This class is specifically designed for beginning bird-lovers who are curious about the most common summer birds found in their back yard, on their balcony, or in their neighborhood. In A Birder’s Dozen, you’ll get to know 13 species that you see or hear on a regular basis, diving into details about their interesting natural history as well as how to tell them apart from other common birds.

Instructors Maggie and Bob Honig will teach this two-part class. Part 1 (June 14, 6-8pm) is an in-person and online presentation that shares information about 13 of the most common bird species you may see or hear in your neighborhood or at your birdfeeders during the summer, and gives you useful info about how to identify them, what they sound like, what they eat, how they behave, and more. By the end of the class, you should have a little more comfort and familiarity with the birds you encounter often!

In Part 2 of the class (June 17, 8-10am), join Maggie and Bob for a neighborhood bird walk to put the new information into practice and see what birds we can find. You can ask a million questions! A rain date will be selected based on class participants’ availability, if need be.

Another version of this class that focuses on winter birds commonly found in Madison-area neighborhoods and feeders is planned for late fall.

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES FOR WALK:

We will be walking on paved sidewalks in a hilly neighborhood, followed by an optional excursion on a paved bike path through a neighborhood-adjacent park.

WHEELCHAIR USE: Want to use an all-terrain, outdoor wheelchair for the field trip component? Access Ability Wisconsin offers them for free! To reserve a chair and trailer, visit their website. If you need help coordinating a wheelchair for this trip, please let us know (Brenna Marsicek, bmarsicek@madisonaudubon.org).

Registration

Registration is $20/person and limited to 12 people in the in-person class and field trip. Additional attendees can participate in the online class. Registration opens on May 1 to Madison Audubon members; any remaining seats will open on June 1 to the public.

MEMBERSHIP: Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

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additional donation to SoWBA:

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About the instructors: Maggie and Bob Honig

Maggie and Bob Honig have been observing and studying natural history for most of their lives. While living in and near Houston, Texas for several decades, they led numerous field trips/tours in Texas, to Glacier National Park in Montana, and to the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad; and they have been part of Earthwatch expeditions to study caterpillars and their parasitoids in Costa Rica, and sustainable watershed management in California. Each has given many presentations to nature and conservation organizations. They moved to Wisconsin in mid-2021 and since then have been volunteering for Madison Audubon and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

Maggie has many years of experience teaching science to students of all ages, both in and out of the classroom. Bob was an environmental consultant and addressed such diverse issues as endangered species, wetlands, archaeology, recycling, and sustainability in addition to performing numerous bird surveys.

This class is part of Madison Audubon’s adult education series called the Audubon Naturalist Series. Many of the classes offer early registration for Madison Audubon members, but most also open for public registration if there are spots left in the class. Learn more about joining Madison Audubon here!

Cover photo by USFWS Midwest Region