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Winter 2024

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This season at the sanctuaries: winter 2024

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s lands are permanently protected and conserved habitat for birds, plants, and other wildlife. They are stewarded, restored, and managed by our sanctuary teams. Learn more here.

Volunteers play a key role at Goose Pond

Seed pods are laid out to dry; cleaned seeds are bagged on the tables behind (photo by Emma Raasch/SoWBA).

In fall, the number of species that are ripe for collecting can get overwhelming. Lucky for us, we had three part-time seed collectors—Calla Norris, Cayla Matte, and Sayre Vickers—who were eager to help. We also held 19 volunteer seed collection events, averaging 7 volunteers, and hosted 6 school groups who helped collect seed.

Together, we collected seeds from 165 species of prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland plants. The combination of last year’s successful burn season and this year’s bountiful rain also made it a great seed production year for compass plant (42.5 pounds), prairie dropseed (12.3 pounds), and white baptisia (212 pounds). The last batch of seed was just cleaned, recorded, and stored, so we will be transitioning to making seed mixes and planting them in the coming weeks. Thanks to all volunteers, summer interns, and fall seed collectors for another successful seed collection season!


Plan your visit

A bounty of waterfowl during a previous late autumn season at Goose Pond (photo by Monica Hall).

We put up new trail maps around Goose Pond to improve visitor experiences. Explore on our mowed trails before snow drifts start to move in (check out the Goose Pond Sanctuary map).

Waterfowl arrived at least three weeks later than usual due to unseasonably warm October and November weather. At peak migration on the pond, we had at least 800 Tundra Swans, 1000 Mallards, eight American Black Ducks, and three Northern Pintails. Waterfowl numbers may fluctuate based on temperatures, but sorghum and foxtail food plots are holding an abundance of finches, sparrows, and pheasants (to learn more about birdlife at Goose Pond, read our recent Friday Feathered Features). You can always check out the Pond Cam to see what other wildlife visits the sanctuary in the winter season. 


Get involved

Over the winter we'll be planting prairie, removing brush, and burning brush piles. The Poynette Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for December 28. If you're interested in any of these activities, please contact land steward Graham Steinhauer at gsteinhauer@swibirds.org.


Learn more:

winter Birds settle in at Faville Grove

Cedar Waxwing (photo by Kelly Colgan Azar).

As winter settles in at Faville Grove, our resident Sandhill Cranes have departed, joining great flocks of birds from further north on their journey south. At the same time, great flocks of tree sparrows have relocated from their northern breeding grounds to feast on grass and forb seeds in our prairies. We’re at the northern edge of their winter range, so many birds will stay the winter, while others will move on after fattening up here. Cedar Waxwings and robins are gorging on winterberry in the bogs, and if we’re lucky, we may soon see Northern Shrikes perched in the tip-tops of tamaracks scanning for small mammal prey.

Winter is also the time to watch for Short-eared Owls floating low over the prairies along Prairie Lane. Keep an eye out for Horned Larks, Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings feeding on the ground (read about more sanctuary birds in our Friday Feathered Features).


Plan your visit

Brush cutting at Faville Grove Sanctuary during a previous winter (SoWBA photo).

Past brush- and tree-clearing work has opened long views on this rolling landscape, and with leaves now dropped, winter is the best time to take in the vistas.

Hike (or snowshoe) the trails on your own (check out the map here), join us for sunrise on New Year’s Day, or sign up to be notified of the date of our mid-winter snowshoe hike when snow conditions look favorable.


Get involved 

Fall seed collecting has wrapped up and we’re preparing seed mixes to spread in wetland edges where we sprayed reed canary grass during the past growing season, and in uplands where we are clearing invasive brush and trees. We’re already making great progress on winter clearing work, with frozen ground and the lack of snow cover making for easy access to work locations.

The Waterloo Christmas Bird Count is on December 15, and you can still sign up to join the count at Faville Grove Sanctuary.


Learn more:

tracks in the snow at FaIR MEADOWS

American Tree Sparrow perched in the prairie at Fair Meadows Sanctuary (photo by Gary Shackelford).

The arrival of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows signals it is late fall at Fair Meadows Sanctuary. The golden seeds of big bluestem and Indian grass are a favorite with the sparrows, and they create a scene of fluttering motion as the flock moves through the prairie. Wild Turkeys have also gathered in large flocks of up to 20 birds and move through the woods searching for acorns (read more about birds at the sanctuary in our latest Friday Feathered Features).

Except for the bird activity, the midday landscape is quiet. The chipmunks, groundhogs, frogs, turtles, bees, and butterflies are underground, buried in the mud or on their way south. But at dawn and dusk the winter inhabitants—deer, fox, coyotes, badgers, otter, and mink—are out and about. If you are lucky, you may spot one of these creatures on a trail or at the edge of a pond or the marsh. But after the first snow, their more elaborate stories can be read.

Turkey prints in the fresh snow (photo by Penny Shackelford).

Plan your visit

As a reminder, Fair Meadows Sanctuary is a designated State Natural Area, so access is a bit more limited.

Fair Meadows is a gorgeous place to visit in the colder seasons. Hit the trails independently at one of our open birding days on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month (registration is required by noon the day prior). Or, join us for a guided winter wonderland hike on the morning of January 26 in the new year.


Get involved 

Volunteer for brush removal and prescribed burns this winter! Contact Penny and Gary at fairmeadows@swibirds.org to be added to an email list or to sign up for regularly scheduled workdays (or half-days) at your convenience. Though Fair Meadows is not within an official Christmas Bird Count circle, we’ll be hosting our own count event on December 17.


Learn more:

 


Cover image: Waterfowl of all shapes and sizes—including ducks, geese, and swans—forage on the pond at Goose Pond Sanctuary in late November 2017 (photo by Monica Hall).