At Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, May marks the exciting arrival of grassland bird species. Eastern Meadowlarks were singing early in the month. On May 7, David Gunnulson, the former owner, was pleased to hear the return of the Bobolinks. Even a few Dickcissels, who we do not usually hear until June, were already present on May 26.

*Jeff Lang uses a backhoe to move cut trees from the wooded fenceline at Hillside Prairie (Mark Martin).*

All of these species are benefitting from the newly open landscape—after two years of delays due to weather and equipment breakdowns, our team and partners have removed 95% of the interior wooded fenceline fragmenting the sanctuary. Throughout 46 acres of newly planted prairie, thousands of three-inch-tall prairie docks and compass plants are thriving.

And the grasslands aren’t the only areas with bird activity in the spring. Over the course of four hours during the Great Wisconsin Birdathon, Reckless Wrens team member Cayla Matte identified 52 bird species, including many in the wooded areas of the sanctuary. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will soon be receiving a final contract for a grant from the American Bird Conservancy and Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to restore the woodland and oak savanna habitats on the property.

In Wisconsin, oaks are the most important family of trees for providing shelter and food (like insects and acorns) to wildlife. The grant will provide funding to complete the following key projects:

remove invasive and fast-spreading buckthorn, honeysuckle and multiflower rose;
restore 3.6 acres of oak savanna surrounded on three sides by woods;
conduct a timber sale to remove some types of trees, including Norway maple and basswood;
thin trees like ironwoods and boxelder that are impacting the bur, white, and black oaks and the shagbark hickory.

The restoration work will be focused on species of birds that inhabit the oak savanna, including Wild Turkey, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

As part of this project, Andy Smith, a returning summer intern, is conducting bird point counts to establish baseline data before management begins in the wooded areas. On his May 22 survey, he found 46 bird species. Though he had to make his way through thorny gooseberry and multiflora rose, he noticed many high quality oaks and hickories in addition to beautiful native plants like shooting stars and wild geraniums.

The birds made it all worth it. “I was fortunate enough to find two of my favorite species of warbler almost immediately when I got to my first point,” said Andy, after hearing and seeing a Blackburnian Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler hopping around in the canopy. He heard the distinct chip-burr of the Scarlet Tanager and was surprised to hear a noticeable, repeated call note coming from a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

*Wood Thrush (Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren).*

While in the stand, Andy also found some of the more classic forest breeding birds of southern Wisconsin: the hauntingly beautiful calls of a Wood Thrush and a higher pitched pee-a-wee of the Eastern Wood-Pewee.

“Finally, from a while away, I was lucky enough to hear, but not see, a Red-headed Woodpecker, who we know has been around Hillside Prairie Sanctuary for many years now,” said Andy. “That bird will hopefully be a staple of the sanctuary going forward.”

We invite you to come visit this weekend to hear or see them for yourself. On Sunday, May 31, from 7am–5pm, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance staff will be hosting an open house at Hillside Prairie. Visitors can explore on their own or join special guided tours to learn about the birds, ecology, and history of the land. To learn more and register to join a free, scheduled activity, visit swibirds.org/open-house.

Written by Mark and Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond sanctuary managers.
Cover image by Debbie Koenigs/USFWS. A Red-headed Woodpecker perched above in a tangle of branches.