Bird & Nature Blog

Harvesting the Goodness

So you've voted or made plans to do so; you've reached out to a few friends or relatives to remind them to do and offer to help. As a modest thank you from Madison Audubon, how about some good news? As far as I'm concerned good news these days has the status of cold water in the midst of a desert hike. And the news concerns a righteous Madison Audubon act this summer.

As summer approached Madison Audubon had to decide if we were going to employ ecological restoration interns at our Goose Pond and Faville Grove Sanctuaries, as we have each year for many years. COVID presented challenges in ensuring that our interns and sanctuary staff had safe working conditions.

Photo by Drew Harry

In Search of Sparrows

Welcome to sparrow season! If you’ve been birding through the spring and summer, you’ve likely seen several species of sparrows already. Fall migration adds a few more sparrows to the mix, and October is the prime time to see some uncommon migrant sparrow species. It’s also when we’ll get an influx of our “winter” sparrows that will spend the next few months with us.

To the eyes of a new birder, sparrows can look frustratingly similar. Brown, small, streaky, and often elusive. Not only are they well-camouflaged and tough to spot, they often dive into the low, thick grass or brush before you can even get a glimpse. But patience and perseverance and some good ol’ slow birding can be your friend. This week’s Entryway to Birding blog brings you tips for sorting out sparrows, techniques for how to find them, a few recommendations of places to go.

A Beginner's Guide to Birding During Hunting Season

One of the things I love most about birding is how it’s taken me to new places, to new destinations that I might not have visited before. I’ve veered off the beaten path in search of new birds and it’s opened my eyes to the breadth of Wisconsin’s public lands. From state natural areas to state wildlife areas to state parks and more, Wisconsin has endless opportunities to get outside. Many of these areas are open to in-season hunting, but also to birders, wildlife-seekers, and other adventurers looking for new natural areas to appreciate.

If you’re venturing out this fall, we encourage that you go prepared—fall is also when many hunting seasons begin and there are a few things you should consider to keep yourself and others safe this time of year. Birders and hunters can absolutely co-exist and share these spaces that we all love, but it requires that you be informed and prepared. That’s what this week’s Entryway to Birding blog is here for—we’re bringing you some safety tips on everything from what to wear, to the best time of day to venture out, to what to do if you encounter hunters in the field.

Begging, pleading, cajoling, and back to begging: Please Vote!

If you have to choose between donating to MAS and voting, VOTE.

If you have to choose between seeding collecting at one of our sanctuaries and voting, VOTE.

If you have to choose between birding for the rest of the fall migration and voting, VOTE.

Of course, you don't have to make those choices, but, in my opinion, you do have to VOTE.

Graphic provided by National Audubon

Birding Blunders

Alright, let’s dish. When you’re a new birder, it takes some time to get accustomed to the ins and outs of this very particular hobby. You’ve not only got a massive list of bird species to familiarize yourself with, but you’ve got the oddities of birding etiquette, the lingo, the eBirding procedures and more. It takes time and experience to mentally sift through all of that, and in the process, mistakes are made.

It’s a reality. New birders make mistakes. Experienced birders make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.

But if you need some proof and some reassurance, this week’s Entryway to Birding blog is for you. I’m laying it all out all out there—the silly, the ill-timed, the embarrassing—to remind you that no matter what mistakes you make in the field, you’ll be a better birder after you learn from them.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt