Odonates are a fierce group of insects with highly variable coloration and habitat preferences. Dragonfly expert Bob Honig will discuss the life history and ecological importance of dragonflies and damselflies. Then we’ll explore Goose Pond’s prairies and identify as many species as we are able!
Photo by Arlene Koziol
Grab the kids and join us for a fun morning outdoors learning about nature in our Field Trips for Kids series this summer! On Tuesday, July 15, we’re focusing on being Insect Detectives! Check out our bug collection (non-living), search for bugs using magnifying glasses, and discuss why insects are amazing and not always scary.
Photo by Carolyn Byers/SoWBA
Train yourself to listen for the birds rather than looking for them! Birding by Ear is a great way to practice your skills at bird ID using a totally different sense. Join Brenna Marsicek, director of outreach with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, for an outing at Edna Taylor Conservation Park in Monona. We will walk the paths through the wetlands, woods, and prairie, and learn tools, tips, and techniques for birding by ear.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
Together, these properties provide beautiful and high quality habitats for wetland, grassland, and savanna wildlife. We'll walk though Erstad Prairie on mowed trails and then shift over to Schoeneberg Marsh which has a parking lot a half mile away. The WPA has accessible hiking (paved path and boardwalk) which terminates at an overlook with a great view of the marsh.
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for a summer evening to watch Barn Swallows feeding and coming into the barn to roost for the evening, and counting bats coming out for their nightly foraging! This exciting, marvelous event is part of the Wisconsin Bat Program surveys coordinated by the Wisconsin DNR.
Photo by Jared Kelly FCC
Ferry Bluff is one of the prettiest places in southern Wisconsin. It is also one of the few places to consistently hear the call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will. If you miss hearing this bird on a summer night or have always wanted to hear them, then this outing is for you! Join us for a short hike to the top of Ferry Bluff where we'll sit and wait for the whip-poor-wills to sing, usually about 30 minutes after sunset.
Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
Are you curious about birding but not sure how to get started? Geared specifically towards people who are learning about bird identification, this small group trip is for you!
Photo by Arlene Koziol
Train yourself to listen for the birds rather than looking for them! Birding by Ear is a great way to practice your skills at bird ID using a totally different sense. Join Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance educator Mickenzee Okon for a trip to Cherokee Marsh - North Unit, where you will walk the paths through the woods and prairie, and learn tools, tips, and techniques for birding by ear.
Photo by Mick Thompson
Join us for this mostly sitting tour of Goose Pond Sanctuary's restored mesic prairies. Tallgrass prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world with less than 3% of the original area remaining. We will have a touring wagon ready to explore our trails, and there will be frequent stops to allow folks to get out and explore.
Photo by SoWBA
Join us as we leisurely explore the gardens and landscape at and around the Lussier Family Heritage Center. Anything and everything is fair game on this trip: plants, birds, insects and whatever else catches our attention.
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Grab the kids and join us for a fun morning outdoors learning about nature in our Field Trips for Kids series this summer! On Saturday, August 9, we’ll be doing a Bird Hike for Kids! Enjoy the sights and sounds of birds in summer with a guided hike. Learn how to use binoculars and basic bird identification skills.
Photo by Carolyn Byers/SoWBA
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join SoWBA staff and board members for a slow paddle exploring the incredible diversity of Cherokee Marsh. Get a great experience looking for spring birds, insects, and aquatic plants by boat; we expect to see species like Green Heron, Kingfishers, swallows, Sora, and more!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.
Photo by Michael Anderson
Swift Night Out returns this September, and we are collaborating with fellow bird-loving organizations to celebrate the incredible natural phenomenon of Chimney Swifts coming in to roost during migration! In addition to Swift Night Out, our organizations will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Hosted by BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
Photo by Steve Benoit
Train yourself to listen for the birds rather than looking for them! Birding by Ear is a great way to practice your skills at bird ID using a totally different sense. Join Anna Walther, a wonderful birder by ear and educator, to explore Cherokee Marsh South and practice the tools, tips, and techniques for birding by ear.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.
Photo by Kaitlin Svabek/SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.
Photo by Kaitlin Svabek / SoWBA
In addition to Swift Night Out, the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Prairies in fall can be spectacularly beautiful. On this trip you will immerse yourself in the textures, colors, sounds, and smells of fall at Faville Grove. We will meet by the Kiosk at W7480 Prairie Lane, Lake Mills, and then tour the Prairie Lane restorations and take in the fall landscape with its autumn colors including late blooming wildflowers (such as gentians, asters, and goldenrods), talk about the role of seed collecting in our restorations, and more.
Photo by Jeff Pieterick
This morning trip is especially for new birders looking to grow their skills! Come to have your bird questions answered and get help identifying all of those small, streaky brown birds! We'll also be keeping our eyes out for any exciting migrants and recently fledged birds! The walk will be on even trails at a leisurely pace so bring the whole family! We will have binoculars for loan.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
Train yourself to listen for the birds rather than looking for them! Birding by Ear is a great way to practice your skills at bird ID using a totally different sense. Join Bob Kendall, a wonderful birder and educator, to slowly walk through bird habitat, and practice the tools, tips, and techniques for birding by ear.
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
Goose Pond is a mecca for migrating waterfowl. Catch a glimpse of this incredible phenomenon as swans, geese, and ducks of all sorts pack into this prairie pothole by the hundreds or even thousands. Now, you can join Goose Pond Sanctuary staff and volunteers to learn more about them!
Photo by SoWBA
Did you know that cemeteries were a precursor to city parks? Starting in the early 1830s, “rural cemeteries” were established to create tranquil, beautiful settings where families could visit and commemorate their loved ones. Birdwatching quickly became one of many popular recreational activities in cemeteries.
Illustration by Kaitlin Svabek/SoWBA
As winter sets in, smaller ponds and lakes in south-central Wisconsin freeze, causing migrating birds to become concentrated on Madison’s large lakes, which remain open longer. We will look for waterfowl, gulls, and winter birds. This trip has produced some unusual sightings in the past, including Red-throated Loons, so don’t miss it!
Photo by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance purchased this 348-acre property from David Gunnulson in December 2024. There is some restored prairie and woodland, but most of the land is open grassy fields which have been used only for haying over the last 30 years. Explore the new property with us!
Photo by Graham Steinhauer/SoWBA
Grab the kids and join us for a fun morning outdoors learning about nature in our Field Trips for Kids series this summer! On Tuesday, June 24, we’re focusing on Pond Life! Read a great pond-related children’s book, learn about what lives in a pond, learn how to and try dipping for pond critters, use magnifying glasses to see the critters close-up.
Photo by Carolyn Byers/SoWBA
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a beautiful state natural area situated in the Driftless Area, with steep goat prairies, oak savanna, and a large, high quality marsh. We hope to see beautiful Baltimore Checkerspots and other wetland butterflies nectaring on wonderful native plants.
Photo by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. In a celebration of early summer, we'll hike the paths to listen, see, and smell the natural world on what should be a warm summer’s eve. This is the peak time of the year to see bats, glowworms and fireflies, and hear the calls of owls in the woods and the frogs, toads and night birds of the ponds and marshes. The spectacular display of fireflies at this site alone is worth the hike, and we may also get to hear the calls of coyotes nearby.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Fair Meadows Sanctuary is full of diverse life in the summer! Join us for a hike through the prairies to see and learn about the plants in bloom, the insects that buzz around them, and the birds that nest, forage, and rest in these habitats.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Train yourself to listen for the birds rather than looking for them! Birding by Ear is a great way to practice your skills at bird ID using a totally different sense. Join leader Kerry Wilcox (volunteer and teacher of last spring’s Birding by Ear class) for a trip to Lakeshore Nature Preserve, where you will walk the paths through the woods and prairie, and learn tools, tips, and techniques for birding by ear.
Photo by Kenneth Cole Schneider
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for an adventurous, unique way to enjoy hearing and seeing our feathered friends: Birding by bike! This field trip will involve slow to moderate-paced biking with stops at multiple points along the way to enjoy the birds we see and hear in these great natural areas.
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for a summer evening to watch Barn Swallows feeding and coming into the barn to roost for the evening, and counting bats coming out for their nightly foraging! This exciting, marvelous event is part of the Wisconsin Bat Program surveys coordinated by the Wisconsin DNR; Fair Meadows has been a site for surveys for X years.
Photo by Jared Kelly FCC
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for an energetic field trip to Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area! This field trip is geared for all levels, and will be especially fun for entry-level birders who want to enjoy a bird outing with Dexter "The Wisco Birder" Patterson, co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of WI.
Photo by Dexter Patterson
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for an evening stroll that is filled with the evening sounds of nature. Frogs, toads, and evening-active birds are calling heartily this time of year, and because each species has their own unique sound, we can identify which species are present even without seeing them.
Cover photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Come enjoy the sunrise from the Arboretum and listen to the morning chorus.
Photo by Monica Hall
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us for an adventurous, unique way to enjoy hearing and seeing our feathered friends: Birding by bike! This field trip will involve slow to moderate-paced biking along the Capital City State Trail, starting at the McDaniel Park parking lot in McFarland, northwest across the boardwalk at Lake Waubesa, through Lake Farm County Park and ending at the ponds near the sewerage treatment plant, before turning around and heading back. We will stop at multiple points along the way to enjoy the birds we see and hear in these great natural areas. Total distance biked is approximately 7 miles.
Photo by Ruth Smith
With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Join us for an early morning walk to look for colorful warblers and other spring migrants.
Cover photo by Phil Brown
With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Early orioles or lingering waterfowl are also a possibility. Those new to birding and to experienced birders are welcome.
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. The number of different species present in a small area can be remarkable! Join us for a “sit,” where we’ll remain in one spot while looking and listening for any birds who might be in the area. This trip is designed to be intentionally inclusive and accessible for birders of all skill levels (beginners welcome!).
Photo via Pixabay
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Come enjoy the sunrise from the Arboretum and listen to the morning chorus.
Photo by Monica Hall
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Join us for an early morning walk to look for colorful warblers and other spring migrants.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area is full of vibrant bird life! Come explore this incredible sanctuary and learn about the birds that use the many habitats found here.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Early orioles or lingering waterfowl are also a possibility. Those new to birding and to experienced birders are welcome.
Photo by David Rihn
This field trip is now full. Join us as we walk the trails of this mature hardwood forest, much of which is part of the Olson Oak Woods State Natural Area, looking for a variety of migrating warblers, thrushes, tanagers, orioles, and others. There will be some up- and downhill hiking, although we will move at a leisurely pace.
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. This morning trip is especially for backyard birders looking to grow their skills! Come to have your bird questions answered and get help identifying all of those small, streaky brown birds and distant ducks! We'll also be keeping our eyes out for any exciting spring migrants! The walk will be on even trails at a leisurely pace so bring the whole family! We will have binoculars for loan.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
The Mississippi is a major migration route for numerous birds and the rugged bluffs make this breathtaking scenery a beautiful spot for a spring adventure. Observe hawks, warblers (including yellow-throated), lots of other birds, and a few spring wildflowers.
Photo by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. With over two dozen warblers moving in and through Madison this time of year, we always have fun tallying up how many we can find! Come enjoy the sunrise from the Arboretum and listen to the morning chorus.
Photo by Cynthia Bridge
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Join us as we gather on Lake Mills State Wildlife Area- Zeloski Marsh with Wisconsin DNR’s Wildlife Management for a birding excursion. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and WDNR’s Wildlife Management have been longtime partners on this property, beginning with SoWBI’s purchase and donation of the property to the Department of Natural Resources in 2006. This contribution from SoWBA and the management by the WDNR have led to Zeloski Marsh becoming a major stopover for waterfowl, wading birds, and songbirds during spring migration.
Photo by Arlene Koziol
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) area in what is often called Wisconsin’s desert includes some of the state’s rarest plant communities in its sand and dry bluff prairies and black oak barrens. It hosts a diversity of unusual plants, insects, reptiles and birds. We should see cactus and, hopefully, Olympia Marble butterflies and Lark Sparrows. Co-hosted by Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Photo by Peter Gorman
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Experience restorations of various stages from recent plantings to a well-developed 29-year old prairie. Other habitat features of this landscape include: a shallow wetlands, open water marsh/tamarack-sphagnum bogs, woodlands, and a black oak savanna. Join us for an enjoyable hike as we discuss the site’s history, stages of restorations, bird and plant identification, and more.
Photo by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Birding by Ear is a wonderful way to experience birds without relying on sight! Join volunteers and staff affiliated with the Birding by Ear class, Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center for this great opportunity to advance your leadership skills.
Participants of this field trip will not learn bird songs or how to bird by ear; rather the focus will be on leading field trips to make them more accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Photo by Brenna Marsicek / SoWBA
This field trip is now full. Join the waiting list. View the sky dance of the American Woodcock at dusk and look for Sandhill Cranes, Wilson's Snipe, Bonaparte's Gulls, and other spring migrants and arriving resident birds. Co-hosted with the Friends of Cherokee Marsh.
Photo by Sally Meier
This field trip is full. Join the waiting list. Meet at the kiosk along Prairie Lane for an evening spent enjoying the unique spring displays of woodcock and snipe. Be prepared to be fascinated by the woodcock’s acrobatic flight, and to learn about the natural history of one of Aldo Leopold’s favorite birds. Binoculars are recommended.
Photo by Arlene Koziol.
This field trip is now full. Join the waiting list. Are you curious about birds but not sure how to get started? Geared specifically towards people who newer to birding or venturing out for one of the first times, we’ll identify birds together at Nine Springs.
Photo via Pixabay
