As I write this, the snow is falling in the most delightful way. The chickadees are flitting about as if to encourage and confirm that winter birding is fun and productive! Little do they know, a community of hundreds of volunteers combed the city on Saturday, counting them and their feathered comrades for the Madison-area Christmas Bird Count.

Photo by Gail Smith

As I make my way around the frozen Kettle Pond at Faville Grove Sanctuary, flocks of American Tree Sparrows flutter from weed patch to weed patch, foraging along the snow-dusted ground and knocking seeds loose from the tops of dried plants.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

With a seemingly oversize head and bill, shaggy-crested head, short tail, white underparts, complete white collar across the hindneck, and overall blue-gray dorsum, the Belted Kingfisher is unmistakable.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Although I’d consider a number of species to be more spherical than White-breasted Nuthatches (Horned Larks, kinglets, and many warblers), few have such an optimistic stance.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

The Dark-eyed Junco returns to Southern Wisconsin as the first dustings of frost glint in the morning light, and the prairies’ colors settle into the tawny hues of late fall.

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

We first recorded Bald Eagles nesting at Fair Meadows in 2010, and it has been monitored as part of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s Bald Eagle Nest Watch program since 2019. 

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Harris’s Sparrows are large, chunky birds with long tails and pink bills. When they become adults, they develop a black bib, face, and crown.

Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS

Flying low over the floodplain prairies at Faville Grove Sanctuary, the Northern Harrier silently scans and listens for prey.

Photo by Grayson Smith/USFWS

Now more than two decades old, Mirror Pond is a well-established addition to the landscape, providing habitat for many species of animals.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Monarch tagging is really the perfect activity. It allows us to pursue major goals at Goose Pond Sanctuary and aligns nicely with the mission of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.

Photo by Mark Martin

A familiar noise from the woods for much of the summer and early fall in Wisconsin is the distinctive pee-a-wee of the Eastern Wood-Pewee.

Photo via Pixabay

A localized patch of giant ragweed was bouncing as a family of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks hopped from branch to branch using their huge beaks to grasp and remove the seed centers of dried blossoms.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Earlier this year, 11 nest box volunteers monitored a whopping 156 boxes at Goose Pond, Erstad Prairie, and Otsego Marsh.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Anyone who’s ever heard the distinctive mewing of the Gray Catbird will quickly understand why the name fits.

Photo via Pixabay

Cedar Waxwings are named for the bright red, waxlike tips on the secondary flight feathers of adult birds. For unknown reasons, the number of these tips varies.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

We asked our three full-time interns what observations or experiences stuck out to them from their summer on the prairie.

Photo by Emma Raasch/SoWBA

A sleek and impressively designed bird, it’s no surprise that Tree Swallow exhibits such grace and skill in flight.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Sometime during the first week of May, witch-ity witch-ity witch-ity announces the arrival of the Common Yellowthroats at Fair Meadows.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

We enjoy hearing and (rarely) seeing Virginia Rails. In late July at our Wildland property near Rio, we had an extended look at this secretive bird.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Present but elusive, the Sedge Wren inhabits areas of dense vegetation within wet prairies and meadows, upper edges of marshes, and sphagnum bogs. Too deep into the marsh and you won’t find them.

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Once again, Bald Eagle nests are mostly empty, but so much has happened in the months in between! Adults have bonded, remodeled or rebuilt nests, copulated, laid eggs, and kept them warm through storms, cold snaps, and lean times. Those eggs have hatched, with gray bobble-headed eaglets emerging, eventually growing taller, stronger, more coordinated, and darker. One day, they summon their courage and take their first flight.

Photo by David Stank

Several years ago, a pair of American Kestrels occupied a nest box in one of the prairies at Fair Meadows, and I had the opportunity to observe social interactions of their newly fledged young. 

Photo by Gary Shackelford

Indeed, the Great Crested Flycatcher has been known to nest even in buckets and cans, in addition to its most typical location—tree cavities.

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Yellow-crowned Night Herons are spotted regularly during migration in southern Wisconsin, and may even breed rarely in the state, with a few reports in the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren.

Cuckoos are secretive, so spotting them and making an identification only by their bill color is difficult. Both can be found in the same habitats which adds some complication to ID, but there are a couple other good ways to tell them apart. 

Photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren

A stout songbird that commands attention with its striking appearance, the Eastern Kingbird sports a black head, back, and tail, contrasted by a crisp white underbelly and a distinct white band on the tail.

Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS

Wild Turkeys are common year-round residents at Fair Meadows. Breeding season begins in March, but most active courtship occurs in April and May.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

This is the Reckless Wrens’ 12th year participating in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Our team visited 21 locations, submitted 28 eBird checklists, and detected a total of 143 species!

Photo by Carolyn Chee

The Northern Flicker is a dazzling, common woodpecker that can be found in most of North America. They’ll drum on trees similarly to other woodpeckers, but spend most of their time foraging for insects and larvae on the ground.

Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS