2025 Migratory Birding Hike - Sugar Creek Bluff

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 10, 2025.  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. (Photo: The Acadian flycatcher is currently listed as a threatened species. They are extremely sensitive to forest fragmentation, but do well in larger woodlots like the protected property at Sugar Creek Bluff State Natural Area. Photo courtesy of Gwyn Calvetti.)

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Leading the walk this year are Krysten Zummo, Gwyn Calvetti, and Connor Kotte, along with Conservancy staff and volunteers. Krysten, a Grassland Ecologist with the National Audubon Society in Minnesota, has been an avid birder for over 16 years and collaborates with farmers to preserve bird habitats. Gwyn is a dedicated birder and active member of the Coulee Region Audubon Society, and has done DNR volunteer field work on many bird-related projects. Connor, the Conservancy’s Stewardship Specialist, is active in the Kickapoo Bird Habitat Initiative and is a lifelong learner who is passionate about sharing his love for birding.

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.

(Photo: A group of hikers spots a cerulean warbler on a birding hike in 2024)

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 7. For any questions, contact Karen Solverson at [email protected] 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.