new and updated WBBAII (WI breeding bird atlas 2) events

WBBAII Atlas Training Opportunities

We will be at locations around the state speaking about how to get involved in the atlas. The best event to attend is the Kickoff Meeting (February 27–March 1 in Rothschild), but if you can’t make that, find us at the following presentations:

 

Waukesha – Sunday, January 25, 2015 – 7 pm

Retzer Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the B.F. Goss Bird Club.

 

Oshkosh – Thursday, February 5, 2015 – 7 pm

Oshkosh Public Library

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the Winnebago Audubon Society.

 

River Falls – Saturday, February 7, 2015 – 1 pm

River Falls Public Library

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the St. Croix Valley Bird Club.

 

Fall Creek – Tuesday, February 10, 2015 – 7 pm

Wise Nature Center at Beaver Creek Reserve

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the Beaver Creek Bird Club.

 

Milwaukee – Wednesday, Februrary 11, 2015 – 6:30 pm 

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

 

Black River Falls – Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – 6:30 pm

Jackson County Bank

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Friends of Black River State Forest meeting.

 

Duluth, MN – February 17–19 (date, time TBD)

Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center

Nick Anich presents a poster on the atlas for the WI-MN Chapters of the Wildlife Society Winter Meeting.

 

Milwaukee – Monday, February 23, – 5:30 pm 

Urban Ecology Center - Riverside Park

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Urban Ecology Center

 

Rothschild – February 27–March 1, 2015

Stoney Creek Hotel

Don’t miss the Atlas Kickoff Meeting! The atlas planning team, county coordinators, and eBird’s Chris Wood will be here to celebrate the launch of Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II. 

 

Montello – Tuesday, March 3, 2015 – 6:30 pm

Vaughn Hall

Mike Reese speaks about the atlas for the Muirland Bird Club

 

New London – Saturday, March 7, 2015  – 10:00 am

Mosquito Hill Nature Center 

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Northeast Wisconsin Birding Club

 

Ashland – March 11, 2015 – 7 pm

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

Nick Anich speaks about the atlas for a Chequamegon Audubon Society Meeting.

 

Madison – Tuesday, March 17, 2015 – 7 pm

Capital Lakes Retirement Community, 333 W Main St.

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Madison Audubon Society

 

LaCrosse  –  Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – 7 pm

Myrick/Hixon Ecopark

Mike Reese speaks about the atlas for a Coulee Region Audubon Society meeting.

 

Newburg – Tuesday, April 7, 2015 – 7 pm

Riveredge Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Noel J. Cutright Bird Club

 

Green Bay – April 16, 2015 – 7 pm 

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (Woodland Room)

Erin Giese (Brown County Coordinator) and Bob Mead discuss the atlas. 

 

Manitowish Waters – May 9, 2015 – 1:15 pm 

North Lakeland Discovery Center 

Nick Anich speaks about the atlas for the Northwoods Birding Festival.

Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in winter

Mid-January at FBMP is striking for its simplicity of views. The grassland parcels and edge habitats are starkly outlined; the sky is half of everything. The birds of winter include the 3 common woodpecker species, Red-tailed Hawk, Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows, American Goldfinches, House Finches, and Pine Siskins, White-breasted Nuthatch and Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals - and last week at our feeders - several Red-winged Blackbirds. Some Snow Buntings were recorded recently. When I stay late into the evening, I usually hear a Great Horned Owl. Although it can seem quiet, there is a lot of activity. One has to stand still a little while - and it becomes apparent. I'm waiting for Common Redpolls...they should be around someday soon.

Breeding Bird Atlas Training Sessions and Presentations

Learn more about the new WBBAII  - Wisconsin's 2nd Breeding Bird Atlas  - attend one of a series of events geared toward training and information.

The Atlas Kickoff meeting at the end of February will be comprehensive: http://wsobirds.org/atlas-kickoff-meeting

There are training events now planned all over the state: http://wsobirds.org/atlas-events

Join us at one - or more - to find out how you can participate!

Waukesha – Sunday, January 25, 2015 – 7 pm

Retzer Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the B.F. Goss Bird Club.

Oshkosh – Thursday, February 5, 2015 – 7 pm

Oshkosh Public Library

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for a meeting of the Winnebago Audubon Society.

Milwaukee – Wednesday, Februrary 11, 2015 – 6:30 pm 

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

Black River Falls – Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – 6:30 pm

Jackson County Bank

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Friends of Black River State Forest meeting.

Duluth, MN – February 17–19 (date, time TBD)

Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center

Nick Anich presents a poster on the atlas for the WI-MN Chapters of the Wildlife Society Winter Meeting.

Milwaukee – Monday, February 23, – 5:30 pm 

Urban Ecology Center - Riverside Park

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Urban Ecology Center

Rothschild – February 27–March 1, 2015

Stoney Creek Hotel

Don’t miss the Atlas Kickoff Meeting! The atlas planning team, county coordinators, and eBird’s Chris Wood will be here to celebrate the launch of Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II. 

Montello – Tuesday, March 3, 2015 – 6:30 pm

Vaughn Hall

Mike Reese speaks about the atlas for the Muirland Bird Club

New London – Saturday, March 7, 2015  – 10:00 am

Mosquito Hill Nature Center 

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Northeast Wisconsin Birding Club

Ashland – March 11, 2015 – 7 pm

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

Nick Anich speaks about the atlas for a Chequamegon Audubon Society Meeting.

Madison – Tuesday, March 17, 2015 – 7 pm

Capital Lakes Retirement Community, 333 W Main St.

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Madison Audubon Society

LaCrosse  –  Wednesday, March 18, 2015 – 7 pm

Myrick/Hixon Ecopark

Mike Reese speaks about the atlas for a Coulee Region Audubon Society meeting.

Newburg – Tuesday, April 7, 2015 – 7 pm

Riveredge Nature Center

Mike Reese and Bill Mueller speak about the atlas for the Noel J. Cutright Bird Club

Green Bay – April 16, 2015 – 7 pm 

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (Woodland Room)

Erin Giese (Brown County Coordinator) and Bob Mead discuss the atlas. 

Manitowish Waters – May 9, 2015 – 1:15 pm 

North Lakeland Discovery Center 

Nick Anich speaks about the atlas for the Northwoods Birding Festival.

Start off the New Year with the Boreal Songbird Initiative!

Go to: http://www.borealbirds.org/ to learn more!

Our Mission

"As the voice for boreal birds, the Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI) is committed to protecting the Canadian Boreal Forest—the largest intact forest on Earth—on behalf of the billions of migratory birds that rely on it. Get to know BSI » "

see SONGBIRD SOS

Check into a new web resource, Songbird SOS, at: http://songbirdsos.com/

 "The film follows songbirds on a visually sumptuous yet perilous journey through our changing world. We touch down in the dense metropolis of New York City, the forsaken suburbs, northern forests, the tropics of Central America, Turkeys far-east, Germany’s night clubs, and across the freeways of the Netherlands. Wherever we go the viewer discovers, in mysterious and controversial ways, that songbirds are disappearing."

Bird Protection Fund

Learn more about the Bird Protection Fund - find a unique way of your own to support the Fund this year: http://www.wisconservation.org/how-we-work/bird-protection-fund/

Read last year's report: http://www.wisconservation.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Birdathon-Report-FINAL-singles.pdf

I am a bit biased, of course -- I hope you will support the 2015 Long Walk for Birds -- but there are many other ways to provide support for conservation of Wisconsin's birds. I hope you'll get involved!

Here are some of the projects the Fund provides money for: http://www.wisconservation.org/NovemberThemeChange/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/BPF-priorities-2014.pdf

misconceptions about the WI breeding bird atlas (WBBAII), and how to learn more

I've heard that some folks think they "don't know enough" about birds to participate in the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas (WBBAII - the 2nd atlas - starting in late winter of 2015). There are some misconceptions about "skill" that pertain here. Do you need to be an expert at bird song to participate? NO. Instead, your careful efforts at observation will make you more effective. Learn to slow down, and watch what birds are actually doing.

Let's say you're out birding on June 5th, and you see a Gray Catbird. During a regular day of birding, maybe in the past you noted that individual, and recorded it. But now, go several extra steps: what is the bird doing? Is it carrying food, or carrying nesting material, or carrying a fecal sac? Maybe you never really have carefully watched a catbird up until now. Can you see if it goes to a nest? If it does, can you see if there are eggs or young in the nest?

You can start with what you already know. Atlasing will, in fact, make you a better birder.

Learn more, at a series of Atlas presentations/workshops. And be sure to attend the Atlas Kickoff meeting, Feb. 27-March 1: http://wsobirds.org/atlas-kickoff-meeting  

The list of presentations/workshops is growing, but right now these are existing dates:

 B.F. Goss Bird Club, Waukesha 7:00 pm Jan 25
Winnebago Audubon, Oshkosh 7:00 pm Feb 5
St Croix Valley Bird Club - River Falls Pub Library 100 pm Feb 7
Schlitz Audubon, Milwaukee, 630pm, Feb 11
Friends of Black River State Forest, Black Riv Falls, Jackson County Bank, 630pm, Feb 18
Urban Ecology Center - Riverside Park, Milwaukee - 530pm Feb 23
Mosquito Hill Nature Center, New London, 1000 am, March 7
Coulee Audubon, LaCrosse, Myrick / Hixon Ecopark, 7:00pm, March 18

understanding the ecology of climate change

Some good review documents about climate change - if you would like to learn more:

NOAA's "Ecological Effects of Climate Change", from a great source:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/climate/teachingclimate/ecological_impacts_of_climate_change.pdf

Birds and Climate Change - Ecological Disruption in Motion:
http://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/documents/bacc-ecologicaldisruptioninmotion_feb2009.pdf


Audubon Birds and Climate Change Report: http://climate.audubon.org/

The Effects of Climate Change on Terrestrial Birds of North America: http://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/wildlife/birds

ready for 2015 - join the Atlas!

Get ready for participating in WBBAII in 2015!

Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II – Kickoff Meeting

11 December 2014

Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II – Kickoff Meeting February 27 – March 1, 2015 Stoney Creek Hotel, Rotschild, WI

In 1995, the first Atlas was started. This project involved over 1,600 observers, who amassed more than 170,000 observations of 237 species. Twenty years later, it’s time to do it again in order to ensure we have the information necessary to conserve our breeding birds, an integral part of Wisconsin. Meeting Highlights: Field Trips Atlas training WBBA I History Data-entry instruction Info on climate change and atlases Keynote speaker: eBird’s Chris Wood Schedule Friday evening: Birds and Beers!! Saturday: Morning field trip with Chris Wood, Presentations from 10:00 to 5:00. Sunday: Morning bird walk with Chris Wood, Presentations 8:30 to noon. Who should attend? Wisconsin bird lovers, including but not limited to: Prospective Atlasers Users of Atlas data Agency staff Atlas County Coordinators For more information: http://wsobirds.org/atlas

educating yourself on these critical issues this year

I challenge all to take responsibility for educating ourselves on these critical issues this year:

http://ontothepath.blogspot.com/2015/01/behavioral-response-to-climate-change.html

and

http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-climate-crusade/

A quote from Moyers' last and final show: " So instead I recommend to them the example of Senator Robert La Follette of Wisconsin, another of my heroes from the past. He battled the excesses of the first Gilded Age a century ago so boldly and proudly that he went down in history as “Fighting Bob.” He told us, '…democracy is a life; and involves continual struggle.' I keep asking myself, what if that struggle is the palpable reality without which this world would be truly barren?"