Birding Banding at Emmons Creek in 2021.
Join us for our second annual bird banding event at Emmons Creek Bird Observatory and Ringing Station with ecologist Bob Welch as we safely capture, band and then release migrating passerines at the field station.
The Emmons Creek Bird Observatory and Ringing Station, located at the Waupaca Biological Field Station, E110 Emmons Creek Road, Waupaca, WI 54981, has been operating since 1974. They are located on the eastern facing easternmost glacial moraine within the center of the Central Wisconsin Morainal Migration Corridor. This significant north-south series of seven mostly parallel terminal and recessional glacial moraines reaches from Columbia County north to Marathon County and provides numerous wetlands, glacial kettle lakes, cold-hard water headwater streams, and large wooded assisting in the migration of many species of Neotropical and short-distance birds.
A group campsite has been reserved at Hartman Creek State Park May 19-21 for up to 20 people and 10 vehicles. The bird banding event will occur on Sunday May 21, from 5:30 am-2:00 pm.
Check-in at the Hartman Creek State park group camp site will be at 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon. Those who wish to come up at that time and set up tents and bird the area on their own or in a group are welcome to. Anyone attending can also drive up Sunday morning as well.
Stay tuned for more details and an Eventbrite to register!
Sunrise photo by Arlene Koziol
As this event will begin at sunrise, Jeff and Rita will be arriving around noon on Saturday the 21st to set up tents, do some epic birding the day before and be ready to go the next morning!
The station is roughly a 2-hour drive from Madison and Milwaukee and sunrise will be at 5:21 am on May 22nd.
There is a cabin with four double bunk beds (total of eight) and space for up to 10 tents and 11 vehicles. If you are interested in coming up the night before, email Jeff Galligan at jgalligan27@gmail.com and let him know how many people you will bring and number of vehicles. Space will be on a first come, first serve basis.
We will have dinner on Saturday evening for those camping, some simple breakfast foods for Sunday Morning, and then lunch on Sunday.
The banding will begin at dawn Sunday morning, and we will continue netting birds through mid-afternoon.
Please dress for being outdoors all day. A porta-potty and double wash station will be available as well as an expedition wall tent with wood stove for protection in colder conditions.
Please note: If winds are above 10 mph and/or there is precipitation, we will have to shut down the netting of birds for their welfare and protection.
Please email Jeff Galligan at jgalligan27@gmail.com with any questions.