Bird & Nature Blog

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A Winter Walk Through Cherokee North

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Do you remember back in May when we went on a virtual field trip to the north unit of Cherokee Marsh? The marsh and woods were warm and green, warblers and flycatchers were picking bugs from the trees, sedge wrens were popping up from dense thickets to scold us as we went by, and virginia rails were grunting along the marsh boardwalk's edge.

It's January now and the marsh has a different look, a different tune—perhaps a quieter, softer one, but one full of just as much life. This week's Entryway to Birding blog takes us back to Cherokee North with another birding field trip to see how things have changed with the seasons. Read on for tips on what birds you might expect to find at different locations throughout the marsh in winter.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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A Beginner's Guide to "Big Day" Birding

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2021 starts a new year. And with it, a new year list. If you haven’t picked up on it by now, birders love keeping lists. A life list, year lists, county lists, patch lists, yard lists, and more. But on January 1 … many of those checklists roll back to zero and the bird sightings begin anew.

In birding culture, there’s something of a tradition of doing a “Big Day” in early January to see how many species you can find in one day. It's a fun and rewarding challenge—it tests your birding skills and knowledge of local habitat and gets you outside for a fun winter adventure. If you've ever been curious about challenging yourself to a Big Day, this week's Entryway to Birding blog is for you. Read on for tips to make your outing a successful one.

Madison-area CBC: 2020 Results

Madison-area CBC: 2020 Results

We thought there would be low volunteer turn out because of COVID-19, and therefore less of an ability to cover a wide area in search of birds. And yet, bird-lovers persevered and the count was completed successfully and safely, and we saw LOTS of birds! Nearly 175 volunteers helped scour the Madison-area for birds, and an incredible 97 species were documented, plus an additional 4 species in the 3 days before or after (a period called Count Week). Many of the area captains noted they saw the greatest diversity of birds this year than ever before, and that 97 species total ties the record for diversity in Madison, set in 2017.

Photo by by Aaron Maizlish

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Happy New Year (unless you're a backyard rabbit...)

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Winter is a tough time in my neighborhood, in part because of me. Several times a night my neighbors see my backyard light go on, hear my backdoor banging, and, in a few moments, my pleading with Philly and Peggy, my two noble dogs, to please come back in and LEAVE IT. IT is the real source of the problem, one of my backyard rabbits. The light and noise are to warn the rabbits that the dogs are being let out. The pleading is to stop the dogs from chasing the rabbits.

Paintings by Sally Probasco

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A Birder's Resolutions

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As 2020 creeps to a close, it’s a good time to think about your relationship to birding and how it may evolve in the new year. How will you challenge yourself? What will you strive to learn? How will birding continue to expand your world? This week’s Entryway to Birding blog is here to help you brainstorm ideas for New Year’s resolutions you might make as you bird your way into 2021.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt