It’s fall migration season! Which means it’s a great time to get outside and see off millions of Wisconsin birds as they head south for the winter. Migration started in late August and will run into November, but ornithologists say the peak migration season is late October.
On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin chatted with Dexter Patterson, a UW-Madison educator who founded the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, about his new book on birding, “Birds of the Great Lakes.” Patterson will talk about the book on Oct. 26 at the Wisconsin Book Festival, and attendees will get a free copy of the book!
Here’s some tips on where and when to go to peep some birds during the fall, and how you can help them get where they’re going:
Where To Go
Wisconsin is home to over 300 birding hotspots, and devoted birders travel to major locations such as Horicon Marsh, where some 300 species have been seen, or to Wyalusing State Park where the Mississippi River and the Wisconsin River meet.
But you don’t have to go that far to enjoy birding. Walk along Lake Mendota on the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Trail to Picnic Point and check out birds on both land and water. Or stroll through 17 miles of trails in the UW-Madison Arboretum. Head out to Pheasant Branch Conservatory on the northwest shore of Lake Mendota to enjoy the birds that call the pristine wetland home.
When They Migrate
Migrating birds are hard to spot in the air, because they like to fly at night. Migrating birds typically start taking flight around 30 to 45 minutes after sunset, with the greatest number in the air about two to three hours after sunset. So you’ll have more luck seeing them in the daytime when they stop to refuel and rest.
How To Prepare
BirdCast is an incredible online tool that tracks the migratory patterns of birds, so you can track in real time how many birds are leaving the state, and when to see certain species of birds in flight. Did you know that 68,400 birds crossed Dane County one night last week? The BirdCast knows!
Get yourself a decent (but not necessarily pricey) pair of binoculars and a field guide. Sibley’s and Peterson’s guides are the best for new birders — just make sure to get an “Eastern” guide because that will cover the Wisconsin region.
As if our libraries weren’t cool enough, you can check out a “Birding Backpack” for free from any Madison Public Library location, which includes binocs and bird guides for both adults and kids, as well as a birding location guide tailored to each library. The things you can do with your library card!
How To Help the Birds Migrate
Because the birds are often migrating at night, turn off all non-essential lights in your house between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The lights can distract and disorient the birds and even draw them off course. It’s also a good idea to put coverings and decals on windows.
If you really want to help them out on their journey, leave a snack! Put out native seeds, fruit, and clean water for birds. Make sure to clean bird feeders every two weeks, and put out high-fat seed, such as black oil sunflower, to attract the most species.
