Birding Wisconsin, with its many upland and wet habitats, is a great experience during spring warbler migration. You arrive on Monday May 6th. The field trip starts Monday morning May 6th ending Friday May 10th., with a Friday afternoon airport drop off.  Friday night hotel is not part of the field trip. This is a small group field trip limited up to six participants. If you decide to stay Friday evening, you’ll need to secure a room for yourself.
YBT uses comfortable vehicles a 12-person van for six birders. 

   YBT – Wisconsin species seen YBT 2023   

YBT-Wisconsin-Species-seen-YBT-2017.docx

YBT – Wisconsin species summary list 8.13.16                       

YBT – Wisconsin 2013 Sighting list 163 species

        Whooping Cranes   Wisconsin field trip

If you need to add warblers to your life list this is a good trip to see 22 plus warblers. The 2017 field trips observed 24 species of warblers. This five-day field trip / tour will provide birders with opportunities to experience a touch of America’s conservation history, with visits to the boyhood home of John Muir park and Aldo Leopold’s Pine Island Preserve, as well the Baraboo Mountains of central Wisconsin. Also included in the field trip is a visit to the International Crane Foundation breeding and visitor center. The Mississippi Flyway, as it cuts through Wisconsin, is an overlooked birding opportunity for California Birders seeking Neotropical spring migrants. We’ll witness spring migration during its peak period, with many species in full breeding plumage. Bring your camera to take advantage of the many photo opportunities this field trip will provide.

Birders Testimonial 2023 Rich another fabulous field trip I added a number of “Lifers” from Jane Hicks past Solano Audubon Board member.

Sally Matthews 2023 – A fun knowledgeable and fun group to bird with, always something to learn. Weather was cold, but we still manage to exceed 100 species.

Arrive Sunday May 5th, I’ll have your hotel room reserved this is included in the field trip cost. We will stay in the Best Western Airport, Milwaukee. The Best Western has a shuttle if you arrive in the evening. 

Day 1, Monday – 7 AM breakfast Best Western Hotel.                                                      The tour begins with birding in Milwaukee, exploring the city’s walking paths along Lake Michigan, stopping to bird the lakefront beaches for Warbler Species scoping the Coast Guard breakwater for loafing gull species, diving ducks and visiting a wonderful string of lakeside parks to seek Sparrow species, Eastern Bluebird, Purple Martin and newly arrived Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos. We will close the day with a visit to Milwaukee’s Urban Ecology Center to use their three-story birding tower to watch the evening Chimney Swifts. We will all dine together for both lunch and dinner on Milwaukee east side which is the area in Milwaukee we’ll be birding.

Day 2, Tuesday – 7AM breakfast Best Western Hotel                                                           We begin our travel into central Wisconsin. In the morning, we’ll visit Aldo Leopold’s Home wetland Preserve, and Devils Lake State Park searching the hardwood forest for Bonapart Gull, Common Loon, Blue Wing Teal, Veery, Hooded Warbler, and Rusty Blackbirds.  In the afternoon we’ll visit the International Crane Foundation in the afternoon, where we’ll see Whooping Cranes, other endangered cranes part of the captive breeding program. Birding the birding trails of the center before leaving —seeking Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Phobe, Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Sandhill Cranes— we’ll also explore the comprehensive offerings in their superb bookstore. 

Day 3, Wednesday April 19 with a 6:30 AM breakfast Best Western Hotel.                                      We will drive to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, located in north central Wisconsin. The refuge has over 250 species on record. We’ll spend the morning seeking Whooping Cranes, Trumpeter Swan, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. After lunch we will visit John Muir Boyhood home regional park. Where we may see Winter Wren, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Field Sparrow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Pine Warbler. We’ll stop at Grand River Marsh seeking the Ducks, waders, shore birds Ovenbird and Wood Thrush. Lodging is in Waupun Wi. which is close to Horicon Marsh.

Day 4, Thursday April 20 with a 6:30 Breakfast Wyndham Hotel.                                               The Horicon Marsh, North America’s largest freshwater cattail marsh, found here in central Wisconsin. This birder’s paradise, early morning we’ll search for shore birds and waders, peeps, specifically White-rumped Sandpiper, Black Tern, and Pectoral Sandpiper. As well as more neotropical migrants including Sedge Wren, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Flycatchers, Veery, Palm Warbler, and Indigo Bunting and possible Rusty Blackbird. After lunch We’ll drive to Harrington Beach State Park, one of Wisconsin’s oldest and most beautiful state parks, in search of Mergansers’, Bonaparte’s Gulls, other gulls and tern species. 

Day 5, Friday Our final day. We’ll stop at the Port Washington Wisconsin on Lake Michigan.  As we bird our way through the Milwaukee Lake front, we will be on the lookout for Ref Headed.  We’ll check our total sightings Friday afternoon over lunch for those who wish to depart Friday evening. Your Friday night hotel fee is not covered in the field trip fee, so you will need to make your own arrangements for an overnight stay. * If these areas are not productive for us, I will lead us back to Lake Michigan, Lake front to finish the day.

Trip begins Monday May 6 with 8AM in Milwaukee Airport hotel pickup; it concludes on Friday late afternoon May 10, with airport or Hotel drop-off. Your Friday hotel is not included in field trip fee. Yellowbilled Tours will forward a final Itinerary and participant list to everyone 3 weeks prior to the tour. It will include information and instructions for meeting the YBT Birding group at the Milwaukee Airport, as well as hotel addresses, emergency contact info, travel advisories, etc.

$2950.00 cost (limited to 6 birders) includes all lodging, ground transportation, fuel, field guiding fee and park entry fees. Airfare and meals not included.
Registration is open and confirmed with a completed registration form and $1950.00 deposit. Balance of 1000.00 is due February 1, 2024.

If a participant cancels after the balance is paid, every effort will be made to find a suitable replacement. If no replacement is found, a $600.00 administrative fee plus any hotel cancelations charges.  For questions, please contact: Rich Cimino 925-353-0266, or e-mail at Yellowbilledtours@gmail.com