Easy Winter Kicks Off Bird Survey Early

Thanks to an easy winter, volunteer sightings of species breeding early are coming in daily for a statewide breeding bird survey. “Reports are coming in to the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II detailing early nesting activities. Sandhill cranes and northern cardinals are pairing up, crows and ravens are building nests, and great horned owls and red-tailed hawks are already incubating eggs,” says Nick Anich, lead coordinator of the atlas survey and conservation biologist with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Anich and other survey organizers are encouraging all Wisconsin birders and wildlife watchers to submit breeding observations to the project to capture these early sightings. They also urge current and potential participants to join them in a weekend-long symposium taking place April 1-3 at the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in Rothschild. Highlights of the weekend include field trips, specialized training geared to both first-time and returning atlas contributors, tips from the experts, eBird workshops and more. Advance registration is closed, but walk-in registration is still available the day of the event for $35.

For a complete list of events and speakers, visit http://wsobirds.org/season-2-atlas-kickoff.