Jeff Bahls, President
N4686 Blackbird Rd
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
(920) 210-4832
For festival registration questions
call 920-485-4663
email the president
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Bird Club Events 2009 Field trip Owling expedition Saturday, January 17, 2009 -  Horicon Marsh Bird Club event WHO, WHO-WHO wants to go owling? Meet at Bud Cook hiking area Horicon NWR refuge 3 PM. Using knowledge from the Horicon Marsh CBC we will seek out as many species of owls as we can. Either spotting them during daylight hours or using recordings to hear them. We will start at Bud Cook area to try for Short-eared and cruise HWY 49 to look for snowies. Then hit wooded areas for other owl species. Nest Box Seminar Saturday, March 14, 2009 - With the return of spring will come the return of birds to our yards. Come to the 5th Nest Box Seminar to be held at the Beaver Dam Senior Center, on Saturday, March 14, 2009. Learn about songbirds and raptors that nest in cavities we can provide for them via nest boxes, and how to “birdscape” your back yard. The Dodge County Coordinator for the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) has organized the seminar to be hosted by the Beaver Dam Senior Center (114 E. Third Street) from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. There will be displays by the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, BRAW, the Horicon Marsh Bird Club, and the Wood Duck Society. Members of these organizations will be available during the event to answer questions and discuss their role in providing “housing” for native cavity nesters and other wildlife. An indoor demonstrations nest box trail, a display on how to raise your own mealworms, trap sparrows, and videos of inbox activities of Blue birds, Wood Ducks, American Kestrels, E. Screech Owls, Tree Swallows and bats will also be ongoing during the day. People of all ages can build their own birdhouses (great activity for children) assisted by seniors in the Center’s woodshop. Various nest boxes and kits will be available for purchase. Lunch will be available for a small fee at the Center for those who plan to stay for the day. Admission to the event is FREE!Schedule” - 9:30a.m. – Patrick Ready- Bluebirds and other Cavity Nesters - 10:00a.m. – Open House of displays begins - 11:00 a.m. – Barb Harvey, a local raptor rehabilitator, will show live cavity nesting raptors and describe their plight in the modern environment. Children will be especially interested in this presentation. - 12:00 noon - LUNCH BREAK – time to eat and visit displays - 1:00 p.m. – Mariette Nowak, former director of the Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee and author of the book Birdscaping with Native Plants will talk about making your backyard attractive to native birds by creating their natural habitat. Her book will be available for purchase. - 2:30 p.m. – Larry Vine – Larry is director of the Marsh Haven Nature Center and will speak on the successful Purple Martin colony at Marsh Haven Nature Center which was developed by Tony Oechsner. For further information, contact Jack Bartholmai (Dodge Co. BRAW Coordinator) at (920)887-1505 (jack@bartholmai.com) or the Beaver Dam Senior Center at (920)887-4639 Early Dodge county waterfowl- Field trip Sunday, March 15, 2009 - March 15 Early waterfowl of Dodge County Meet 8 AM McDonalds, Beaver Dam Hwy 33 & 151. We will carpool from there. This one is always one of my favorite trips, right in my back yard or ¡§paradise triangle¡¨ as I like to call it. ƒº Before the Horicon Marsh thaws out, follow the first flocks of waterfowl along the Beaver Dam River as they work their way north. This trip has the possibility of a 5 goose species day.Eagles should be a high probablity also. Birding Argentina; Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Birding Argentina; From Pampas to Puna Bill Volkert is the wildlife educator and naturalist for Wisconsin DNR at Horicon Marsh where he has worked since 1984. In addition to his work, he has traveled extensively in search of natural areas and their wildlife. In March 2008, Bill Volkert and his wife Connie spent three and a half weeks traveling across Argentina to explore this vast South American country. An enormous diversity of ecological zones is represented within Argentina, including cloud forests, deserts, the chaco scrub, sub-tropical forests, High Andean puna, and abundant unique flora and fauna. Their travels took them from the Atlantic Coast near Buenas Aires, across the vast eastern grasslands known as the pampas, and north to the tropical lowlands at Iguazu Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Along the way they visited the last vestiges of the once great palm savannahs at El Palmar National Park and on to the expansive wetland at Ibera Marsh with its abundant wildlife. From here they went onto to the Andean mountains in the west, exploring remote areas and searching for rare birds and unique landscapes. This far corner of Argentina is where the chaco scrub lands meet both dry mountain plateaus and rich cloud forests to the north. The combination of wildlife habitats in this region supports a rich diversity of plants and animals. During their travels they sighted more than 320 species of birds, many of them unique to this corner of the world. This presentation will focus on the diverse landscapes that comprise Argentina—its many environments, rich wildlife and beautiful landscape scenery. Old Marsh Road Hike - Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 25, 2009 - In celebration of Earth Day the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge is opening - Old Marsh Road - for the weekend, to hiking and biking during daylight hours only. Please join hike leader, Larry Michael for this 3-4 hour hike. A wide variety of marsh birds are sure to be found and if past experience has told us anything, being one of the first bird groups on this road has provided some great views of many different animals. Note: This is a long walk, but will be at a leisurely pace on a level gravel roadbed. Please bring your own drinking water, and restroom facilities are only available at the start of this hike. Please dress according to the weather and wear study footwear. Meet at the - Boardwalk - parking lot on the NW corner of the NWR at 7:00 AM. This is off of Hwy. 49. From there we will car pool to the east side of Old Marsh Road. This way we can walk with the sun at our backs, making birding easier. Now, that does not mean I am guaranteeing any sunshine that day. Have a question or need more information contact Larry at: lamichael@charter.net Horicon Marsh Boat Tour Adventure - Field Trip Thursday, June 11, 2009 - The departure time is 6:00 PM SHARP - miss the boat and walk the plank This has been one of our most popular events and hopefully the water level of the marsh will be such that we can hold this event on the date scheduled. There, I did it. I just jinxed us. Club members Gayl & Marc Zuelsdorf have again said YES when asked if they would be willing to take us into the interior of Horicon Marsh for an evening of birding, animal watching and just plain relaxing. A wide variety of - creatures - may be found, so things as small as a frog or hummingbird to as large as whitetail deer or beaver might be seen. As Marc has said, Almost anything is possible, the marsh changes from hour to hour and day to day. What will our day bring? You will not be able to tell our - tales - unless you come and join us on this Horicon Marsh Boat Tour Adventure. Remember: While Gayl & Marc have agreed to take us into the Marsh, if we want to keep this an - annual - event we should show our appreciation by including a donation (as in $$) that represents the value that we are receiving. This is a Members Only event, so if you are inviting a friend inform them that a membership payment plus their tour donation will be expected before we leave the dock area. So no one misses the boat, we are departing the dock at 6:00 PM - sharp - and will be out in the marsh for two hours plus. This depends what we are seeing and if Marc can find his way back. Have a question or need more information contact Larry at: lamichael@charter.net Fall Shorebirds - Field Trip/Hike Thursday, August 20, 2009 - The shorebird migration should be well underway and will be our target for this field trip. Join hike Leader Larry Michael, starting along Hwy. 49 (6:00 PM)looking for the proper habitat (mudflats and low water levels) and if necessary we will do a - drive about - trying to locate other shorebird areas. Bring your spotting scope if you have one, plus our membership has always been willing to share. For those who might need to peek at a field guide, as I sometimes do, make sure to bring yours along. Maybe a little studying by participants (if necessary) could make for a more enjoyable outing. Nothing feels better than correctly identifying shorebirds for the first time on your own. You will not be expected to ID any birds on you own and we have at past field trips needed to put our collective minds together more than once before a correct ID was made. Again, the meeting location is along Hwy. 49 (look for the scopes) on the north end of Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge at 6:00 PM. Please take care when pulling off and on to the highway as well as when you are outside your car. Have a question or need more information contact Larry at: lamichael@charter.net 15-Year Anniversary Banquet Registration Required ($) 
Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 6:00 PM Social Hour 7:00 PM Dinner 8:00 PM Guest Speaker The Horicon Marsh Bird Club banquet committee is pleased to announce the price to attend our 15-year anniversary banquet on Thursday, September 17th has been reduced to $20.00 per person. After taking into account some final cost adjustments from the restaurant and with the approval of the bird club to cover the $250 donation to the WSO for our speaker’s honorarium and up to $250 to cover decorations, displays and door prizes the amount for attending the banquet could be lowered. Our speaker, Chuck Hagner, editor of Birder’s World magazine and author, will be presenting an update on a bird that has become very exciting to the Wisconsin birding community – the Kirtland’s Warbler! This endangered bird was recently confirmed as breeding in Wisconsin. He will not only talk about this historic event, but will also share photos of his trip to the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, where researchers have been studying the warbler since its discovery there in 2002. And don’t forget, you will have a chance to win one of his books - Wings of Spring - as well as other door prizes. Speaking of door prizes, if any members are interested in contributing a “birdy” (nature-related) item (in the $5-$10 range) as a door prize we would be happy to accept it. We don’t want anyone to feel that they have to do this in order to attend, though. We want everyone to have a great time and a chance to win a little something, too. We won’t be able to purchase enough door prizes for everyone to receive something, but with member donations, we hope to have a nice selection of prizes. There have already been several members that have let us know they have items to bring. That’s great! Thank you and please remember to bring them on the night of the banquet. More information about the banquet can be found on the reservation form that can be found by clicking on the "Registration Required" icon at the top of this event descripton. Please be sure to fill out the bottom portion of the form and return it to the address provided before the due date. With the lower cost and a wonderful meal and presentation being planned we hope that you will choose to spend the evening with us celebrating our Bird Club’s 15-year anniversary. Our Guest Speaker Chuck Hagner Editor Birder's World Magazine Chuck Hagner is the editor-in-chief of Birder's World magazine (www.BirdersWorld.com), the author of two books about birds and birdwatching, and an experienced world traveler who has visited some of the world’s greatest birding destinations, including Alaska, Brazil, Cuba, and East Africa. He has written about birdwatching for Nature Conservancy and other national publications, and his articles appear regularly in Birder’s World. His most recent article, describing a spring birding trip to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas, ran in the February 2009 issue of Birder’s World. An article he wrote for Nature Conservancy in spring 2006, "The Secret Life of the Kirtland's Warbler," will serve as the starting point for his presentation to the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. It described the historic discovery of the winter grounds of the endangered warbler. Hagner became editor of Birder's World in 2001, after a successful career as a writer and editor at Time Life Books, in Alexandria, Virginia. Before joining Time Life, he was the managing editor of the AIA Press at the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC. Hagner holds a master's degree from American University in Washington, DC, and dual bachelor's degrees from Boston University. He is a member of the American Birding Association, American Ornithologists' Union, Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Nature Conservancy, Wilson Ornithological Society, and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. He is married and the father of two children. He and his family live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, not far from a great spot for warblers in the spring. Birder's World appears bimonthly and is distributed nationwide as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom. It is published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. |