Bird Watching

Green Lake County is blessed by its wealth of habitats for birds and wildlife, and many good birding locations have trails and are open to public access. Depending on the time of year, some places will vary considerably in what birdlife might be present, while other sites might provide great opportunities to fi nd birds during any season. In general the best time of year for bird-watching is spring and summer – especially April through July – when migrants are passing through, or individuals are engaged in territorial displays and breeding activities.

Over 260 bird species have been found in the area, including a nice variety of waterfowl, hawks and owls, woodpeckers, thrushes, sparrows, warblers, and fi nches. Some of the favorites include Common Loon, American White Pelican, wild turkey, American Woodcock, Pileated Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, and Indigo Bunting. In winter, one can sometimes encounter Rough-legged Hawk, Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting, and both crossbills. Some of the unusual or rare birds that have been found here have been Iceland Gull, Yellow Rail, Golden Eagle, Snowy Plover, Summer Tanager, Carolina Wren, Bohemian Waxwing and Harris’s Sparrow.

Starting relatively close to the lake, there are a number of Green Lake Conservancy sites that can provide a good bird-watching experience. One of the best is Sunnyside Conservancy, which is located along Silver Creek Inlet, off Lakeview Drive, and contains several lagoons and about two miles of trails. Other conservancy hiking areas include Hammer’s Trail and Winnebago Trail, both are located within the Green Lake Conference Center and overlook the lake. Norwegian Bay Conservancy is another excellent place to go, and has a long boardwalk that extends through a marsh to the shore of Norwegian Bay.

A little farther from the lake are two very large stateowned properties that can provide wonderful birding opportunities. One is the White River Marsh State Wildlife area, located north of Princeton and southwest of Berlin; and the other is Grand River State Wildlife Area, just west of Kingston. Another good option is the Snake Creek Wetlands Trail, which follows an abandoned railroad right-ofway between Swamp and St. Marie roads. Courtesy of Tom Schulz, Wildlife Artist/Ornithologist

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