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Sandhill cranes engaged in a mating dance at Alt Bauer Park in Germantown.

Wildlife watching leads the way in outdoor activities

December 5, 2023 | Topics: Stories

By Paul Smith, Outdoors Editor – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Photography and introduction by Eddee Daniel

Introduction

I must admit that I rarely seek out wildlife in my outdoor wanderings. Therefore, my encounters are largely a matter of serendipity, of being in the right place at the right moment. An example is the photo of the sandhill cranes engaged in a mating dance (above). I’d never been to Alt Bauer Park in Germantown before; just happened to go with my grandkids because it has a playground. After we’d played around for a while, the cranes swooped into the park. That was exciting enough at first … but then they began dancing!

I was immediately inspired, when I read the story by Paul Smith in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that is excerpted below, to create a blog post with a selection of my own encounters with wildlife. It was no surprise to me that wildlife watching is as popular as his story reveals it to be.

I consider wildlife sightings gifts of nature—and a testament to the importance of protecting wildlife habitats in parks and preserves within our local communities. In truth, this story isn’t as much about wildlife itself as it is about our human need to be connected to wildlife—and nature in general.

I’ve selected the images to illustrate both a diversity of species and to highlight the variety of places in southeastern Wisconsin that are available for viewing wildlife. I share brief stories of the encounters in the accompanying captions, along with links in some cases to longer accounts that have appeared in The Natural Realm and elsewhere (some contributed by other people). I thank Paul Smith for allowing me to reprint this excerpt from his story.

~ Eddee Daniel

Birders. Lynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee

Wildlife watching leads the way in USFWS national survey of outdoor activities

By Paul Smith

The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey found 148 million Americans watched wildlife, 40 million fished and 14 million hunted. The survey is conducted every five years to gauge participation.

How big is outdoor recreation in the U.S.?

Every five years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducts a survey to help gauge outdoor activity in the nation. The latest data was recently released in the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Last year Americans over the age of 16 took 1.7 billion trips for wildlife watching, fishing, boating, target shooting and hunting and spent an estimated $394 billion on equipment, travel, licenses, and fees.

The report was issued by the USFWS and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

This is just one of several successful photos of coyotes I’ve been lucky enough to capture in various parts of the Milwaukee County Grounds. All of the others were in woodlands, but I especially like this one because of its obvious proximity to the human environment. See related full story.

“Time spent in nature is an important part of the human experience and can provide lifelong memories, connections to others, healthy activities, and a sense of rest and healing,” said Martha Williams, USFWS director in a statement. “These numbers demonstrate how important our public lands and wild places are not just for the well-being of people who enjoy them, but as an economic engine that provides thousands of jobs and sustains businesses, economies and communities throughout the nation.”

The survey has been conducted periodically since 1955 and offers a snapshot of participation rates and economic impact of outdoor recreation in the U.S. Consistent with recent surveys, the 2022 work highlighted the popularity of wildlife watching. The survey found 148 million U.S. residents watched wildlife in 2022 while 40 million went fishing and 14.4 million hunted.

This means that roughly 57% of Americans 16 years of age or older participated in wildlife watching, 15% fished and 6% hunted last year, according to the USFWS.

And the trips equaled a combined total of 14 billion days spent in the field, on the water and around the home viewing wildlife, an all-time high.

(Read the full story here.)

Wildlife Encounters in the urban wilderness of southeast Wisconsin:

These owlets had just been banded by a team of scientists. They were lined up like this as a photo op for the dozen or so people who had, like me, chanced upon the action. Seminary Woods, St. Francis. See full story.

The Monarch Trail on the Milwaukee County Grounds in Wauwatosa has given me two of the most popular blog posts in five years of The Natural Realm, showing the magnificence of the annual migration. See full stories.

Meadowhawk dragonfly. Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area, Saukville. See full story.

Girl with Salamander. A monitoring program at Milwaukee County Parks trains young citizen scientists to observe wildlife in ephemeral ponds. Barloga Woods/Falk Park, Oak Creek. See full story.

Praying mantis. Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area, Kenosha. I was with a group and a guide showing us all the beautiful flowers. This mantis was just one of many collateral species we came across along the way.

All around the perimeter of the park pond red-wing blackbirds had nests. I watched the great blue heron strut along the edge. When it got near a nest with eggs, the blackbird swooped down again and again to drive it away. — Red-wing blackbirds had built nests in the standing dead cattails all around the perimeter of the park pond. I watched the great blue heron strut along the edge. When it got near a nest with eggs, the blackbird swooped down again and again to drive it away. Elm Grove Village Park.

Flying squirrel in nest. I accompanied the scientist who monitored a series of nest boxes in what was then called Wil-O-Way Woods on the Milwaukee County Grounds (now known as the Forest Exploration Center). See full story.

Hunter with pheasant and retriever. I followed the hunter as we walked along a dirt road through the wildlife area. It was a little unnerving when he raised his rifle to follow the pheasant flushed from underbrush nearby. But I was happy he was willing to let me take this shot (pun intended). Prior to this moment I had watched a DNR truck go by on the same road filled with cages containing pheasants that had been raised expressly to be released for the hunters. New Munster Wildlife Area, Kenosha County.

Hognose Snake. I almost stepped on this fat snake. It remained motionless, unperturbed, catching the sunlight. Reminder to stay on the trail and watch my step! Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail, Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. See full story.

Black-crowned night heron. Surprisingly, I discovered dozens of these herons in a rookery they’d made in a tiny unprotected woodland at the end of a canal in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee. See full story.

I watched in amazement as this big snapper climbed out of the water and clawed its way up to the apex for a bit of sunning. Mequon-Thiensville Riverwalk on the Milwaukee River, Thiensville. — I watched in amazement as this big snapper climbed out of the water and clawed its way up to the apex of the truncated log for a bit of sunning. Mequon-Thiensville Riverwalk on the Milwaukee River, Thiensville.

I spotted this fawn's mother on the bank of the Fox River from my kayak. The doe leaped away into the woods when I beached my kayak and got out. When I followed I discovered this fawn, frozen instinctively, flat on the ground. I waited motionlessly for a long while. Then the fawn began to rise. When I snapped a photo it heard and froze again, allowing me to get even closer for this shot. — I spotted this fawn’s mother on the bank of the Fox River from my kayak. The doe leaped away into the woods when I beached my kayak and got out. When I followed I discovered this fawn, frozen instinctively, flat on the ground. I waited motionlessly for a long while. Then the fawn began to rise. When I snapped a photo it heard and froze again, allowing me to get even closer for this shot. Riverside Park, Burlington.

Yellow garden spider, one of the creatures observed during a pollinator survey of Smolenski Park, Mount Pleasant. The park had recently undertaken a prairie restoration in a former agricultural field. See full story.

Some wildlife encounters are planned. This smallmouth bass was pulled from the Milwaukee River by Riveredge Nature Center staff. They placed it in a tank next to the river for visitors to see during a Treasures of OZ Eco-Tour.

Bullfrog with a stylish necklace of organic matter. Tabor Woods – Erlandsson Preserve, Caledonia.

I see people fishing on all of Milwaukee's rivers frequently. Salmon, like this big one, is a common catch. I caught this proud angler on the Kinnickinnic River Parkway, Milwaukee. — I see people fishing on all of Milwaukee’s rivers frequently. Salmon, like this big one, is a common catch. I caught this proud angler on the Kinnickinnic River Parkway, Milwaukee.

This exotic muscovy duck never moved as I paddled my kayak slowly as close as the logs would allow. Milwaukee River at Fellenz Woods Preserve, West Bend.

I was killing time in Turtle Park waiting for a meeting at River Revitalization Foundation when I saw this bumblebee buzzing around the asters. It wasn't until the folks at RRF saw the photo and got excited that I realized I had caught the first sighting of an endangered Rusty-patch bumblebee in the park. — I was killing time in Turtle Park waiting for a meeting at River Revitalization Foundation when I saw this bumblebee buzzing around the asters. It wasn’t until the folks at RRF saw the photo and got excited that I realized I had caught the first sighting of an endangered Rusty-patch bumblebee in the park. Milwaukee River Greenway, Milwaukee.

Related stories about wildlife:

Witnessing Owl Banding in the Wild!

Wetland Monitoring: Citizen scientists join in the fun!

The coyotes that share our urban environments

Close Encounters in a Suburban Enclave or Why Neighborhood Parks Matter

Hawk Watch at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve

Pollinator Bioblitz: How you can help save endangered pollinators!

Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies at Cedarburg Bog

Snakes alive! Citizen Science snake surveys at Retzer Nature Center

The hawk in Jackson Park: A lesson learned.

Peregrine Falcons Revisited (Urban Wilderness – Milwaukee Magazine)

The Flying Squirrels of Milwaukee County (Urban Wilderness – Milwaukee Magazine)

Herons roost in Menomonee Valley (Urban Wilderness Blog)

Paul Smith is the Outdoors Editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The story from which this piece was excerpted was published on Nov. 18, 2023. This excerpt was reprinted with permission from the author. Read the full story here.

Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks.