Bird & Nature Blog
A clutch of the latest stories from Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
The WDNR just issued a notice concerning the annual spring hearing of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The hearing will be a three day virtual event beginning on April 12. The virtual format makes expressing your opinion on a variety of conservation issues facing the state convenient.
Photo by Elvis Kennedy
Some most excellent land conservation news broke recently. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) announced the creation of a huge new nature preserve in southwest Dane County!
Two aspects of the Spring Valley Preserve stand out: its size and diversity. At 308 acres, it's huge. Those acres include oak savannas, sand prairies, oak woodlands, oak openings, wetlands, springs, and a small stream. The land features some great native plants, including a personal favorite, the prickly pear cactus. I don't know if DALC and its allies have had the chance to identify all the animals that call this land home at one time or another but, in my blissful, hopeful ignorance, I'm rooting for the ornate box turtle to show up one day.
Photo courtesy of DALC
The sounds of spring are again inspiration for this week's blog post. My last few birding sessions have featured lots of frenzied behavior from woodpeckers and nuthatches—species that are high into courtship right now. Early spring is a great time to do some slow birding and notice how the activity around you is shifting—you can witness some exciting behaviors and feel even more connected to the shifting of the seasons.
Woodpeckers may not sing like our vocal black-capped chickadees or northern cardinals, but they sure do drum. This week's Entryway to Birding blog takes us into the world of woodpeckers to decipher that drumming.
Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! Mid-February had us in what felt like a polar vortex and now, suddenly, spring feels closer than ever. Those of us who've been living in the Midwest for awhile know we're not done with winter just yet—"false spring" can't fool us!—but it sure has been nice to feel the sun and hear the sounds of spring in the air.
The frenzy of activity that comes with warmer weather is a delight. It poses the perfect opportunity to make birding your new hobby this season—even if you don't have binoculars! This week's Entryway to Birding blog is stepping outside—no gear, no bins, no nothing (well, except a few layers and some boots that can handle this wintery-spring slush!)—to see what we can find.
Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
The Big Share is just FOUR DAYS away on March 2, and we can’t WAIT to talk up our bird conservation work with loyal supporters and new audiences. How about you?
Our goal is to raise $7,500 and bring in 40 new members to the flock. Can you help us? The best ways are to:
Make a donation on March 2, especially between 6-7 am - donate here
Create a Facebook Fundraiser - learn more
Post about the day on social media - learn more
The Big Share is a lively day of online giving for Madison Audubon and 70 other Wisconsin non-profits. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the good we’ve done together and share with your friends the ways your favorite local bird organization (ahem!) helps birds, kids, and habitats.
Madison Audubon photo
