it back in it’s nest box. Club members were able to hold kestrel chicks and get to see these incredible creature up close.
Retrieving a Kestrel chick from its nest house.
Kestrel Chick
Banding the chick.
Weighing the chick.
Wausau Bird Club members who attended the Kestrel chick banding field trip at the Buena Vista Wildlife Area.
June 2 – 5, 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s Annual Campout
This year’s camping trip to Governor Dodge State Park was a great success. There were twenty participants and the weather and birds cooperated well (63 species). The group managed to find a restaurant in Dodgeville to accomodate everyone on a Friday evening. The rains held off on Saturday evening until the cookout was over. The half-hour of rain was just what our group needed to encourage everyone to take care of after-dinner cleanup chores. After the rain, it was time for S’mores.
May 22, 2016 – Wausau Bird Club’s Spring Migration Count
Club members were assigned designated areas on a grid and asked to identify as many birds as they can in a 24 hour period. The results were shared with the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology’s spring migration count. The Wausau Bird Club had 30 members participating and counted 173 species including 15 count week species and a total of 6,790 birds in total. Highlights include: 23 warbler species but no Palm Warblers – perhaps too late in the season. Lynn Ott identified a Northern Mockingbird in the north central area of the county. The count also included 18 Pine Siskins, 5 Vireo species, 8 variety of Flycatchers, and 7 Woodpecker species. There were 30 Eastern Bluebirds counted which is thought to be down from the previous year.
May 21, 2016 – International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Monk Botanical Gardens, Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau Bird Club president, Susan Haug led a bird walk through Monk Botanical Gardens on May 21 to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day. The group saw or heard 24 different species of birds, including Palm and Common Yellowthroat Warblers, the Brown Thrasher and Gray Catbird with their melodic songs, as well as Indigo Buntings and the Ovenbird.
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, July 1 6:30 pm – WBC meeting at Fern Island.
2020 Events:
Dates to be determined – 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 Council Grounds State Park, Merrill. 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.
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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 23 – WSO field trip in Dane and Columbia County Ponds starting at Goose Pond near Arlington. Follow link for more information.
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 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 am – WSO field trip to Mead Wildlife area. Follow link for more information.
Friday, May 3 7:00 am – Bluegill 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 am – WSO 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.
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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 pm – Club meeting at UU Church. Program: Andy McGivern presented “Birds of the United Arab Emirates.”
Thursday, March 22 6:15 pm – Help 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 21 – WSO 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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