Bird City, Milwaukee County is a month-to-month column celebrating the 11 cities, cities, and villages which have achieved Bird City standing inside Milwaukee County. Citizens of those places have made fowl conservation a precedence, defending land, writing ordinances, and educating the general public on points regarding our avian neighbors. You can be taught extra concerning the Bird City Network by visiting its website. This month: the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center within the Village of Bayside.
When I formulated the thought of the Bird City column I knew I wished to start out within the Village of Bayside. It could also be a small place that shares its border with Ozaukee County, however it features a place that’s synonymous with birds: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (1111 E. Brown Deer Rd.) The nature middle’s historical past is a captivating one. What was as soon as clear-cut farmland for beer-carting horses to loosen up in is now 185 acres of prairie grassland, forest, and seaside. That sort of drastic shift solely occurs with time and vigilant fingers. Luckily, SANC has a dedicated employees and a spider web-like community of volunteers which have devoted the final 50-plus years to nature stewardship and schooling.
From the devoted birder to somebody who simply enjoys spending a day out in nature, Schlitz needs to be a mainstay for anybody on Milwaukee County’s north aspect. It’s a one-stop spot for fowl lovers of all health ranges. SANC has six miles of trails. Its Gateway and Central Wetland Loops have lengthy wheelchair-accessible sections. Even as somebody with out mobility issues, it’s all the time good to get off the gravel and onto the wooden trails, that are additionally good to get all the way down to eye-level for images of swimming birds and hidden warblers.
Pine Warbler
I’ve talked about warblers right here many occasions (and by golly, I’ll achieve this once more) however Schlitz is known as a good spot for these tiny birds migrating up from the south. While many native spots will briefly host 15 to twenty species, Schlitz has counted 35 warbler species. This is because of the various habitats throughout the character middle’s property. Each species of warbler has a distinct segment, some preferring particular tree canopies, others fluttering near the bottom. The various habitats result in a congregation of mini refrain birds all year long, however particularly throughout migration. Time to time I volunteer for Schlitz’s pond monitoring program, and almost all the time discover myself spending quite a lot of hours watching American redstarts and palm warblers expertly snatch up an insect lunch.
Female American Redstart
Male American Redstart
Palm Warbler
SANC’s ephemeral ponds aren’t the one spotlight. Bring your mountaineering boots and trek the mile lengthy Western Prairie Loop and also you would possibly simply discover a hawk or owl. Red-tailed and Coopers Hawks are pretty frequent, however for those who run into luck like some space birders did earlier this month you would possibly simply spot the much less frequent Red-shouldered Hawk. This path, together with the Woodland Loop, are your finest bets to discover a Great Horned Owl. Great Horned Owls, recognized for his or her iconic “hoot-hoot,” are presently on the finish of their courtship section of the mating course of. If you move by a tree marred with white streaks (owl droppings) it may be price your time to lookup. You by no means know while you’ll be shocked by an owl nest!
Red-tailed Hawk
For those who need a slight mountaineering problem or only a view of our nice lake I’ve to suggest the Central Wetlands Loop. Walking down the ravine is a bit steep, however it’s greater than doable. It’s additionally home to a few of my most noteworthy experiences at SANC. From wild turkeys diving out of bushes to a curious coyote harmlessly tailing me earlier than venturing on, the hike to the lakefront is all the time full of surprises. On the other finish of the spectrum, for those who simply need a chill place to see a strong chunk of birds, Schlitz Audubon has you coated for that, too. A fowl feeder station is positioned simply west of the principle building’s entrance doorways and it’s all the time lively. Fan favorites like northern cardinals and American goldfinches are often round, as are a handful of Wisconsin woodpeckers. I used to be lucky sufficient so as to add Pine Siskin to my birding Life List throughout a recent go to, which was an actual deal with. The feeders are viewable even within the rain. Just soar into their lovely environmental schooling middle. You can watch from the home windows, seize a snack and even report your sightings on their fowl monitoring board.
Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch
The schooling middle has an excellent present store, good for supporting the organization’s work. More importantly, the middle is a gathering spot for a number of bird-related actions. Every second Wednesday of the month is fowl membership which hosts displays and hikes. The hikes are very beginner pleasant. This March is an particularly good time to get into the world of birding. SANC will host a Birding 101 event, which could simply jazz you up sufficient to jot down consistently about warblers too.
I’d even be remiss if I didn’t carry up their Raptor Program. The middle cares for 15 un-releaseable birds. These birds of prey have been hit by vehicles or imprinted on people making their probability for a profitable life out within the wild slim. SANC raptor care specialists present and current them in academic seminars all year long, and so they’re a giant hit with households. Seeing a bald eagle and turkey vulture up shut offers you a brand new understanding of their place within the meals chain. There are raptor occasions principally each Saturday, and at this level I’m simply going to level you in direction of their calendar as a result of it’s chock filled with the whole lot from Wingspan and wine recreation nights to naturalist-led hikes throughout the state. Schlitz Audubon alone makes it’s straightforward to see why Bayside is a member of Bird City.
Raptor Ambassador Baron Von Screech
If you’re heading to SANC you’re gonna want a lunch snack. Last time I used to be within the space I headed to Ginza Japanese Restaurant (333 W. Brown Deer Rd.), which I used to be actually happy with. Their service was fast, and employees all smiles. You could make like an eagle and check out their salmon bento field, a lunch particular with a teriyaki salmon filet and California roll. The dish is an ideal entry level to these new to sushi. Simple, but pleasing flavors. The teriyaki sauce had a pleasant delicate sweetness to it with out being overly sality. Most importantly, it was filling with out making me overstuffed. In different phrases, good for getting a second spherical of birding in…or convincing me to get the mochi ice cream for dessert.
Milwaukee Record: Schlitz Audubon is listed as an Important Bird Area. What makes Schlitz Audubon, and the village of Bayside as an entire, such an necessary spot for birds?
Lindsay Focht: A variety of fowl species could be noticed at Schlitz Audubon due to our location on Lake Michigan and inside the Mississippi Flyway, in addition to the property’s high-quality habitats. Stopover habitats resembling ours are important to migrating birds, providing them ample meals and shelter to relaxation whereas on their lengthy journey.
Since 1974, 262 species, together with 36 warbler species, have been seen at Schlitz Audubon making the Center a regional birding hotspot. We are additionally a part of a chosen Important Bird Area because of the habitat offered by Lake Michigan for sure waterfowl, in addition to our contiguous uplands which offer essential habitat for migrants, breeding, and overwintering birds.
MR: I noticed that you’ve got a Hardwood Swamp restoration challenge within the works. Can you inform me about this challenge?
LF: We’re finishing the second section of our Hardwood Swamp Restoration Project. This section encompasses 2.5 acres, persevering with to the west of the preliminary 5-acre challenge space. We’re changing the lifeless ash that dominated the cover with tree species attribute of a Hardwood Swamp, together with swamp white oak, hackberry, silver maple, and American sycamore. We’re additionally eradicating invasive buckhorn and reed canary grass and planting a various understory with plenty of pollinator pleasant species.
Both phases are supposed to enhance habitat for a variety of fowl species, together with Pine Warbler, Wood Thrush, American Woodcock, and Northern Flicker. One purpose is to extend the size of time in the course of the seasons that the swamp stays moist, which can present important spring stopover habitat for Canada Warbler, Blue-winged Teal, Wood Duck, and different waterfowl.
MR: What is your Raptor Program all about?
LF: Our Raptor Program was based in 1983 and, at the moment, consists of 15 non-releasable birds. The program makes use of the angle of raptors to unfold environmental consciousness and encourage others to change into stewards of the pure world. We journey across the state instructing about raptor ecology, conservation, habitats, and pure historical past of those necessary species. Raptors are indicator species, which suggests their abundance or decline signifies the well being of an ecosystem as an entire.
With our ambassador birds, the general public will get an up-close expertise with owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles (in addition to a Turkey Vulture and an American Crow), offering memorable experiences. You can meet our birds at Raptor Saturday, the primary Saturdays of most months, the place a number of raptors seem in an hour-long academic program in our Visitor Center. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, meet one or two totally different birds from our Raptor Program throughout Word with a Bird, the place we are going to speak concerning the particular abilities, traits, and diversifications distinctive to that fowl.
Raptor Ambassador Atlas
MR: How can individuals get entangled with birding and fowl conservation at Schlitz Audubon?
LF: Visitors can begin by observing our fowl feeders and testing our fowl board in our Visitor Center for the latest observations from fellow birders. Another nice choice is to hitch our Bird Club or attend early morning fowl walks. More in-depth workshops are supplied on matters resembling birdsong or fowl images.
If individuals are interested by fowl conservation, they will report fowl sightings to eBird. This international database is usually used for inhabitants monitoring and monitoring. We obtain sightings tagged at Schlitz Audubon and use that knowledge to observe inhabitants together with our 20 precedence fowl species, and complete species richness.
Another method to assist fowl conservation is to hitch our Land Stewardship Volunteers. The work this group does instantly improves fowl habitat. By changing invasive species with many native species, we’re guaranteeing birds have access to nutritious forage all year long, particularly throughout migration.
MR: What’s the one factor everybody who visits Schlitz Audubon ought to do?
LF: Take the time to hike our lovely trails on the lookout for all sorts of wildlife, walk up our remark tower for a “birds eye view” of the Lake Michigan shoreline, after which walk down the path to the seaside and search for sea glass.
For those that would really like a wheelchair-friendly path, our almost two-mile Central Wetlands Loop leads visitors from our Visitor Center via prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. Three ponds on this path supply alternatives to see a wide range of aquatic wildlife.
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