Self-Guided Bird & Nature Outing Tips

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Chuck Henrikson

A barred owl.

A message from Madison Parks: As you may have heard, Public Health Madison & Dane County released an update to the Forward Dane Plan. Under the revised plan, mass outdoor gatherings are reduced to no more than 20 people. Here are some tips for outings on your own.

press release: Nature outings are free, fun, family friendly and educational. No registration required, no pets. Wear comfortable hiking shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather. Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one. Remember to wear a mask, maintain safe social distance and avoid forming groups. Post pictures and comments to the Madison FUN Facebook Page!  Contact 608-698-0104.

Tenney Park, 1650 Sherman Avenue: Celebrate Groundhog Day and Valentines Day at Tenney Park with a Self-Guided Walk Any Day in February!

Join Master Naturalist Paul Noeldner Sat Feb 06, 2:30pm at Tenney Beach for an informal walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain safe social distance. The days are already getting longer and creatures are starting to stir in their dens. For Groundhogs it is time to wake up to check the weather and look for love - then go back to sleep! See http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures for Fun Facts about Groundhogs.  Then take a walk at Tenney Park to look for signs of animal activity. Try using an app like Critter Trax to identify some tracks you see! Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), MSCR, Madison Audubon, Friends of Tenney-Lapham and Friends of the Yahara River Parkway.

Cherokee Marsh, 6098 N Sherman Ave. (North Unit parking lot): Enjoy a Self-Guided Walk to Explore the Wetlands at Cherokee Marsh Any Day in February! Join Native Plant Expert Jeff Steele Sun Feb 7, 1:30pm for an informal walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain safe social distance. Wetlands are fascinating relationships between water, plants and animals.  What's going on beneath the surface?  How do aquatic insects, amphibians and other animals survive winter in the marsh? See the Friends of Cherokee Marsh Facebook page and http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures for Fun Facts about Wetlands and a cool virtual Video Tour by Naturalist Jeff Steele!  Celebrate World Wetland Day with a beautiful winter walk at Cherokee Marsh and explore the wetland trails for yourself! See the Friends of Cherokee Marsh Facebook page for more information and a map. Post pictures and comments!  When regularly schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Cherokee Marsh at 1:30pm the 1st Sunday every month. Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon, Sierra Club and Friends of Cherokee Marsh.

Owen Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road: Explore Owen Park Any Day in February with a Self-Guided Walk and Activity Map to Learn about Trees! Join Friend of Owen Bethney Gunderson and Tree Expert Sean Gere Sat Feb 13, 2:30pm for an informal walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain safe social distance. Have you ever wondered how to identify trees when there are no leaves to help you? Use our Self-Guided Activity Map and enjoy an easy hike that will introduce you to many of the trees found in Owen Park.  Learn how to identify 16 different kinds of trees by their bark and shape! See the Friends of Owen Conservation Park Facebook page or http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures to download the Winter Tree ID Activity. Follow the map to the Winter Tree ID signs. Post your pictures and comments and join the Friends to help support this beautiful place! When regularly schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Owen Park at 2:30pm the 2nd Saturday every month. Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon and Friends of Owen Conservation Park. 

Turville Point, 1156 Olin-Turville Court: Take a Lovely Winter Walk at Turville Point Any Day in February to Look for Owls and Other Birds! Join Enthused Birder Dane Gallagher Sun Feb 14, 1:30pm for an informal walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain safe social distance. Great Horned Owls celebrate Valentines day by hoo-hoo-hooting soft duets and pair up and build nests in the middle of winter! Hunting for mice to feed fluffy white owlets is easier when there is still snow on the ground. Other Raptors such as Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks also start nesting in winter. See http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures for Fun Facts about Owls and a Winter Bird Bingo Card! Take a walk at Turville Point to see if you can spot an Owl sitting quietly in a big oak or pine tree!  Can you find owl pellets (hacked up dry fur and bones) on the ground along the trail? What other birds and animals do you see? Bring binocs or a camera if you have one. Post your comments and pictures on the Friends of Olin-Turville Facebook page! When regularly schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Turville Point at 1:30pm the 2nd Sunday every month. Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon and Friends of Olin-Turville.

Starkweather Creek: Take a Self-Guided Walk along Starkweather Creek Any Day in February to Enjoy Winter Beauty and Look for Nature Signs! Join Master Naturalist Alex Singer Sat Feb 20, 10am, by Goodman Community Center for an informal walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain social distance. What are Critters Doing in Winter? Learn about different ways animals (and plants) deal with the cold, including living under the snow!  See http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures for Fun Facts about Hibernation and Animals in Winter.  Take a walk on your own to look for tracks and signs of life beneath the snow! Try using a guidebook or app such as Critter Trax to identify tracks you see. Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one. Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one. See the Friends of Starkweather Creek Facebook page for more information and a map. Post your pictures and comments! When regular schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Starkweather Creek at 10am the 3rd Saturday every month.  Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon, Goodman Community Center and Friends of Starkweather Creek.

Warner Park, 2930 N. Sherman Ave: Take a Self Guided Walk Any Day in February at Warner Park and Learn How Animals Spend Winter. Join Warner Park Master Naturalist Kathlean Wolf Sun Feb 21, 1:30pm at the Rainbow Shelter for a walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a mask and maintain safe social distance. Explore the woods and fields of late winter in the time when death and new life walk side-by-side.  Animals run through the last of their fat reserves and food becomes scarce, even as many animals are mating and rearing tiny pups.  Trees secretly turn root-starch to sugar, preparing to send sap high into their limbs to feed tiny leaf-buds. Will winter come to a warm and welcome end, or will the cold hang on until only the strongest survive? See the Wild Warner Facebook page for more information about this topic and a park trail map.  When regularly schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Warner Park at 1:30pm the 3rd Sunday every month. Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon and Wild Warner. See http://cityofmadison.com/parks/blog and the Wild Warner Facebook page for more details and suggestions for Self-Guided walks and Volunteer Activities.

Edna Taylor/Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive: Take a Self Guided Walk Any Day in February at Edna Taylor/Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Learn about Trees! Join Naturalist Alex Singer Sat Feb 27, 10am outside the Aldo Leopold Nature Center for an unofficial walk limited to the first 20 people; wear a face mask and maintain safe social distance. Days are getting warmer but nights are still cold.  Lengthening Winter days are a perfect time for trees to start sending sap (energy stored as sugar) back up from their roots (the tree's storage batteries) to be ready to grow new leaves (the tree's solar panels). How does this magic occur every year? See http://tinyurl.com/MadisonFUNAdventures for Fun Facts about Trees and Maple Syrup. Take a walk to look for signs of tree sap rising such as buds forming on the ends of branches.  Join Jeff Steele Sat Feb 23 who will use a demonstration log to help you learn how to use a hollow tube spile to collect maple syrup as has been done for generations by different cultures. Did you know there is a bird called a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that makes neat grids of holes in trees to collect sap? It also eats insects that gather! Try to find a tree with Sapsucker holes. Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one. When regular schedules resume enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at Edna Taylor/ALNC at 10am the 4th Saturday every month.  Co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Parks (Self-Guided Walks), Madison Audubon, Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Friends of Edna Taylor. See http://cityofmadison.com/parks/blog and the ALNC and Friends of Edna Taylor Facebook pages for more details updates and suggestions for Self-Guided Walks and Activities.

Lakeshore Nature Preserve, 2002 University Bay Drive (Picnic Point parking lot): Winter Birds in the Preserve. Even with ice and snow there are beautiful, bright and noisy birds to enjoy at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Chuck Henrikson (ckhenrikson@gmail.com) has written this guide to birds found in the Preserve during February's cold and snow, and he illustrated it with 26 of his own photos!  Chuck included tips to distinguish downy from hairy woodpeckers, and where he sighted barred owls.   Find the tour at https://www.friendslakeshorepreserve.com/.   Park in UW Lot 130 (2003 University Bay Drive) The parking lot is fee-free on the weekends and after 4:30pm on weekdays.  Email your pictures and comments to dbdubielzig@gmail.com! Post pictures and comments on the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve Facebook page!  When regular outing schedules resume come back to enjoy Naturalist led Bird and Nature Outings at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve at 1pm the 4th Sunday every month co-sponsored by Madison FUN partners Madison Audubon and Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.