Dear Friends,

We would like to introduce The Ozaukee-Washington County Birding Coalition.

The Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition is an umbrella organization promoting bird conservation and educational awareness and will be officially launched in January 2022. The coalition consists of the Lac Lawrann Conservancy, Riveredge Nature Center, Mequon Nature Preserve, and the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog. The Ozaukee-Washington Birding Coalition acknowledges the generous support of Wild Birds Unlimited.

The official launch of the Coalition will be on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 7 PM with a live and Zoom program at Lac Lawrann in West Bend. The program will be on Telemetry Tracking of Snowy Owls and Red-shouldered Hawks. It will be followed in February by a Zoom only program from the Mequon Nature Preserve on Wood Ducks, and a Zoom only program from the NJC Bird Club at Riveredge on “Birding by Ear”.

Our indoor programs (in the cold weather months) occur on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM. Outdoor programs (in the warmer months) will occur at least once every month, days and times to be determined.

The initial programs are offered free to the public. Please see registration info below:

Banding and Tracking of Snowy Owls and Red-shouldered Hawks in Wisconsin: Where Were They Before and Where Are They Going Next?

Every winter, Snowy Owls drift down into our fair State in search of food and maybe also adventure(!?!)  Not too long ago hundreds of “Snowies” were scattered across the Wisconsin landscape. Will we have another irruption in 2022? This charismatic species of Harry Potter legend has captured the hearts and imaginations of Wisconsinites who have been lucky enough to have seen one in the wild. What drives these irruptions and where do these iconic birds go from here? Red-shouldered Hawks, another iconic species, are resident breeders in some areas of the state but rare elsewhere. So what’s their story? Where are they headed to as the Snowy Owl descends and what is their pattern of movement across the land?

Gene Jacobs is a researcher and raptor specialist affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He has been capturing and banding owls and hawks of all kinds for more than 50 years. Join us in person or by Zoom at 7 PM on January 5, 2022 at Lac Lawrann Conservancy where Gene will share some of his most remarkable findings about these two birds of prey. (Note: Gene may be accompanied by a very special feathered guest!)

*Zoom registration*

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4CADAE23A1FB6-zoom

*In person registration*

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4CADAE23A1FB6-project