Wisconsin

To the average person, the mention of a downtown metropolitan area doesn’t readily conjure up thoughts of bird diversity. But Milwaukee is fortunate to be in the middle of a major migration route with a Great Lake and some great parks at its doorstep, both of which are magnets for a wide variety of birds year-round. For February’s hotspot county, Milwaukee, Mike Wanger will take us on a tour of one of Wisconsin’s most popular birding destinations located on the Lake Michigan Flyway.  This article will focus on sixteen birding hotspots occurring along a seven-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline in the downtown Milwaukee area. We’ll focus first on Lake Michigan, then move up the northern bluff to Lake Park. This article is designed for any birder who would like to bird this whole area systematically in a day or pick and choose the spots they deem most appealing.

Fun Facts

Number of species eBirded in this area: 293

Checklists in eBird: 5,420

Featured Species:  28 duck species including Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, all three scoter species , Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup and Common Goldeneye, Red-throated Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Sora, 36  shorebird species including American Avocet, Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Willet,  Whimbrel,  Hudsonian Godwit, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Wilson’s Phalarope, 15 gull species including Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Glaucous, Iceland and Thayer’s, five tern species, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,  Black-billed Cuckoo, Snowy Owl, Barred Owl, Short-eared Owl, Red-headed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, 7 thrush species, American Pipit, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting; 36 warbler species including Connecticut Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat; 23 sparrow (and allies) species including Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Nelson’s Sparrow , Lark Sparrow and Harris’s Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Orchard Oriole, and 12 finch/grosbeak species during irruption years.

Rare/Notable Species eBirded: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Snowy Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Piping Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Red Knot, Purple Sandpiper (almost annual), Western Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine’s Gull, Little Gull, Laughing Gull, Franklin’s Gull, Mew Gull, California Gull, Royal Tern, White-winged Dove, Barn Owl, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cave Swallow, White-eyed Vireo (annual), Worm-eating Warbler, Northern  Mockingbird (annual), Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Lark Bunting, Summer Tanager (annual), Bullock’s Oriole, and Hoary Redpoll

Bar Chart  

Map and Parking. Parking is often a headache for birding some spots in Milwaukee. Within the map, click on a hotspot to see recommended parking. At the very bottom of the list, you can change the look of the map by checking the box next to “Base Map”. Travel note: The Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge, which arches north-south over the Milwaukee harbor area and connects these hotspots, is undergoing major renovation through late 2015. Please see this link for current ramp-closure information. Please see the cautionary note at the Petroleum Pier hotspot as well.

Lake Park Map

Lake Michigan: Great Lakes flyway and residence for overwintering water birds

Texas Avenue Overlook. We’ll begin our tour at the southernmost point — the southern end of S. Shore Drive, which is known as Texas Avenue Overlook. The terminus of this street has a railed overlook with a commanding view of a ¾-mile stretch of protected harbor about 100 yards wide running parallel to the shoreline, and includes a couple of outlets to the Lake. Ice comes and goes here all winter long — open for water birds, frozen over for gulls. From this perch, you have an excellent scoping vista for migrating and overwintering ducks as well as predators occasionally lurking on the rocky breakwater wall. Recent irruption years have produced fairly steady sightings of the magnificent Snowy Owl, both here and throughout the general harbor area.  Such rarities as Harlequin Duck, Western Grebe, Eared Grebe and Northern Goshawk have been recorded at this location.

South Shore Yacht Club. As we head northward on S. Shore Drive towards the Yacht Club, consider stopping at the small section of angled parking at South Shore Park (see map link above) for a somewhat elevated view of the Yacht Club — a small, protected harbor with a generous parking area from which to view the boat slips, water, and rocky breakwater. Twelve gull species have been seen here.  With a large number of Rock Pigeons often concentrating here, this is a good location to spy Peregrine Falcon looking for an easy meal.  Rarities recorded at this location include Barrow’s Goldeneye, Western Grebe, Eared Grebe, Mew Gull, Laughing Gull, Franklin’s Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake.

Milwaukee Lake Express Ferry Terminal and Milwaukee Coast Guard Impoundment. These two conjoined sites are dissected by a common driveway. For many years, the Impoundment drew an astonishing number of species to its forty-acre plot of mudflats and weeds: over 300 in all! As a result of 9-11, however, the Coast Guard has gradually cordoned off the area, culminating in October 2012 with a high berm and chain-link fence. Since then, the count in eBird has fallen to 65 species, with limited viewing restricted mostly to flyover predators and seedeaters perusing the perimeter bank grasses year-round.  The south end of the Ferry parking lot does offer decent scoping of a portion of the harbor, two seawalls, and the northern end of South Sore Yacht Club. This relatively small area of the lakefront boasts some impressive rarities recorded here primarily pre 9-11: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Snowy Egret, Royal Tern, Piping Plover, Red Knot, Purple Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Little Gull, Laughing Gull, Franklin’s Gull and Long-eared Owl.

Petroleum Pier.  From the previous spot, head north about ¼mile to Petroleum Pier, the southernmost pier of the harbor complex. An enclosed dirt parking area under the Hoan Bridge gives us front-row access to waterfowl in the quiet waters. The full complement of dabblers and divers can be seen here, including three scoters, and Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks. NOTE: This site is in a state of flux and may be off-limits during repair of the Hoan Bridge, which spans directly above the parking area. At the time of this writing, at least one birder has been accosted by security personnel and escorted out.

E. Bruce Street Launch. This public boat launch is situated at the confluence of the Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic rivers, which then flow eastward under the Hoan Bridge and into the harbor. This might be the best spot in the area for wintering gulls, especially on warmer days, as river ice tends to linger longer than ice in the harbor. The gulls tend to loiter in large flocks, and identifying the tougher species (i.e. Thayer’s) can be easier when you’re up close and personal. With luck you can pick up a Lesser Scaup or White-winged Scoter here.

 

Milwaukee River Mouth. This area is accessed via E. Erie Street as it wraps around the southern and eastern ends of the Summerfest grounds. Views of the river mouth and general harbor area are expansive, the pivotal point being the red lighthouse, which is lately the most likely winter spot for the elusive Harlequin Duck and perhaps a Red-throated Loon. The harbor breakwall is far enough out to provide safe haven, yet is still within scoping range. In the winter, waterfowl flocks in excess of a thousand congregate here, and hence so do predators (Snowy Owl, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, American Kestrel, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Harrier).

Lakeshore State Park/Harbor Island. This 22-acre island park includes a 1.7 mile trail that connects to the Hank Aaron and Oak Leaf trails. Except for a small sand beach, it is rimmed with a layer of large boulders which provide habitat for sparrows and a resident fox family. There is a center section of mown grass; otherwise, the interior is native grasslands. A surprising 137 species have been eBirded on this small island. Besides the usual complement of ducks and gulls, sightings include eight shorebirds, Short-eared Owl, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, nine warblers, and seventeen sparrows. Added bonus: striking views of the Downtown Lakefront area as well as a good possibility for Red or Gray Fox.

 

Milwaukee Art Museum.  If there somehow were a day with no gull sightings, I’d be tempted to count the Calatrava Art Museum as one – the all-white sculptured building with its 217-foot retractable wings is nearly as magnificent as are Nature’s gulls. Behind this building is a wide promenade that rims this portion of the harbor on three sides. The waterbirds seem to be more at ease here, so bring your camera (for landscape photos as well – the surrounding buildings and skyline are quite picturesque). The King Eider of November 2011 was one such, who graciously hovered near the water’s edge for close-up views.

The general “Milwaukee Harbor” hotspot is meant for birders who do not wish to split their checklists among the above hotspots to enter data for the central/main Milwaukee harbor area. This is appropriate for all hotspots from the Petroleum Pier northward through the Art Museum. If you choose this option, please list where you birded in the comments section to help those who may be using your data.

 

Juneau Lagoon and Veterans Park. As you continue northward on N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, you’ll pass Juneau Lagoon. For parking, take the next right into Veterans Park. The lagoon provides good three-seasons viewing in spite of its proximity to traffic and passersby. Black-crowned Night-herons are common residents in the trees rimming its east side (as well as Yellow-crowneds last year). The path along the back side parallels a row of trees and brush, which attracts a steady stream of warblers and sparrows in season. The 103-acre Veterans Park is mostly grassy and flat, with generous views of the harbor and breakwater area. Together, these adjoining sites have produced 183 eBird species including Eared Grebe, Mew Gull and Northern Mockingbird.

McKinley Marina and Park.  Milwaukee County’s only public marina houses 655 boat slips. Gulls can linger here, as the shallow bottom means a long ice season. This location has historically been a popular spot for viewing winter gulls including Thayer’s Gull, Iceland Gull and the rare California Gull. McKinley provides the only walking access out onto part of the eight-mile harbor breakwall system, which means good scoping on both sides of the wall. The small concave sand beach in the adjoining Park can hold shorebird surprises, perhaps most notably the flock of 37 avocets that stopped here in May of 2012.

Bradford Beach/Northpoint. A half mile further north is the Northpoint Custard stand and parking lot. Pull in here and look north to Bradford Beach, a ½-mile-long, wide sand beach that is the centerpoint of Milwaukee’s outdoor summer party scene. From the air it must be quite a beacon, because many shorebirds are nonetheless undeterred, especially early in the morning during May, August and September. Western Grebe, Piping Plover, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper, and Black-legged Kittiwake have all been seen here. (“Northpoint” is actually the rocky outcropping at the north end of the Beach.)

Lake Park – Linnwood Water Treatment Plant to Bradford Beach. Following the shoreline north of Bradford Beach, we round Northpoint to find a short stretch of untrampled narrow sand beach a mere 30 feet from the street, which then gives way to a bouldered bulwark stretching to the treatment plant at the northern end of our Lakefront tour. This hotspot boasts an impressive 113 eBird species. Algae mats tend to coalesce along the beach area, attracting shorebirds, including the Purple Sandpiper in December/January.  Lake Michigan is shallow and somewhat rocky here, which draws both dabblers and perching gulls. When the weather is foul, this is a good spot to scope from your car. Don’t overlook the soccer field adjacent to the rocky shoreline: It is rimmed to the east by brush, and to the north by a “magic hedge”, which attracts an unusually diverse group of species, including four wrens, seven flycatchers, eleven warblers, and twelve sparrows the most notable among them being Nelson’s Sparrow.

Lake Park: Diverse landscape provides an appealing habitat for a variety of migrants and residents.

Across the street and atop the bluff lies the bulk of Lake Park, the most popular birding hotspot in Milwaukee County, with nearly 1,700 checklists posted and 249 species sighted. Thoughtfully designed by the father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmstead, the park is a mixture of mature deciduous and some evergreen trees, ravines, and open space, with meandering paths throughout.

Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro and parking lot divides its 138 acres roughly in half:

Lake Park – Wolcott Statue and Golf Course. To the south is an 18-hole pitch-and-putt golf course followed by a ravine, a historic 158-year old lighthouse, then a second ravine. At times, both ravines have some flowing water. At the General Wolcott statue sits a handful of feeders stocked year-round. A good variety of deciduous and evergreen trees dot the golf course, which makes for excellent birding (provided you don’t take a golf ball to the head!). This area is good for migrating warblers and sparrows.   Carolina Wren is a fairly reliable bird to observe. Other notable species recorded at this sublocation of Lake Park are Northern Mockingbird, Harris’s Sparrow and Lark Sparrow.

Lake Park – Locust Street Ravine. To the immediate north of the restaurant is a footbridge crossing high above East Ravine Road. The footbridge provides superb “warblering” during high season, placing viewers simultaneously at canopy level with trees in the ravine and at a “forest edge” caused by the snaking road below. The Locust Street Ravine begins below its northern end and runs northward, eventually climbing to ground level and some feeders. Water runs (or at least pools) in the ravine for much of three seasons.  The flowing water of this ravine attracts Northern Waterthrush and Winter Wren as well as the less common Louisiana Waterthrush.  This area also tends to attract a good variety of thrushes during migration.

Note- if you bird all of Lake Park and do not wish to split up your checklists, you may use the “Lake Park–general” hotspot for your sightings.

Thirty-five warblers. Twenty-three sparrows (including allies). 249 species in total. A birders destination.

Summary.

In closing, the shoreline of Lake Michigan provides a natural north-south directional arrow for species moving up and down the Great Lakes flyway. Milwaukee’s large harbor area provides a safe, calm environment from the elements, and Lake Park is just one of many beautiful green spaces that rim the shoreline north and south of downtown. No matter what the month, good birding is almost always assured!

Thanks to the following contributors:

Mike Wanger, author and photos 

Paul Sparks, North Point Sunrise photo

Cynthia Bridge, editing, photos 

Tom Prestby, expert reviewer and editing, California Gull photo

All images contained herein are subject to copyright; All rights reserved.