Birding 101

Growing up in Milwaukee, the only bird calls that I could recognize where those on my uncle's clock. Each hour a different bird would sing their signature song and wait their turn for another 24 hours.

Then I walked the trail across Plum Island and learned how sheltered I'd been. There is a symphony of birdsong in the natural world!

Thanks to the Merlin app my level of knowledge continues to increase as I now have the (cheater) tool to recognize the call of a Cedar Waxwing, Northern Yellow Warbler, Eastern Towhee, and the Brown-Headed Cowbird to name a few.

However, this doesn't impress the true birders that come to Plum Island to hear and see their 'life' bird.

So, I've decided to up my game and truly learn how to recognize birds by sound and sight. Last year we invited Dan the Bird Man, who works at the Ridges Sanctuary, to help newbies like me how to recognize the birds that stopover on Plum Island to meet up with their friends on their migration.

He was so happy to hear and see the Plum Island birds that he's offered to come again!! Join him on another BIRDING 101 Field Day on July 10th.

Register Here

Download a list of birds found on the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge here.