Migratory Birding Hike at Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area

In celebration of World Migratory Bird Day, a free guided birding walk is being offered to the public by Mississippi Valley Conservancy at Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area (SNA) on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Enjoy the sights and sounds of spring in a beautiful, natural setting as you stroll through the blufflands while learning more about these migratory birds.

Guiding this year’s walk will be Krysten Zummo, Gwyn Calvetti and Dr. Stefan Gleissberg, along with staff and volunteers. Participants will be guided in how to listen for, watch, and identify the various birds that are returning to or passing through the area after wintering as far away as South America. Some binoculars (about a dozen) will be available for those who would like to borrow them.

Krysten is the Grassland Ecologist for the National Audubon Society in Minnesota where she helps merge the interests of farmers and bird habitat. She has been an avid birder for over 15 years and has worked across the country studying how habitat management impacts bird populations. Dr. Stefan Gleissberg is a biologist and birder since his teenage years. He is a volunteer eBird reviewer and part of a Chimney Swift monitoring program. Stefan is the Managing Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and teaches at Viterbo University.

We’ll be joined by our friends from Ferryville Tourism, and they’re sure to have good suggestions for things to do nearby when the hike is over. Participants will spread out in small groups, guided by knowledgeable guides, staff, and volunteers. Specific driving directions will be emailed to participants prior to the event.

Sugar Creek Bluff, a 440-acre bluffland nature preserve near Ferryville, Wisconsin, rises from the banks of Sugar Creek near the Mississippi River. With its beautiful meadows, forests, and prairies the property provides much needed habitat for rare and threatened bird species. Birds seen on previous hikes through this State Natural Area have included the red shouldered hawk, the whip-poor-will, the grasshopper sparrow, the cerulean warbler, and the blue-winged warbler.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this free event by May 8. Sign up at MississippiValleyConservancy.org/events. For any questions, contact Karen Solverson at karen@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call 608-784-3606 ext. 8.

This event is part of the Conservancy’s 2024 “Linked to the Land” series of outdoor experiences on the many nature preserves it protects for wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, outdoor learning and recreation in the Driftless Area. The program is generously sponsored by Olson Solar Energy and WXOW News19.

(PHOTO: While the grasshopper sparrow has been in steep decline since the 1970s, they are often spotted at Sugar Creek Bluff. Photo courtesy of Allen Blake Sheldon. All rights reserved.)