patching...
Update: Have you signed up for our once-daily newsletter yet? Click here to get the top headlines right in your inbox! »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Birds

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Rare Owls Seen in Milwaukee County

The long, late winter has sent three owl species south, looking for food. The DNR has safe viewing tips for people lucky enough to glimpse the great grey owl, hawk owl and boreal owl.

Three species of rare owls have come to Wisconsin from the boreal forests of Canada, looking for food, as the late winter has made it difficult for them in their usual habitat.  Every few years, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, there is a crash in the population of small rodents that forces owls to move south in search of food. Because of it, three species not normally seen here have moved to the area. The northern hawk owl, great gray owl and boreal owl have all been spotted in the state, as far south as Kenosha County.  "Unfortunately, long winters and early springs, coupled with unfamiliar landscapes, increased roads and other risk factors, have taken a toll on some of these rare visitors," explained Ryan …

Friday, September 9, 2011

Shorewood Residents to Become Citizen Scientists for a Night, Help Track Threatened Bird Species

Local residents will participate in a national research project that counts and tracks Chimney Swifts as they migrate south for the winter, at St. Robert Sunday night.

Sunday, local bird watchers and nature enthusiasts alike will become citizen scientists for the night as part of “A Swift Night Out,” a national research project that counts and tracks Chimney Swifts as they migrate south for the winter. The local count, led by Dan Graves, an environmental educator at the Urban Ecology Center, will begin at 6:45 p.m. on the playground behind St. Robert School, 2200 E. Capitol Dr. Classified as “near-threatened” by conservationists, Chimney Swifts are a small bird known for its acrobatic flying. At dusk, they can be seen swooping down and almost free-falling vertically into their roost for the night. The St. Robert pack has been roosting in the school's chimney for the past seven summers. While some roosts …

Got a Hot Tip?