Paddling the Backwaters by Canoe/Kayak:

Non-Fee Event
Level of Difficulty:     Moderate
Note:     This is not a suitable trip for first-time paddlers. All participants must have paddling skills and must bring their own boat & equipment. Life jackets are mandatory. One trip is offered on Friday and one on Saturday, highlighting different areas of the river.
Paddlers will explore and learn about the dynamics of the Mississippi River and its backwaters. Likely sightings include migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors (including Bald Eagles and Osprey), Black Terns, American White Pelicans, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and warblers (including Yellow-rumped, American Redstarts and Prothonotary). Expect to paddle several miles. (Note: Pre-registered participants will be notified of the meeting place in their pre-registration packets.)

 

Birding the Mississippi River Backwaters by Boat:

Fee:     $10.00/person
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
This is your chance to visit the birds of the river and floodplain forests up-close ON the water! Join seasoned river ecologists to explore the bird life and ecology in some of the more hidden and inaccessible areas of the Upper Mississippi River. Participants will ride aboard a fleet of motorboats with knowledgeable guides. On this trip you’ll learn what makes the Upper Mississippi River one of the most important ecosystems in the heart of the country and why floodplain forests are important to the bird and animal species that depend upon this habitat. Enjoy this quiet trip into the secluded backwaters, and perhaps a hike on one of the many islands.

 

Birding by Railcar: Exploring the Chippewa Bottoms
Note: event is located roughly 2 hours north of La Crosse

Fee:     $20 / person
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
This tour is simply the most unique way to penetrate the wild areas of one of the most important floodplain forests in the entire upper Midwest. The Tiffany Bottoms cover 12,000 acres of prime breeding and migratory bird habitat. This is a 5-6 hour ride on standard gauge tracks in miniature-sized railcars. Frequent stops are made, allowing excellent viewing opportunities of secretive birds like the Prothonotary, Mourning, Golden-winged & Cerulean Warblers. Possible sightings include: Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Whip-poor-will, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Veery. Resident nesting Bald Eagles are also on the menu as are herons, egrets and many woodpeckers. Lots of knowledgeable & friendly birding guides from the Coulee Region Audubon Society will be on board to help you spot and identify birds. For your comfort, facilities are provided on the last rail car. (A portable Porta Potty for those on the Go!) The rest of the railcars are not enclosed, so be sure to pack warm clothes in case of cool weather, bring a lunch & beverages. Insect repellent, good walking shoes and a soft sitting pad are highly recommended.

 

Myrick Marsh:
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
The Myrick Marsh is a wet, green oasis in the middle of a city. It's a place where both wildlife and people can enjoy a freedom rarely found in an urban environment. This is a walk along the raised dikes in La Crosse's often-threatened urban wetland. With its open pools and expanses of reeds, sedges, and grasses, the marsh is home to muskrat, beaver, otter, fox and deer. Over 180 species of birds have been seen in the marsh and the nearby Hixon Forest in the past few years and mid-May is prime time. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Snowy Egret are among the more unusual species seen here over past few years. Black Terns and Great Egrets are resident species that are found here even when they are rare in the rest of Wisconsin. Bird species to be seen in early spring may include most of the ducks found in Wisconsin; all of the swallows; any of the migrating warblers, vireos & sparrows; American Bittern; Sandhill Crane; Virginia Rail; Sora; Baltimore Oriole; Yellow-headed Blackbird; Song & Swamp Sparrows; and Marsh Wren.

 

Bird Banding at Myrick Marsh
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
We will capture migrating songbirds in nets and band them with metal tags. Banding stations collect data used by ornithologists to estimate how long birds live, how far they travel, and what habitats they frequent. Participants will get to see songbirds up close. This activity is recommended for families with children. We will meet at the Watchable Wildlife sign just east of the dog park (near the zoo), which is midway between the Rabbit Trails and the path down the center of the marsh. Nets will be set in both directions and the banding table will be located near the viewing platform next to the parking lot.

 

Rush Creek Scientific and Natural Area:
Level of Difficulty:    Strenuous - this is a steep hike up a bluff in rough terrain. Please wear appropriate footwear.
Nestled in the rugged Mississippi River bluffs, Rush Creek is one of Wisconsin’s premier state natural areas. This 2,000 acre site supports extensive tracts of oak forest and the best remaining bluff prairies in the upper Midwest. Hiking will include up-hill areas, and views of the river corridor are spectacular. Possible species include Pileated Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Great–crested Flycatcher, Red-shouldered Hawk Cerulean Warbler, and other spring migrants.

 

Beaver Creek Valley State Park:
Fee Area:     Daily park pass $7.00
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
Located in Houston County, Minnesota, Beaver Creek Valley State Park is a deeply wooded hardwood forest featuring the clean and clear waters of Beaver Creek. Best birds include nesting Louisiana Waterthrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and other woodland birds. Trail is level, with about 1.5 miles round trip, and includes crossing the shallow creek on a two foot wide bridge.

 

Root River Bottoms:
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
This 600 acre property borders the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge. It supports a diverse mix of agriculture fields, weedy fence rows, ponds, shallow marsh, willow thickets and bottomland hardwoods. Its location adjacent to the Mississippi River makes this site particularly attractive to migratory birds. Hiking will be on level terrain along access roads and levees.

 

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge:
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
The Refuge’s trails wind through diverse habitats including rolling prairies, rich wetlands, and bottomland forests. In the grasslands, keep your eyes open for Grasshopper Sparrows, Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, and Lark Sparrows. In the wetland areas, look for Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Great Egrets, Wood Ducks and other migratory waterfowl. In the bottomland forests, watch for Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, and many others.

 

Goose Island County Park:
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
Goose Island County Park is situated on a 700-acre island in the floodplain of the Mississippi River. A rich mosaic of floodplain forest and high quality marshes, the island, due to its location, serves as a migrant trap during spring and fall migration. Expect numerous species of warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and sparrows. Resident species include Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Barred Owl, American Woodcock, six species of woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a large colony of Cliff Swallows, Indigo Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole and Prothonotary Warbler. Hiking is easy on level terrain with well-defined trails.

 

Van Loon Wildlife Area / Seven Bridges Area:
Level of Difficulty:     Easy
This state-owned wildlife area encompasses almost 4,000 acres of rich bottomland hardwoods in the floodplain of the Black River. Birding will occur along an abandoned, elevated roadway that crosses the bottoms. Possible species include Red Shouldered Hawk, Wood Duck, Barred Owl, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, and six species of woodpeckers. Six of the seven unique bridges still span the Black River backwaters along Seven Bridges Road. The east-west orientation of the road offers a good cross-section of the Mississippi Flyway in this area, and the open stretches of water, along with the wooded bottomlands attract many species of migrating birds.

 

Wyalusing State Park:
Fee Area:    Daily park pass ($5.00 for WI plates; $10.00 for out-of-state plates)
Level of Difficulty:     Moderate to Strenuous
Considered one of Wisconsin’s premier birding sites, Wyalusing State Park is situated on rugged bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Extensive tracts of rich upland forest and bottomland hardwoods provide outstanding birding opportunities. The park’s specialties include nesting Red Shouldered Hawks, Acadian Flycatchers, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Henlsow’s Sparrows, and Cerulean, Kentucky, Prothonotary, and Yellow-throated Warblers.

 

 

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