Citizen Science

Filtering by: Citizen Science
First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys
Apr
15
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science

First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys

Calling all volunteers! Today is the first day of the Bird Collision Corps spring surveys! The Bird Collision Corps is a Madison, WI-based citizen science project that works with volunteers who help study what leads to bird deaths caused by window strikes. Volunteers who participate in this program are trained, receive materials, and conduct 1 hour surveys once a week at their site(s) through the spring survey period. Volunteer with BCC this spring!

Photo by Crystal Sutheimer

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Poynette (Goose Pond Sanctuary) Christmas Bird Count
Dec
30
8:30 AM08:30
Citizen Science, Volunteer

Poynette (Goose Pond Sanctuary) Christmas Bird Count

  • Poynette & Goose Pond Sanctuary (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Southern Wisconsin is home to a wonderful diversity of habitats and birds, including in winter! The annual Christmas Bird Count is a great citizen science project that involves meeting other enthusiastic birders and helping collect important data about birds at the same time. Join the Poynette Christmas Bird Count and help count birds at Goose Pond Sanctuary!

Photo by Arlene Koziol

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Fair Meadows Christmas Bird Count (FULL)
Dec
19
9:30 AM09:30
Citizen Science, Volunteer

Fair Meadows Christmas Bird Count (FULL)

Registration is now full. Penny and Gary Shackelford, resident managers of Fair Meadows, have been tallying birds at the sanctuary since the early 2000’s, concurrently with the Fort Atkinson CBC. This year, we are offering a separate and fun Fair Meadows Christmas Bird Count!

Photo by Gary Shackelford

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Madison CBC: Indoor Sit & Birdwatching Event (CANCELLED)
Dec
16
10:00 AM10:00
Citizen Science, Volunteer

Madison CBC: Indoor Sit & Birdwatching Event (CANCELLED)

We’re sorry, this event is cancelled due to to an unexpected scheduling conflict. Over 100 volunteers will tally birds during the Madison CBC. We invite you to join the Madison-area CBC Indoor Sit & Bird-watching event—an accessible, inclusive opportunity for folks of skill levels to enjoy some birding and camaraderie while contributing data to the count.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

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Madison-area Christmas Bird Count
Dec
16
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science, Volunteer

Madison-area Christmas Bird Count

  • Spring Pond Trail, UW-Arboretum (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Registration is now closed. Madison is home to thousands of bird-lovers, just like you. The annual Christmas Bird Count is a great citizen science project that involves meeting other enthusiastic birders and helping collect important data about birds in the at the same time!

If you’d like to volunteer to help tally birds during the Madison-area Christmas Bird Count, please visit our CBC page to learn more and register.

Photo by Monica Hall

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Waterloo (Faville Grove Sanctuary) Christmas Bird Count
Dec
14
7:00 AM07:00
Citizen Science, Volunteer

Waterloo (Faville Grove Sanctuary) Christmas Bird Count

The Waterloo Christmas Bird Count is coordianted by Karen Etter Hale, and includes a section that encompasses most of our Favile Grove Sanctuary. We are looking for volunteers to count birds at Faville Grove Sanctuary in Jefferson County to help tally birds at that site to contribute to the broader Waterloo CBC. We will go out in groups to various parts of the sanctuary to document the birds we see and hear in those areas.

Photo by Badgerland Bird Alliance

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First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys
Sep
11
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science

First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys

Calling all volunteers! Today is the first day of the Bird Collision Corps’ fall surveys! The Bird Collision Corps is a Madison, WI-based citizen science project that works with volunteers who help study what leads to bird deaths caused by window strikes. Volunteers who participate in this program are trained, receive materials, and conduct 1 hour surveys once a week at their site(s) through the fall survey period. Volunteer with BCC this fall!

Photo by Crystal Sutheimer

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First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys
Apr
17
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science

First day of Bird Collision Corps Spring Surveys

Today is the first day of the Bird Collision Corps’ spring surveys! The Bird Collision Corps is a Madison, WI-based citizen science project that works with volunteers who help study what leads to bird deaths caused by window strikes. Volunteers who participate in this program are trained, receive materials, and conduct surveys at their site(s) once a week through the spring survey period.

Photo by Crystal Sutheimer

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Madison Christmas Bird Count "Little Sit"
Dec
17
9:30 AM09:30
Citizen Science, Signature Field Trip

Madison Christmas Bird Count "Little Sit"

  • Spring Pond Trail, UW-Arboretum (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Over 100 volunteers will tally birds during the Madison CBC on December 17. Join us that morning for a “Little Sit”—an accessible, inclusive opportunity for folks to enjoy some birding, contribute data to the count, and meet fellow bird enthusiasts.

Photo by Monica Hall

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Madison Christmas Bird Count "Little Sit"
Dec
18
7:00 AM07:00
Citizen Science

Madison Christmas Bird Count "Little Sit"

  • 1600 Sherman Avenue Madison, WI, 53704 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Over 100 volunteers will tally birds during the Madison CBC on December 18. Join us that morning for a “Little Sit”—an opportunity for folks of all physical abilities and skill levels to enjoy some birding, contribute data to the count, and meet fellow bird enthusiasts.

Photo by Monica Hall

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Eagle-eyed Citizen Science: Bald Eagle Nest Watch
Oct
21
6:30 PM18:30
Online Presentation, Citizen Science, Family Friendly

Eagle-eyed Citizen Science: Bald Eagle Nest Watch

Through the tremendous power of on-the-ground volunteers, the Bald Eagle Nest Watch program has gathered important information about the health, productivity, and nesting success of approximately 100 Bald Eagle nests in Wisconsin in 2021. Join in for this ONLINE presentation to learn more about what these volunteers look for, and some highlights of the nesting season!

Conservancy Day presentation with the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy

Photo by Gail Smith

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Great Wisconsin Birdathon Day with All About Aves
May
20
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science, Family Friendly

Great Wisconsin Birdathon Day with All About Aves

The Madison Audubon office staff are All About Aves this spring! Follow along and donate to our Great Wisconsin Birdathon as we flutter around some of our favorite spots—including Cherokee Marsh and Pheasant Branch Conservancy, plus our Goose Pond and Faville Grove Sanctuaries—in search of diverse and beautiful birds!

Our team goal is to find at least 125 bird species on May 20th, our Birdathon day. Tune into our Facebook and Instagram (@madisonaudubon) accounts all day long to learn more about the birds we see, the challenges they face, and what you can do to help! Learn more and donate at: https://go.dojiggy.io/wibirdathon/allaboutaves/Team

The funds we raise during our Birdathon will be shared between the Natural Resources Foundation’s Bird Protection Fund and our own critical projects to protect birds and their habitats.

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Great Wisconsin Birdathon Day with the Reckless Wrens
May
14
to May 15
Citizen Science

Great Wisconsin Birdathon Day with the Reckless Wrens

The Reckless Wrens are looking and fundraising for birds this year for the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Our goal is to see 100 species in 24 hours, including some night birding!

The funds we raise are split between Madison Audubon and the Natural Resources Foundation's Bird Protection Fund. Donate here: https://go.dojiggy.io/wibirdathon/recklesswrens/Team

The team includes staff and volunteers from our Goose Pond Sanctuary: Mark Martin, Sue Foote-Martin, Graham Steinhauer, Jim and Kathy Shurts, JD Arnston, and our summer interns. We will search high and low for shorebirds, pelicans, owls, woodcocks, snipe, whip-poor-wills, and lots of warblers around Goose Pond, Erstad Prairie, Otsego Marsh and other southern Columbia County and northern Dane County hotspots.

Learn more and donate at https://go.dojiggy.io/wibirdathon/recklesswrens/Team

Marsh wren photo by Mick Thompson

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Live Look at a Bald Eagle Nest
Feb
20
1:00 PM13:00
Citizen Science, Online Presentation

Live Look at a Bald Eagle Nest

Access the recording of this video!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VOoGUQjr9kk

Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadisonAudubon/videos/198799114990353

Bald eagles are beginning their nesting season during the chilly winter weather of February, and we want to share some of their amazing nesting stories with you. Join Drew Cashman, volunteer who co-organizes Madison Audubon’s Bald Eagle Nest Watch for a live look at an active bald eagle nest, as well as an update on the program and breeding eagles. The location of the nest and other nests will not be disclosed.

To tune in live, visit Madison Audubon’s Facebook page on Feb. 20, 1:00 pm CST and wait for the live stream to begin. If you want to watch the recording, you’ll be able to find links here afterwards or on our Facebook page.

Photo by Mike Morris

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A Swift Night Out Wisconsin
Sep
1
to Sep 30
Family Friendly, Citizen Science

A Swift Night Out Wisconsin

An online, Wisconsin-wide citizen science event through September. Join in!

Chimney swifts are on the move! Madison Audubon and the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group are partnering up with Wisconsinites for the entire month of September for a statewide, online citizen science event that you can get involved with. "A Swift Night Out Wisconsin" asks community members all over the state to report, track, and observe these native birds descending into their roosting sites each evening this September. No experience is necessary!

If you have noticed a cloud of acrobatic birds funneling into a chimney at night, you are watching chimney swifts! These birds are using chimneys as a resting roost during fall migration. They cause no structural damage to the chimney, and are skilled predators of insects like mosquitoes. These swifts are also in decline.

Check out this Facebook Live presentation by Sandy Schwab with more information about chimney swifts, views of swifts actively roosting, and an overview of A Swift Night Out Wisconsin.

Join in the effort!

To participate in A Swift Night Out Wisconsin this fall, all you have to do is report sightings of chimney swifts using a chimney for a roost. To do so:

  1. Either submit the observation to eBird as a checklist (preferred method!). To get started with eBird: ebird-quick-start-guide. In the comments section, please use — with a semi-colon ( ; ) in between each:

    1. #swiftwi

    2. type of building (residence, school, church, business, hospital, apartment, swift tower/structure, etc.)

    3. condition of chimney (good shape, need of repair)

    4. any other notes

    5. Add observations of common nighthawks if you’d like!

  2. Or download and print this tracking form, and include the same information as above plus the date of observation, exact start time, length of observation at the roost site, and your name, address, email address.
    Mail the form to Fred Dike at 2613 Waltham Rd., Madison, WI 53711 or email to freddmadison@aol.com.

Remember, you can submit these observations for any date this September 2020! Thank you for your help in protecting and conserving Wisconsin’s native birds.

Cover photo by Steve Benoit

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Bald Eagle Nest Watch: Update at a Nest!
May
31
10:00 AM10:00
Online Presentation, Citizen Science

Bald Eagle Nest Watch: Update at a Nest!

Access the recording of the update!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sveo0FGlHAY

Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadisonAudubon/videos/250472129568102/

Bald eagle babies are getting big and some have even fledged from the nest already! Join Drew Cashman, Madison Audubon volunteer who co-organizes our Bald Eagle Nest Watch citizen science program, as he gives an update on the program and gives you a look at chicks in a nest.

All of this will take place on Madison Audubon’s Facebook page as a live-stream event. Can’t attend live? No problem, we will post the links to the recording here afterwards.

Photo by Jerry Davis, Bald Eagle Nest Watch volunteer

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Feb
26
7:00 PM19:00
Citizen Science, Speaker Series

Patrick Ready: Monitoring American Kestrel Nestboxes

American Kestrel numbers have been dropping dramatically over the past 40 years. MAS has responded by putting up a network of boxes. This program will cover the plight of the American Kestrel and what volunteers for Madison Audubon are doing to help keep their numbers up in south-central Wisconsin.

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Christmas Bird Count
Dec
15
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science

Christmas Bird Count

  • All over Madison & surrounding suburbs! (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Christmas Bird Count, now in it's 119th year, is an annual citizen science event in which birders all over the country spend one day searching for their feathered friends. The goal is to take a snapshot of the bird landscape throughout North America. The data collected by volunteer birders and turned into the National Audubon Society help scientists understand bird population trends. Plus, it gets you out birding in the beautiful (or sometimes blustery) winter weather!

Madison's Christmas Bird Count survey area is so large that we divide it up into 23 areas. Each area has an experienced captain leading the survey for their part of Madison, Middleton, Verona, McFarland, Fitchburg, Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie, Waunakee, or DeForest. Start- and end-times and survey locations vary by area. You can either join us in the field to count birds, or stay home and watch your bird feeders. Or both!

To get involved, visit madisonaudubon.org/cbc and sign up. We will work with you to find a person leading a counting group in your area.

Happy birding!

Header photo by Carolyn Byers

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Goose Pond Sanctuary Butterfly Count
Jul
2
9:00 AM09:00
Volunteer, Citizen Science, Sanctuaries

Goose Pond Sanctuary Butterfly Count

The annual Goose Pond Sanctuary Butterfly Count will be held on Monday, July 2, 2018! This count is part of the Mud Lake National Butterfly Count, and is one piece of a network of counts held throughout the country to document the diversity and abundance of our scaly-winged friends each year. Celebrate Goose Pond's 50th anniversary by participating in this fun, memorable event!

All are welcome to participate and butterfly identification expertise is not required. We will provide you with resources (nets, guides, etc.) that will help you with the count. Meet at the MAS Goose Pond Sanctuary Kampen Road residence (W7503 Kampen Road, Arlington) at 9:00 a.m. We will divide into teams and count butterflies till noon, then we will head out for lunch and back at it after lunch till 4:00 p.m.

No need to RSVP, just show up!

Cover photo by Arlene Koziol

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Christmas Bird Count
Dec
16
6:00 AM06:00
Citizen Science

Christmas Bird Count

  • All over Madison & surrounding suburbs! (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Christmas Bird Count, now in it's 118th year, is an annual citizen science event in which birders all over the country spend one day searching for their feathered friends. The goal is to take a snapshot of the bird landscape throughout North America. The data collected by volunteer birders and turned into the National Audubon Society help scientists understand bird population trends. Plus, it gets you out birding in the beautiful (or sometimes blustery) winter weather!

Madison Audubon is coordinating the Madison area count. To get involved, contact Brenna Marsicek (bmarsicek@madisonaudubon.org or 608-255-2473) to request information. We will work with you to find a person leading a counting group in your area.

Happy birding!

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