The annual Great Wisconsin Birdathon is run by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to raise funds for high-priority bird conservation projects across the state.
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s team, the Flockadelics, participated on May 19. Our team included education director Carolyn Byers, development director Kady Davis, outreach director Brenna Marsicek, financial manager John Minnich, educator Mickenzee Okon, membership and development associate Liz Pelton (and her spouse, Sam), executive director Matt Reetz, communications director Kaitlin Svabek, education intern Juanita Duarte, Bald Eagle Nest Watch intern Katherine Schuette, and our summer Diversity in Conservation intern, Aileena Ilanderage.
The Flockadelics team ready to bird at Schurch-Thomson Prairie on May 22, 2026 (SoWBA photo).
Though the gray skies suggested the possibility of rain, we headed to Schurch-Thomson Prairie, near Barneveld, for our search. The location was a favorite spot among a few members of the staff, while others had never been there before. We were all excited to look and listen for some of Wisconsin’s rare grassland bird species.
We arrived at the prairie just before 9AM. Right after getting out of the cars, we were hit by a wave of sound, including the melodious song of Eastern Meadowlarks, sharply whistled notes of Baltimore Orioles, and overhead chattering of Barn Swallows. Near the parking area, we spent a little time slow birding after hearing the metallic twitters of two Eastern Kingbirds.
Shooting star in bloom (Liz Pelton/SoWBA).
“I loved watching an Eastern Kingbird build his nest high up in a tree,” said Liz. “It was fascinating to watch him carefully gather materials and fly back and forth, creating the nest one piece at a time. Such a diligent worker!”
Almost immediately, we agreed that the landscape and habitats we explored were simply gorgeous. The prairie was sprinkled with pink, white, and purple shooting star blooms. We also noticed blue eyed grass, cream wild indigo, and phlox along the trail as we walked. Many of us also spotted our first-of-year monarch butterfly floating low over the grass.
“My favorite moment was laughing about our intense love for prairies—that same kind of ‘cute aggression’ people feel toward babies. Like, ‘Ugh, this prairie is so beautiful, I love it so much I just want to burn it [with prescribed fire!],’” said Kady.
A variety of bird songs and calls provided a great soundtrack for our walk along the trail. Meadowlarks periodically perched on posts to belt out their tunes. Bobolinks sang their mechanical melody while fluttering over the horizon. After hearing buzzy Grasshopper Sparrows, we spotted one that popped up onto a forb in the distance. Sitting in a shrub, a prominent Dickcissel proved to be another highlight for the team.
“There were so many Dickcissels in this prairie!” said Brenna. “I loved hearing our first one, and the whole group stopped to watch it sing. It bopped away, and we walked further and heard and saw our next one. Each turn in the trail resulted in more Dickcissels to watch and listen to. Their plump little yellow bellies with the black bib is just delightful!”
The team watches a singing Dickcissel in the prairie using binoculars (Carolyn Byers/SoWBA).
As we headed over a ridge into a section with taller grasses, we relied on our birding by ear skills to identify more secretive grassland species that we could hear but not see. Multiple times, we heard the short whispery song of Henslow’s Sparrows, but the birds stayed hidden low in the grasses. As we reached a small thicket known for past Bell’s Vireo sightings, we clearly identified the jibber-jabber song, but despite our best efforts, never spotted the bird.
Two of our team members had to return to Madison a bit earlier than the rest of us, but decided to stop briefly at the Nature Conservancy’s Thomson Memorial Prairie.
Upland Sandpiper (Carolyn Byers/SoWBA).
“I knew it was a good place to possibly hear Upland Sandpipers, and a lovely prairie worth visiting. As we pulled into the tiny lot, I saw a shorebird walking away from where our car was. Initially, my brain thought it was a Killdeer. After I parked, I looked again, and it ended up being an Uppie!” said Carolyn. “An Upland Sandpiper within 10 feet of us—Katherine and I had the quietest and calmest freak out ever, and soaked up the experience. It was amazing!”
Liz, Sam, Juanita, and Mickenzee use binoculars to spot the Red-headed Woodpecker (Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA).
Back at Schurch-Thomson Prairie, the rest of the team continued on the trail, persevering through a few minutes of misting and drizzling while we looped back around to a wooded section busy with activity. Sound aided us once more in locating a pair of Eastern Towhees, a couple more Northern Yellow Warblers, and a few vibrant Indigo Buntings. As we headed up the trail back to the parking near the barn, we spotted a Red-headed Woodpecker perched on a snag. After watching for a few moments, the bird flew to another nearby snag—and there were two! It was a nice sighting to wrap up our visit. (Click here for our team’s full eBird checklist from Mounds view Grassland—Schurch-Thomson Prairie.)
“My favorite memory of the 2026 Birdathon was how the rolling landscape looked in the fine, misty rain. Also, the Red-headed Woodpeckers!” said John.
After returning to Madison, a few of us did some solo birding in and around our own neighborhoods, adding some great birds to our list: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sandhill Crane, Eastern Bluebird, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Wild Turkey, Barred Owl, and Cedar Waxwing. We wound up with 70 species total for the day!
“Our Birdathon outing reminded me that going birding is not always about the birds,” said Matt. “Yes, the birds were fabulous! But, spending some quality time outdoors with some amazing people was the highlight of my week.”
A great big thanks to everyone who participates in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon!
Compiled by Kaitlin Svabek, director of communications, with input from the Flockadelics team,
Cover image: The Flockadelics team searches for birds at the prairie (photo by Matt Reetz/SoWBA).
