Another year, another Great Wisconsin Birdathon! Half of the funds raised by our team will go to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, while the other half will go to the Natural Resource Foundation to support their Bird Protection Fund.
The Reckless Wrens team's 24-hour count began on May 8 at 5 PM and ended at 4:59 PM on May 9. They counted at SoWBA's Columbia County properties (and surrounding areas), Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, Mud Lake State Wildlife Area, Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area, and private wetlands near Portage. The team tallied 147 species. Highlights included: 19 species of warblers, 15 species of shorebirds (including American Avocet and Wilson's Phalarope), 11 species of sparrows (including Lark Sparrow), 10 species of ducks, seven species of woodpeckers, Common Raven (in three locations), Common Gallinule, Caspian Tern, Red-shouldered Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bobolink, American and Least Bitterns.
Here are some of the stories and highlights from our team throughout the day:
Emma Raasch, Goose Pond sanctuary land steward
Emma and Miles at Otsego Marsh (Mark Martin).
“Miles Roth and I started the Birdathon at Erstad Prairie and Schoeneberg Marsh. When we first arrived at Erstad Prairie, we scanned the pond and found an American White Pelican sitting on a Canada Goose nest. The goose remained nearby, but the stubborn pelican didn't budge from the nest until a group of six more pelicans landed on the pond. At that point, the pelican joined the others in their rhythmic fishing, but it was a weird sight. We ended the evening with 46 species between Erstad and Schoeneberg. Our highlights were listening to the screams of the Yellow-headed Blackbird and having a Belted Kingfisher land right in front of us.
On Saturday, Miles and I met Mark Martin at Otsego Marsh where we saw 48 species. Our highlights included spotting a handsome and vibrant Blackburnian Warbler and watching the sweeping, but silent, flight of a Barred Owl. Later, we spent some time at Goose Pond, notably at Benade's Prairie, where we saw at least twelve Savannah Sparrows. We ended the 2026 Birdathon searching for shorebirds at the ponds on County Road DM, and added nine species of shorebirds to the list. Seeing two Wilson's Phalaropes, three Short-billed Dowitchers, and two Semipalmated Plovers was a great end to our day of birding!”
Logan Bahr, Goose Pond seasonal employeE
“Cayla Matte and I started our birdathon on Friday night at the Goose Pond house on Kampen Road. We hoped to find a Harris's Sparrow that was hanging around earlier in the week, but it moved on before we started our count. We then went to the pond, which was lightly populated with waterfowl, including one Trumpeter Swan. The east pond had 11 Ruddy Ducks and one Ring-necked Duck tucked amongst them. We then surveyed Browne Prairie before moving to the Wynn Prairie hill, where we added two Brown Thrashers and some Savanna Sparrows to our checklist. We made a final pass along the pond where we heard a Marsh Wren and Swamp Sparrow. Then, as dusk was falling we witnessed a trio of American Avocets! They soared down towards the pond and dipped below the vegetation. This was a new species for both of us and the highlight of our night.”
Cayla Matte, Goose Pond seasonal employee
Cayla and Alex bird at Hillside Prairie (Cayla Matte).
“After birding with Logan on Friday, my boyfriend Alex and I headed to Hillside Prairie on Saturday and got some more great species. We walked down the driveway to the front prairie. Notably, we got a Pileated Woodpecker and two Great Crested Flycatchers (as well as Red-headed Woodpeckers with their scream-like calls). Then we checked out the grasslands. Alex's absolute favorite thing was watching the Bobolinks! Once I showed him the first one and how to identify them, he loved watching them follow us on our walk along the tree lines. They were very showy, and it was a fun moment for us both. Bobolinks were a lifer for Alex, so it was great to share that moment with him and see a species that is very special to Hillside Prairie. Then we drove over to Jean's Prairie. It wasn't too lively, but we did manage a Wood Thrush! We also found Eastern Meadowlarks, Horned Larks, and Eastern Bluebirds. We found 52 species during the four hours we were there.”
JD Arnston, Goose Pond volunteer
“On Friday evening, I was walking the trail at Rocky Run State Natural Area where the edge of the oak savanna meets the recently burned prairie. I was listening close to the chorus of birds around me—Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-throated Sparrows, Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrows, and a Black-and-white Warbler. Suddenly, a song rang out from the prairie that I didn't recognize. It didn't take me long to spot a Lark Sparrow perched atop a small, leafless shrub, singing its heart out. I've seen Lark Sparrows once before in South Dakota, but haven't heard their song before and have never seen one here in Wisconsin. It was wonderful getting to see this familiar bird once more but even more of a treat to hear its many songs. As the sun was setting, golden beams of light cut through the trees as the first Eastern Whip-poor-will began singing for the night. It was quickly accompanied by two other nearby whip-poor-wills. Only three minutes later, the woodcocks began their peenting, which soon turned to skydances as a pair of Barred Owls called out to each other. This is a regular spring evening scene at Rocky Run, but it never ceases to amaze me, and every year serves as a reminder of why we do Birdathon.”
Lark Sparrow at Rocky Run Oak Savanna SNA (JD Arnston).
Jeff Lang, Goose Pond volunteer
“I enjoyed spending time on our three acres south of Pardeeville and recorded all birds on our land and on the adjacent wetlands, woodlands, and cropland. I was very pleased to document 51 species. The Common Raven, raptors, and Turkey Vultures occur frequently as fly-through observations. The Barred Owl is frequently heard. The American Kestrel uses the powerline as a perch while searching for food. The waterfowl and cranes relate to the marshland. The old corn stubble attracts the Vesper Sparrow and Horned Lark. The woodlands and surrounding oaks provide habitat for the observations of the woodpeckers, Wild Turkeys, and songbirds. And the brushy fencelines adjacent to these habitats help to bring some of the birdlife up close to our home. I also surveyed Pardeeville High School, which has a fascinating pond with bur and white oak lining part of the shoreline, and found 39 species. There was an Osprey nest on the lights at the football field that has been active for over 10 years. The adjacent agricultural land provides good courtship habitat for two or more woodcock.The Northern Waterthrush along with several of the warbler species including the Orange-crowned and Chestnut-sided Warblers were spectacular. The large oaks attracted many bird species, like the Rose breasted Grosbeak and Baltimore Oriole.”
Brand Smith, volunteer coordinator for SoWBA’s Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring & Banding Program
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Arlene Koziol).
“My first stop was at a large private marsh near Portage, and the highlights there were the American Bittern calling and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. I also heard several Common Gallinules and saw a pair of Trumpeter Swans. On one lone island I also heard a Northern Waterthrush for the first time. I then went to the Portage flood plain forest on the southwest side of Portage. There I heard a Red-shouldered Hawk, saw several Prothonotary Warblers, and found one Brown Creeper. From there, I went to Pine Island State Wildlife Area to search for grassland birds. The surprise here was the amount of water in the fields from the flooded Wisconsin River. I did not see any grassland birds, but did see many Greater Yellowlegs, a few Solitary Sandpipers, and one Dunlin. Off to Lake Wisconsin and the Grade. Here I spotted an American White Pelican and American Wigeons. There were several Forster's Terns flying over the grade. The highlights were a Caspian Tern on a sandbar and several Purple Martins near a park on the river. This was a fun day.”
Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond sanctuary managers
“We surveyed the wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands at our Wildland property on Friday night and Saturday morning and Pardeeville in the afternoon. Mark also birded with Emma and Miles at Otsego Marsh. Overall we were pleased to find 78 species. Highlights in the wetlands included nesting Hooded Mergansers, Wilson's Snipe, a Least Bittern, and an American White Pelican. In the restored burned prairie, we found an American Woodcock in a courtship display. While in the woodlands and oak savanna we found three areas with Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-eyed Vireos, and an Orchard Oriole.”
Purple Martin gourd racks at Goose Pond Sanctuary (Logan Bahr/SoWBA).
This year, the half of the funds raised by the Reckless Wrens that are directed to SoWBA will go towards purchasing more Purple Martin houses and gourd racks. Thanks to everyone who donated to our team last year, we were able to purchase an eight-unit Purple Martin gourd rack for Goose Pond Sanctuary. And great news—we have counted a high of six Purple Martins there so far! We are looking forward to conducting weekly nest checks. Check out the Purple Martin Conservation Association's website to read why Purple Martins need our help.
You can still donate to the Reckless Wrens team now through June 30: click here.
Compiled by Mark Martin & Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond sanctuary managers, with written contributions from the Reckless Wrens Birdathon team
Cover photo by Kelly Colgan Azar. A Carolina Wren is puffed up on a perch.
