Washington Islands Birding Festival
May 17th - May 19th, 2024
WELCOME / SCHEDULE / REGISTRATION / GUIDE BIOS / PROGRAM / 2018 BIRD LIST
Welcome!
Some guidelines for enjoying the festival:
Please use the map provided to help you find festival locations on the Island.
A list of island restaurants is included in your packet.
There are three “Big Sit” locations, places where you can simply stand or sit and relax and ‘usually’ see lots of birds. They are located at: The Potato Dock, Melody Walsh’s yard at 1530 Michigan Road, and Jackson Harbor at the Town Dock. These spots are on the flyway across the Island. You may use them at any time during the festival.
Birding will occur rain or shine unless conditions are deemed too dangerous (e.g. lightning).
Cell phone signal may vary based on your carrier.
For questions call Laura Waldron at 920-535-0554 or email wiartandnaturecenter@gmail.com
In case of a medical emergency, please call 911. We have EMTs and a clinic on the Island.
Restrooms or outhouses are available at most parks.
Island Birding Etiquette:
Drive carefully. Be on the lookout for pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife.
If you pull over to observe birds, pull all the way off the road to avoid blocking traffic.
Close car doors quietly when you arrive at a birding spot and when you depart.
Refrain from using recordings to attract birds (this stresses the birds).
Please stay on designated trails and respect private property.
For lodging possibilities check the Washington Island Chamber of Commerce website: https://washingtonisland.com
Festival Schedule
Thursday, May 16, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM @ ANC (1799 Main Road) - Check-in Office open. (You may place an order here for lunch at Jackson Harbor Soup when you check in.)
Friday, May 17, 2024
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM @ ANC - Check-in Office open. (You may place an order here for lunch at Jackson Harbor Soup when you check in.)
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM @ ANC - Optional early birding! Meet at the ANC to depart at 6:30 AM.
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM @ ANC - Guided birding groups will meet at the ANC and depart for birding around the island.
Noon - 2:00 PM - Lunch Break - Lunch on your own, or, if you preordered a lunch from Jackson Harbor Soup, pick up and pay for your lunch there.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - ANC or Group Location - At 2:00 PM, meet back at the ANC to regroup with your guides, or, if your group picked another location, meet there.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Dinner Break - Dinner on your own. (see below for evening program details.)
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Trinity Lutheran Church - Tick Talk, the Story of Lyme (and other) Diseases, the diagnosis, treatmenr and prevention of a growing public health problem. Presented by Terry Foster
Saturday, May 18, 2024
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM @ ANC - Check-in office open.
7:10 AM - Island Welcome Center parking lot (Lobdell Point Road, near the ferry) - If you’re going to Rock Island, park behind the Welcome Center and walk across the road to the Island Clipper dock. Boat leaves at 7:30 AM SHARP!
8:15 AM - 11:15 AM - Rock Island Birding - We’ll split into our groups to bird Rock Island, then meet back at the boat at 11:15 AM to head back to Washington Island.
Noon - 2:00 PM - Lunch Break - Lunch on your own.
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM @ ANC parking lot - At 2:00 PM, meet back at the ANC to regroup with your guides, or, if your group picked another location, meet there.
4:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Dinner Break - Fish Boil at KK Fiske, if preregistered; boil over at 6:00 PM. (Or dinner on your own.) $20
7:30 - 9:00 PM @ ANC - Optional Night Prowl! Meet the ANC parking lot; we will then caravan out to various locations to first look for swifts and nighthawks, followed by other locations to listen for whip-poor-will and/or owls.
Sunday, May 19, 2024
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM @ ANC - Check-in office open.
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM @ ANC or Group Location - Optional early birding! Meet your guides at the ANC, or, if your group picked another location, meet there.
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM @ ANC or Group Location - Non-early birding: Meet your guides at the ANC, or, if your group picked another location, meet there.
Festival Ends - You may continue birding the island on your own if you wish. Have a safe trip home!
We hope you enjoy the festival!
Birding Festival Registration
Registration Fee - $75
Please use separate registration form for each person.
Registration deadline is May 5, 2024. Cancellation Refunds will be made up to May 1st less $10.00 handling fee. No refunds after May 1st.
When you are ready to checkout, please proceed to the shopping cart at the top right of the page.
You may also register by downloading the form below, print and fill it out and mail it with your payment to:
Laura Waldron, 1799 Main Road, Washington Island, WI 54246
Birding Guide Bios
Donna Benson
Grew up in the Chicago, Illinois area and once married, traveled and hiked extensively throughout the southwest area of the U.S., and Western and Eastern Europe. Started birding occasionally in 1978, while hiking the Portal and Patagonia areas of Arizona, but in earnest in 2010 when we moved to Washington Island full time. Have participated in Breeding Bird Atlas’, Great Backyard Bird Counts, Christmas Bird Counts, regularly use eBird. I monitor my own Bluebird boxes and have participated in Eagle bandings here and on Rock Island. Increased my life list while attending a Road Scholar Birding Tour in the Florida Everglades, the Keys and the Dry Tortugas.
Favorite bird: Eastern Bluebird
Ryan Borman
I currently reside in De Pere, a quaint city near Green Bay, Wisconsin, and have been rooted in this region since birth. While my academic background lies in chemistry, my professional journey led me to transition into the realm of data science after completing college. Despite lacking formal education in this field, I have immersed myself in data science through practical work and research for over 8 years.
My fascination with birding took flight in 2015 during a week-long birding expedition in the Appalachian Mountains with a friend. It was during this experience that I discovered my genuine enjoyment in observing and listening to birds. The Wood Thrush, with its enchanting flute-like song, became my "spark" bird, captivating me to the point where its melody still halts me in my tracks.
Initially focusing on passerines, particularly the vibrant and ever-active warblers, my birding interests have since broadened to include waterfowl and shorebirds. Although identifying shorebirds presents a recent challenge for me, their diverse species continue to intrigue. I find joy in bird watching because it perpetually offers new learning opportunities and often poses enjoyable challenges.
Paul Noelder
Born on a farm in Clark County, Wisconsin. I’ve birded my whole life since a kid (70+ years!). Barb and I live in Maple Bluff where I help organize and lead year-round bird & nature outings, after school kids’ outings, and teach a Master Naturalist Class in Dane County, Wisconsin. Paul’s favorite bird is the Black-capped Chickadee, always cheery and friendly and fun to see year round.
Eric Howe
Eric Howe's interest in birding began in the mid-90s soon after joining the Hoy Audubon Society (thanks to several mentors) and has developed over the years into a passion he now shares with his wife, Kristin Wegner. They enjoy birding new regions but also love birding locally. Native plant and vegetable gardening, looking for bumblebees (and more) add to the fun. Eric serves on the board of the Hoy Audubon Society (hoyaudubon.org) and the Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund (chiwaukee.org). At Chiwaukee, he volunteers to locate and document uncommon native plants and enjoys birding while monitoring/removing invasive plants. He is an eBird reviewer for Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties. Eric coordinates the Racine and Palmyra Christmas Bird Counts and runs the Paris, Raymond, and Washington Island Breeding Bird Survey routes. In the recent past, he was involved with the Wisconsin Marshbird Survey as well as the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II as an atlaser, Racine County coordinator, and volunteered with WBBA II point counts.
Mike Wanger
“Mike loves birds.” So his Mom wrote in his baby book. Now dividing his time between Milwaukee and remote northern Lower Michigan, he’s been able to enjoy his passion almost daily for the last twelve years. Mike is presently a reviewer for eBird. He enjoys exploring this beautiful planet, and is always excited to introduce others to the joy of birding.
Favorite Bird: “The one I’m looking at right now!”
Kristin Wegner
Kristin Wegner’s interest in birds began one day in May when she was hiking and found herself surrounded by colorful, unfamiliar birds hopping through the trees. Driven to figure out what they were, she bought a bird guide, then binoculars, then before long she was roaming forest preserves just to look for birds. In her quest to see new species, Kristin attended a Hoy Audubon Society beach birding event, where she met her future husband, Eric Howe. Birding led to friendship, then partnership, and they were married on Washington Island. Kristin has a talent for finding birds in odd places, such as the Common Ground-Dove she found on Rock Island during their honeymoon!
Melody Walsh
Retired on Washington Island after a 32 year career with the Department of Natural Resources. Always enjoyed fishing, hiking, camping, hunting morels, photography, and being outdoors.
I became a Bird Nerd in 2013 and enjoy the camaraderie of birding. Observing, identifying, photographing, and sharing the sightings are what is appealing. I am an avid e-Bird user, which led me to the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II program in 2015. The majority of my birding is done through a camera lens.
Favorite Bird: Bobolink, but basically anything with feathers!
Stephen Winter
I’m a relatively new transplant to the Upper Midwest, having spent most of my life in the Great Plains. I currently live in Winona, Minnesota and I enjoy the waterfowl migration on the Mississippi River each fall and spring. I also enjoy the spring passerine migration in the bottomland forests of the Mississippi River floodplain. My interest in birding complements my career as a wildlife biologist and I’ve been fortunate to work, and bird, in biologically rich areas such as South Texas and the Central Valley of California. My time in South Texas was also enhanced by numerous birding trips in Mexico.
I’ve had a keen interest in waterfowl since I was a small child, and that interest broadened to include other wetland birds such as herons, egrets, bitterns, shorebirds, and rails. A field ornithology course in the early 1990’s during my undergraduate education played a large role in sparking an interest in many other birds as well. One of my favorite birds, the upland sandpiper, reflects my great love of the prairies and grasslands of the Great Plains. I still struggle with identifying some bird groups, such as some of the flycatchers, but I enjoy birding with others who are proficient in identifying those tough groups and I hope I’m slowly absorbing some of their knowledge.
Friday Night Program
To Be Determined
Friday, May 17th, 2024
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Free admission
Trinity Lutheran Church