January 23, 2026

Winter Wren

January 23, 2026

Every four or five years, a tiny, plump bird stops at Fair Meadows to seek food and shelter during migration—a Winter Wren!

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

December 12, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

The Mallard Radiation

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

December 12, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

Careful study of the Mallard and American Black Duck has allowed me to reliably distinguish them from one another when I get good, clear views of plumage and bill color.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

November 14, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

Black Tern

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

November 14, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

The birds are slim and dark with black heads, necks, and breasts. Their wings are a light gray and sometimes you can catch a glimpse of white undertail coverts. Black Terns!

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

October 24, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

The Whip-poor-will and the Hawk

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

October 24, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

When I looked up, there were now two birds in the sky—the hawk and a smaller bird. What I witnessed next was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

October 3, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

Northern Parula

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

October 3, 2025

Friday Feathered Feature

A flash of yellow and a chestnut necklace catch my eye and there it is—a tiny bird, actively moving along the tips of the foliage in the upper canopy.

Photo by Gary Shackelford