Otsego Marsh & Goose Pond

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The forecast was for a sunny fall day, but as we made our way out of the city north on Hwy 51 toward our destination in Columbia County, we found ourselves enveloped in a dense fog due to a hard freeze the night before.  The fog persisted throughout our 50 minute ride to our first stop, Otsego Marsh (A on the map), a Madison Audubon Society sanctuary that was new to us. After leaving the main highway we threaded our way along the back country roads past miles of cornfields that by now had been mostly harvested.

Though visibility had improved somewhat by the time we arrived, we almost missed the entrance to the small parking area for the marsh. There is a diminutive sign marking the entrance that says Goose Pond Sanctuary (used here as the generic term for the cluster of Audubon properties in the area) while a placard for Otsego Marsh stands at the back of the parking area.  Two trailheads lead into the woods adjacent to the marsh.

We could hear the loud cackling of geese coming from the northeast and, though we couldn't see the marsh through the fog, we assumed that setting out through the woods would take us to it. It was an easy walk along the wide, leaf-covered trail. Tom had little difficulty with his rolling walker. As the fog started to lift we could begin to see slivers of the marsh pond to our left between the trees. As time wore on we began to wonder why the trail never got any closer than a hundred feet or so to the edge of the pond. Then the trail suddenly curved off to the right, and we realized that it would loop back to the parking area and that we had come as far as we could go.

Trail through the woods at Otsego Marsh, November 2013

Turning around we could now see clearly through the trees and realized that the western edge of the pond was adjacent to the road! If we had driven about fifty feet further, we would have been right at the edge of the marsh and able to look out over its quite considerable expanse. So that is what we did. The fall landscape was spectacular in the early morning light. The geese, though, were little specks in the far northeast corner, and we couldn't be certain that they were joined by other waterfowl. A Great Blue Heron perched briefly on the shore and flew away to the interior of the marsh. We had to park mostly on the road due to a narrow and steep shoulder, so we did not want to linger.

Otsego Marsh looking east from Old County Rd F, Columbia County, November 2013

After stopping for breakfast at The Owl's Nest in Poynette (excellent French toast) we proceeded to our final stop, Goose Pond near the town of Arlington.  Goose Pond actually consists of two ponds separated by Goose Pond Road. At the times that we have visited, all the action has been on the western pond. One can park on the dead-end access road to this pond and be quite close to the water. The birds, of course, typically cluster on the opposite side, so a scope is almost mandatory.

Goose Pond looking east from the access road, Columbia County, September 2011

Today we saw a number of Trumpeter Swans, a refreshing departure from the predominant geese and coots.

Trumpeter Swans, GPD, 3 November 2013, 11:37 AM

Had it not been for a helpful birder with a keen eye, we might have missed the American Widgeon swimming a great distance away among a large number of Canada Geese that also included some Cackling Geese.

American Widgeon barely visible at upper middle, GPD, 3 November 2013, 12:04 PM

One can also go up and down the country roads in this area and find other small ponds and muddy fields that host bird life. The several prairies restored by Madison Audubon in the area are also worth exploring. We have reserved these for a future trip. An easy ride from Madison, the Madison Audubon sanctuaries in Columbia County are great places to spend a fall morning.

Tiedeman & Stricker Ponds

Our excursion this morning took us to Tiedeman and Stricker Ponds off Gammon Road in Middleton. These two ponds, which are in close proximity, are among several glacial kettle ponds in Middleton and west Madison. Located in urban neighborhoods, they are readily accessible from the street.


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Detail of Tiedeman Pond near sunset, Mid-October

The view of Tiedeman from street level along Sweeney Drive is somewhat obscured by undergrowth. Either of two rustic stairs takes you down to a chipped bark trail near the shore of the pond. If you are mobility impaired, be careful on these stairs. The rough-hewn railings of the stairs are really more ornamental than practical. They are low and set too far apart from the stairs themselves. The only other option is to make a wide circuit around a nearby playground to reach the trail. The trail becomes a boardwalk that circuits the pond with rest points along the way. When water levels are high, the trails may not be accessible. The trail may also be cordoned off to protect nesting wildlife, as one spring when we encountered nesting Sandhill Cranes on the south shore of the pond.

At Tiedeman we always pay close attention to the northwest shore, where we have often found Great Blue Heron and Great Egret fishing. On this late October day today our attention turns to migrant waterfowl. The birds tend to stay distant, so a scope is almost mandatory. We sorted out Bufflehead and a single Canvasback from the numerous mallards and geese. A pair of Sandhill Cranes passed overhead.

Sandhill Cranes, TPD, 27 October 2012, 9:00 AM

Stricker Pond is in Middleton, although the conservancy area on the southern edge is in the city of Madison. Middleton Street provides a good view of the pond. This is an excellent place to bird in the early morning from a park bench or from the car. Songbirds are often feeding in the prairie grasses near the shore.

Palm Warbler, SPD, 12 October 2012, 9:25 AM

This year much pruning has been done and undesirable vegetation cleared away, so the view of the pond is very good along the length of Middleton Street.

Stricker Pond looking west from Middleton Street, Morning, Mid-October

There is no outlet from here by car to the Madison side, however. There is a small turnoff at the end of the street where you can park and continue on a footpath to the conservancy. (By car you must take Longmeadow Road off Gammon Road to reach the Madison conservancy.) There is a trailhead on the Longmeadow Road side into a wooded area, and you could continue all the way around the pond for a modest round trip of 0.8 miles. Note that a narrow barrier at the trailhead blocks access to any wheeled traffic.

Later in the day the best vantage point is on the western shore of Stricker, which you can access by taking the north shore footpath from Middleton Street (1000 feet) or by parking on Voss Parkway at Stricker Park.

Stricker Pond looking southeast from Stricker Park near sunset, Mid-October

The walk through Stricker Park to seating overlooking the pond is about 450 feet to the first bench and 300 feet further to the second. The first bench provides a fairly high vantage point over the entirety of the pond. The second bench is secluded by foliage and marsh grasses and closer to the water, so it provides an even better observation point. The birds tend to congregate on this end of the pond and—since you are in a sort of blind—they remain unperturbed. On our morning visit we observed Northern Shovelers skimming along and a Bufflehead perched on a rock. There were several incoming and outgoing flocks of Mallards. We were intrigued by the Bufflehead, which we had not seen out of the water before.

Northern Shoveler, SPD, 27 October 2012,  9:26 AM

Bufflehead, SPD, 27 October 2012, 10:02 AM

Mallards, SPD, 27 October 2012, 10:18 AM

Later in the day Gene returned and captured Sandhill Cranes feeding under a rising moon.

Stricker Pond looking east from Stricker Park, 27 October 2012, 6:12 PM

Pheasant Branch & Marshall Park

The Boardwalk in Pheasant Branch Conservancy

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Today we revisited one of our favored spots—the boardwalk at Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton; and we explored a new one—the nearby Marshall Park in Madison.

In an earlier post we described the Pheasant Branch Trail originating at Century Avenue and extending westward through Middleton. That trail is the "tail" so to speak of the "kite" of Pheasant Branch Conservancy proper, which lies north of Century Avenue. The main trail system in the Conservancy is a 3.3 mile loop surrounding a core wetland. Our preferred access to the trail loop is the entrance to a boardwalk at the end of Marina Drive off Century Avenue. There is easy street parking; and the boardwalk provides a dry, level, and comfortable walk. Our round trip today was about 0.4 miles taking us through a mixed woodland that stands in slightly marshy conditions.

The boardwalk starts with a bridge over a gully. About 120 feet further the trail intersects with the main loop. Here we turned east. Facing the morning sun about an hour after sunrise, we kept up a quick pace to our destination—the bridge across Pheasant Branch Creek—so we could have a leisurely walk back with the sun behind us. We lingered at the bridge to explore the canopies of the trees in the more open area around the creek. There was a lot of furtive activity but not anything we could recognize apart from common birds. We could hear the calls of Sandhill Cranes coming from the marsh to our north, and a pair passed overhead.

Looking North from the Pheasant Branch Creek Bridge

We moved on to nearby Marshall Park off Allen Blvd. on the southwest shore of Lake Mendota just across the city limit in Madison. The park has a boat launch, beach, and wooded area. Accessibility is very good. The walk is about 200 feet along a paved path/service road from the parking lot to the beach.


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Many Madisonians may not know that a Holocaust Memorial provided by a private donor was dedicated here in 1998. Overlooking the lake in a simple, meditative setting, the monument consists of two stone benches facing an inscribed boulder.

Detail of the Holocaust Memorial at Marshall Park

We thought we might find more water birds but had to be satisfied with a Common Loon and a pair of Pied-billed Grebes. In the shrubbery near the beach we saw one or more flycatchers. There is a concrete bathhouse by the beach that has an observation deck reached by stairs as well as a ramp. Hemmed in by foliage, it only provides a tunnel view of the lake. We did see a Northern Waterthrush scurry along the muddy shoreline below us. We followed a path along the shoreline into a deciduous woods for a few hundred feet. Not much of the lake was visible, though it appeared that the nimble could find a way down the embankment. The path opened into a clearing that was adjacent to private property, so we turned back, being a little uncomfortable pointing cameras and binoculars.

Northern Waterthrush, MPK, 23 September 2012, 9:36 AM

Northern Waterthrush, MPK,
23 September 2012, 9:36 AM

Nine Springs Lagoons

Detail of Nine Springs Lagoons, May 2010

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The lagoons and wildlife observation area at the Madison Municipal Sewerage District site off Moorland is one of our favorite spots for viewing waterfowl and shorebirds. Lake Farm County Park is adjacent to this area, and just across the road is a parking lot for the Nine Springs E-Way, so we generally refer to the site as “Nine Springs Lagoons.” The relationship among these three natural areas is clear on the site map of Lake Farm Park.

Crossing the road after parking, you can go straight ahead to a boardwalk that crosses over a marsh or turn left and walk about 700 ft. along the Capital City Trail to the trailhead to the lagoons. The 900 ft. boardwalk dead-ends at an observation deck with a good view of the easternmost of the main lagoons, so it is very convenient for birders with disability issues, but spotting from there is best done with a scope. In spring and fall, the marshy woods between the lagoons and Moorland Road abound with warblers and other small migratory birds, although it is often difficult to get good views and even more difficult to photograph when the dense foliage is in its full glory. At the trailhead you have to negotiate a shallow ditch to reach the path around the lagoons. Tom walks with a rollator (rolling walker) and needed assistance to get across. The lagoon paths are either dirt and coarse gravel or thick grass, which can be further impediments depending on the weather.

On this trip, we were disappointed to see how green and scummy the lagoons were (compared to the photo above taken in 2010), but numerous mallards and some Canada geese idled or moved slowly in the water. There were some smaller ducks that Gene thought might be young or female blue-winged teals, but Tom convinced him they were young mallards, so there was no excitement on the waterfowl front. We did see a pair of Sandhill Cranes on the far bank, and we never tire of them. We also observed two Killdeer thanks to Linda and Sayoko’s spotting. Sayoko spotted another small shorebird, but its lack of strong markings and considerable distance made identification difficult. Tom’s photographs suggest that it is a Pectoral Sandpiper.

Pectoral Sandpiper(?), NSL, 15 September 2012, 8:23 AM

Pectoral Sandpiper(?) and Killdeer, 15 September 2012, 8:21 AM

As three of us moved on past the middle lagoon, Sayoko hung back to look at the boggy area on the other side of the embankment. Since she lingered for quite a while, Gene went back and found that she was looking at small marsh birds. Photography was difficult because of the direction of the sun and the undergrowth, but he managed to get a fairly decent picture of a Sora, a new bird for both of them. Unfortunately, it had disappeared in the bushes before Tom and Linda arrived. In the nearby trees, we saw two Common Yellowthroats and a Cedar Waxwing among a variety of even more common birds.

Sora, NSL, 15 September 2012, 9:05 AM

We ended our outing back at Gene and Sayoko’s house for brunch and a leisurely few hours of conversation.

Pheasant Branch Creek Trail

Pheasant Branch Creek Trail, Middleton

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The Pheasant Branch Creek Trail begins just south of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy at Century Avenue near Branch Street in Middleton. It is a paved trail that follows the wooded corridor along Pheasant Branch Creek. Our favorite part is the section between Century Avenue and Park Street. Though parking is much easier on the Park Street side, today we entered from the Century Avenue side. If you are mobility impaired, this end of the trail does not have a long grade like the Park Street side, where the climb back to street level can be difficult. The trail between Century Avenue and Park Street is about a half mile long. There are park benches and rustic log benches along the route.

Today, our foursome was joined by Nancy Marshall, another colleague and bird enthusiast. Nancy has a keen ear and recognizes many of the calls we hear.  We especially like birding the Trail during the spring warbler migration, but we had heard the fall migration had begun and wanted the new challenge of recognizing warblers without their breeding plumage.  We did see a few little birds here and there flitting around in the dense foliage, but had no real opportunity for identification much less photography.

At about the half-way mark we decided to turn back. A small clearing with seating next to the creek provided a congenial spot to sit and rest and bemoan our bad luck. All of a sudden, however, the day was rescued by the appearance of a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk hunting in the area.  We even saw it swoop down and make a kill. Swift and thrilling, it was over before we could raise our cameras. We had other excellent opportunities, though, for viewing and photographing the bird perched.

Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, PBT, 19 August 2012, 8:53 AM

Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, PBT, 19 Augut 2012, 8:41 AM

Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, PBT, 19 August 2012, 8:52 AM

A Belted Kingfisher appeared and flew around calling excitedly, but didn’t land, probably because of the hawk.  Another bird that did present itself clearly to us was an Eastern Wood-Peewee.  We struggled a bit with identifying it because small flycatchers are so similar, and its call seemed off, but a couple of more experienced birders confirmed the identification and said it was giving a warning call because of the hawk in the area.  The same birders helped us sort out which hawk we had been seeing.  The collegiality among birders is yet one more pleasure of this hobby.  We paused mid-morning to tailgate with coffee and donuts before moving on. Donuts courtesy of Nancy. Linda poured.

Eastern Wood-Peewee, PBT, 19 August 2012, 9:10 AM

We moved on to check out Tiedeman Pond and Stricker Pond, also in Middleton, but there was not much to see, so we moved on to Pope Farm Park off of Old Sauk Road.  This is a beautiful spot with views of restored prairie as well as corn and sunflower fields.  We saw common birds such as mourning doves, tree swallows, and goldfinches at a distance, but the main event was actually a picnic breakfast we all contributed to.  We will return to this site some early morning in the fall in hopes of seeing birds that prefer open fields.

Gardner (East) Marsh & Harvey E. Schmidt Park

Harvey E. Schmidt Park Looking North toward Gardner (East) Marsh

We had never been to Harvey E. Schmidt Park and didn't know what we would find.  It was great: there were good views of Gardner (East) Marsh from a highly accessible location.  The marsh is part of the larger area of wetlands known as Gardner Marsh in the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

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This hidden gem of a park is located on Carver Street just off Fish Hatchery Road in the Town of Madison neighborhood that is tucked against the eastern portion of the Arboretum. Curiously, the park does not appear by name in Google Maps. We have marked the location on the map above. The easiest way to reach the park is via Fish Hatchery Road. The narrow 5.4 acre park runs nearly the full length of Carver Street. There are several off-street parking spaces including handicapped parking.

The park is very accessible. The pathway that meanders along the edge of the marsh is smooth and level. There are several benches and picnic tables. Not much walking is necessary. This is an ideal spot to have a seat and watch the wildlife.

The western half of the park looks out over a narrow channel of marsh water that widens considerably in the eastern half into a sort of pond. From our vantage point about midway in the park (under the trees at upper right in the landscape photo) we had an unobstructed view of the water and the bird life in the shrubs and trees along its edges.

The herons were familiar sights.

Great Blue Heron, GEM,
29 July 2012, 7:40 AM

Green Heron, GEM,
29 July 2012, 8:33 AM

Green Heron Preening, GEM,
29 July 2012, 7:54 AM

We had not observed a kingfisher so clearly before.  

Female Belted Kingfisher, GEM, 29 July 2012, 7:49 AM

We initially were puzzled by some of the waterfowl among a group of wood ducks. Not having birded at this time of year before, we eventually discovered that they were nonbreeding males and juveniles.

Nonbreeding Male Wood Duck,
GEM, 29 July 2912, 7:28 AM

Juvenile Wood Duck, GEM,
29 July 2012, 7:36 AM

Wood Ducks, GEM, 29 July 2012,
8:37 AM

Way across the pond, high in a tree was what we thought to be an Eastern Kingbird (this picture is not very sharp).

Eastern Kingbird, GEM, 29 July 2012, 8:39 AM

See Also: Arboretum Interactive Map (Zoom in and click Aerial Imagery under Basemaps).

Finding Aids & Checklists

Updated: October 29, 2013

The following list of online and published references offers a range of useful tools for discovering, studying, and simply enjoying the rich bird life in and around Madison. Topics include regional and local habitats where one might find birds, lists of species commonly found in the Madison area, and references for further study. Published works are available through the Madison Public Library.

Regional Birding Spots—Sighting Reports—Field Trips

• Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail

A project of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative that divides the state into five regional birding and nature trails.  Dane County is in the Southern Savanna region. An interactive Google map highlights the sites in the region, nine of which are in Dane County. Brochures are available for each region. Interested persons can nominate sites for inclusion.

• Wisconsin Important Bird Areas

Another project of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative that has identified 88 habitats as critical for protecting the state’s bird populations. Site map has slightly different regional configuration. Dane County is part of the Central region. Descriptions of 86 of the 88 habitats have been published (see under "Wisconsin Ornithology" below).

• Wisconsin Department of Tourism, The Great Outdoors: Birding

Directory of sites that can be narrowed by location. List of events and other birding news.

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Explore Outdoors

Database of outdoor recreational activities that includes birding. Search delimiters include county, distance from location, property type, and activity.

• Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Find Birds

Field trips and society publications.

• Wisconsin eBird

Birding news and sightings. Observations can be submitted by registered users.

• Wisconsin Bird News

Email discussion list for news and sightings.

• Madison Audubon Society

Collaborative Birding Map of Southern Wisconsin that includes and expands on sites listed by the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail. Local birders can add sites of interest.

From the home page you can follow links to the schedule of field trips, a message board reporting sightings, and the sanctuaries managed by the Society in nearby Columbia and Jefferson counties.

Local Habitats

• Dane County Parks [Map]

The County Parks Division has also set aside Natural Resource Areas to preserve their natural state. There usually are no amenities. Hunting is permitted on some of these areas.

• Madison Parks

Fourteen Madison parks are designated Conservation Parks. These are specifically managed to maintain native plants and wildlife. [Brochure]

• Arboretum, University of Wisconsin-Madison [Interactive Map: Click on "Wildlife." Birding hotspots are color-coded.]

• Lake Shore Nature Preserve, University of Wisconsin-Madison [Interactive Map]. One of the Wisconsin Important Bird Areas.

• Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Wildlife Observation Unit, Nine Springs Lagoons [Map]

• City of Middleton Conservancy Lands

• Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Middleton [Interactive Map]

• City of Fitchburg Park & Open Space Directory. Scroll down for Natural Areas.

• City of Monona Parks & Open Spaces

• Village of McFarland Parks and Nature Areas

• See also: Denise Thornton, "Where the wild places are: Get lost in nature around Dane County," Isthmus (21 June 2012).

Published Guides

• Betchkal, Steve. All of This and Robins Too: A guide to the 50 or so best places to find birds in Wisconsin. Eau Claire, Wis.: Adarol Publishing, 2008.

• Drake, David, Scott Craven, and Jamie Nack. Birding in the Badger State & Beyond: How to Get Started. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension, 2010. [PDF]

• Judd, Mary K. Wisconsin Wildlife Viewing Guide, Watchable Wildlife Series. Helena, Mont.: Falcon, 1995.

Precursor to the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail.

• Tessen, Daryl D. Wisconsin's Favorite Bird Haunts: A guide to 1100 of Wisconsin's most favored locations for birding, with maps. 5th ed. Waukesha, Wis.: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc., 2009.

• Thompson, Bill III. Wisconsin Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide. Nashville, Tenn.: Cool Springs Press, 2004.

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail: Southern Savanna Region. 2008. [PDF}

Checklists

• Wikipedia, "List of Birds of Wisconsin"

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Checklist of Wisconsin Birds, 2nd ed. (2008). [PDF]

• Madison Audubon Society, BirdLists.

Database that can be delimited by North America, Wisconsin, or Madison Isthmus. List of birds can be sorted alphabetically or taxonomically. The names link to the eNature field guide (with full description, images, and voice recordings). The "#" indicator links to an eBird range map that pinpoints reported sightings and lists them chronologically (with link to a checklist of the observer's other sightings at the location).

• Madison Audubon Society, Birds of the Madison Isthmus: A Checklist. [PDF]

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, Checklist: Arboretum Area Bird Sightings (2009).

Not available online, but a printed copy can be obtained from the information kiosk in the Visitor’s Center.

• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lakeshore Nature Preserve, Bird Checklists (2006).

Downloadable in several formats.

• Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Middleton: Dreux J. Watermolen, Michael A. McDowell, and Patricia A. Trochlell, Birds of Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Madison, Wis.: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2004. [PDF]

Wisconsin Ornithology

• Cutright, Noel J., Bettie R. Harriman, and Robert W. Howe. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Waukesha, Wis.: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc., 2006.

The companion website allows users to compile lists of birds breeding in particular areas and also has libraries of images and audio recordings.

• Robbins, Samuel D. Wisconsin Birdlife: Population & Distribution Past & Present. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1991.

• Steele, Yoyi, ed. Important Bird Areas of Wisconsin: Critical Sites for the Conservation and Management of Wisconsin Birds. Madison, Wis.: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2007.

• Temple, Stanley A., John R. Cary, and Robert E. Rolley. Wisconsin Birds: A Seasonal and Geographical Guide. 2nd ed. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1997.