This season at the sanctuaries: Autumn 2023
Our lands are permanently protected and conserved habitat for birds, plants, and other wildlife. They are stewarded, restored, and managed by our sanctuary teams. Faville Grove and Goose Pond are open for all to visit and enjoy. Learn more here.
Harvest Time at Goose Pond
Milkweed pods laid out to dry in the Jungeman Barn (photo by Emma Raasch/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance).
Thanks to volunteers and Goose Pond staff, we’ve collected seed from about 100 species, and will be collecting another 25 before fall comes to an end. Although the drought reduced seed production for many species, we still collected 14 pounds of wild lupine, the host plant for the endangered Karner blue butterfly; 9 pounds of wild bergamot, a key nectar source for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds; and 12 pounds of prairie cinquefoil (that’s 44 million seeds!).
However, if there was one species that consistently takes the cake for the time and effort to collect and clean it, it would be common milkweed. With the help of volunteers, local school groups, and Pheasants Forever volunteers, we’ve successfully covered the barn floor with pods. We are now patiently waiting for the pods to dry so that we can clean the seed and distribute it to conservation organizations and private landowners who will be planting five or more acres of pollinator habitat.
Plan your visit
Stroll through Goose Pond’s rolling prairies to welcome the changing season and migrating birds passing through. Although most plants are done flowering for the year, there is no shortage of colors to admire: lingering purples of asters peek through the once bright yellow goldenrods and reddening grasses, creating the perfect autumn color palette.
A white-tailed deer buck on the pond cam (photo by Peter Leege).
Now is a great time to shift your focus to the small songbirds flitting along the trails and in between tall grasses. It is nice to hear the soft chimes of migrating sparrows and we have been thrilled to welcome back the American Tree, White-crowned, and White-throated Sparrows, as well as the Dark-eyed Juncos.
Goose Pond has been dry much of the summer, but recent rain has created areas of standing water—geese, ducks, and a pair of Trumpeter Swans quickly showed up. And keep an eye out for deer! Peter Leege documented 11 bucks on the Pond Cam video from August into October.
For more information, check out the Goose Pond Sanctuary map or take a virtual tour via the Goose Pond StoryMap.
Get involved
Join us to take in the sights and sounds of Goose Pond Sanctuary while collecting seed—this winter we will be planting 19 acres of prairie at the sanctuary and 27 more acres on partner lands. We still have multiple late-ripening species to collect, including goldenrods and asters. These are key species for pollinators as they provide late pollen and nectar sources for bumblebees and migrating monarchs.
If you’d like to join or be added to Goose Pond’s volunteer email list, please contact land steward Graham Steinhauer at gsteinhauer@madisonaudubon.org.
Learn more:
If you have questions or would like to receive Goose Pond updates more often, email goosep@madisonaudubon.org
Autumn hues Are developing at Faville Grove
A cloudy view of Faville Grove showing trees changing colors during a previous fall (photo by Drew Harry).
Autumn, the season of change, paints a stunning display at the sanctuary. Faville Grove’s open, rolling hills and woodlands are now finally transitioning to the scarlets, yellows, golds, ambers, and rich browns of fall.
Over the summer, we bid farewell to longtime land steward Drew Harry (best wishes to him on his next career chapter!). In late September, we welcomed Tucker Sanborn to the Faville Grove team as the new resident land steward! He is excited to contribute to the legacy of land management at the sanctuary. When you see him in and around Faville Grove’s prairies, wetlands or woods, introduce yourself and he will no doubt share his enthusiasm for nature.
Another 80 acres of land are now permanently protected at Faville Grove Sanctuary, thanks to the support of incredible members and donors. You can still be a part of this inspiring project to protect more habitat for Wisconsin birds and wildlife by donating and choosing your own piece of the landscape puzzle. Thank you to the 84 people who have donated so far!
Plan your visit
A volunteer collects showy goldenrod seeds from a prairie at Faville Grove Sanctuary in fall 2021 (photo by Kaitlin Svabek/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance).
As the temperatures drop off and prairie plants turn brown at the end of the growing season and after several frosty mornings, we’re in full-swing of the fall seed harvest. The goldfinches are likewise in full-swing seed eating. Staff and volunteers frequently cross paths with them while searching for collectable seed, with the goldfinch often winning out. Read more in the latest Friday Feathered Feature.
For a virtual visit, check out the Faville Grove StoryMap, or explore the trails in person via the numerous newly mowed hiking trails using our recently annotated sanctuary map.
Get involved
We still need volunteers to join us for some of our end of the season seed-collecting work parties (upcoming dates: October 25, October 28, November 1, and November 4). We meet at 9:30AM by the Faville Grove Sanctuary kiosk (W7480 Prairie Lane, Lake Mills).
Learn more:
Questions? Contact Tucker at faville@madisonaudubon.org
Marvelous mIgrations through FaIR MEADOWS
A Wood Duck takes off at Fair Meadows Sanctuary (photo by Gary Shackelford).
Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area officially became Madison Audubon (now known as Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance) property in 2023. We enjoyed meeting many folks at the Fair Meadows Open House and at the Birds of Fair Meadows field trip in mid-September, it was a beautiful weekend to hike and explore our newest wildlife sanctuary! As a reminder, Fair Meadows is closed to visitors unless attending a field trip or event—stay tuned for upcoming opportunities on our website!
And the birds, oh, the birds! At the open house, our staff and many birders were delighted to watch migrating warblers flitting through the trees near the registration table. A day later, thirteen dedicated birders arrived for the field trip at 8AM. It was a lucky thirteen, because storms and rain overnight had caused a large number of birds to seek rest and food at Fair Meadows in the morning. It was quiet, but the birds were there, too busy feeding to bother with singing.
A Common Nighthawk hunts over Fair Meadows (photo by Gary Shackelford).
Resident land managers Penny and Gary Shackelford have also watched swallows, nighthawks, and many more species pass by on their way to wintering grounds further south. Read more in the latest Friday Feathered Features.
Get involved
To allow people to get a preview of the sanctuary and learn more about its amazing diversity, we’d love your help in creating a StoryMap similar to the ones we created for Goose Pond, Faville Grove, and Otsego Marsh.
For more information or to volunteer for this project, contact Brenna at bmarsicek@madisonaudubon.org.
Learn more:
Questions? Contact Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance staff at info@madisonaudubon.org
Cover image: Spring peeper in an autumn woodland at Fair Meadows Sanctuary (Gary Shackelford/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance).
