Bird & Nature Blog
A clutch of the latest stories from Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
The mission was to collect heaps of New England aster and rattlesnake master. The former is a key source of nectar for the latest batch of monarchs departing for Mexico and the latter is a mainstay of southern Wisconsin prairies. Much of this seed is needed for a 50 acre restoration at Hillside Prairie Sanctuary, our newest sanctuary near Cambridge. Fifty acres is a really big restoration requiring barrels of seeds.
Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS
Milkweeds are the host plant for monarch caterpillars, making them essential for healthy monarch populations. This fall, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and in particular our staff at Goose Pond Sanctuary have established a goal for volunteers to collect 100 pounds of pure, live milkweed seed for the butterflies, and we need your help!
The primary focus is on common, butterfly, whorled, and swamp (red) milkweed seeds.
SoWBA photo
Early September is a fabulous time to listen for Chimney Swifts, as they are migrating in full force from the US (including Wisconsin) to the Amazon basin in South America. During this time, Chimney Swifts will form big flocks at sunset through dusk, swirling around in a tornado of birds above a big chimney. Eventually they drop in and cling to the inside of the chimney, where they sleep for the night. It’s an amazing sight to behold, and full of the most adorable Chimney Swift twittering noises you can imagine! It’s so fun to watch, events called Swift Night Out are held around the country, including in Wisconsin.
Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
