Horicon Marsh Bird Club invites birders of all skill levels – as well as anyone who enjoys the great outdoors – to the 28th Annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival This weekend-long event provides family-friendly activities and educational experiences designed to showcase Horicon Marsh’s role as an important habitat for birds and wildlife.

Highlights of this year’s Bird Festival NEW trips to Old Marsh Road, night sounds, boating and birding, LIVE birds of prey, smaller more intimate guided tours, and so much more!

Schedule of Events:

May 8, 2025

Primitive Camping

Tenting area or camper parking is available at Marsh Haven Nature Center, located on the northwest corner of the Horicon Marsh (Highway 49), during the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival. Facilities include: Pit toilets, flush toilets during open hours, potable water, and shared campfire area/picnic shelter. $15/night for tents, $20/night for RVs. W10145 WI-49, Waupun, WI 53963.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - NEW! Early Birds and Brews Boat Tour

Kick off the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival weekend with an Early Birds and Brews Tour! Enjoy a complimentary coffee or beer brew and a delightful Birding Adventure tour into the Horicon Marsh.

Price: $38/adult, $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

May 9, 2025

7:00 am - 12:00 pm - It’s Back! Mud Lake Bus Tour

Join us, as we branch out into new territory! Join Jeff Bahls, DNR Wildlife Supervisor, Andy Paulios and DNR property Manager Eric Kilburg, to explore one of Dodge County’s other marshes.Most of the 4,500-acre Mud Lake Wildlife Area is floodplain marsh, dominated by river bulrush and other aquatic plants. The Beaver Dam River runs through the heart of the property where it joins the Crawfish River at the southern portion. There is a mixture of forested hardwoods and grasslands in the outer areas.Mud Lake Wildlife Area is a great spot for marshland birds.

Possible birds include American bittern, sora, pelicans, black and Forster’s terns, bald eagle and a variety of warblers.We will start our tour boarding a bus at the Reeseville Community Center at 406 N. Main Street, in Reeseville, WI located in SW Dodge County.Bus departs at 7 AM SHARP. We will bird several habitats around the marsh and return to the Reeseville Community center at 12 PM.

Bring your usual birding things. NO lunch provided on this trip.Bathrooms will be single port-a-potty stop along the way. Tour could be heavy walking with up to a ½ mile of walking at a time along multiple DNR service trails.

This hidden gem is waiting to be discovered!

Registration with payment required.

Location: Reeseville Community Center 406 N. Main Street Reeseville, WI 53579

9:00 am - 11:00 am - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh.

Price: $38/adult , $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh.

Price: $38/adult , $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

2:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Harnischfeger Park

Your guides will be Jeff, Suzanne and Kelli Bahls.Harnischfeger Park (132 acres) is the largest Dodge County Park. The park is in southeastern Dodge County along the Rock River in the Town of Lebanon about one mile west of the unincorporated community of Ashippun. A riverine floodplain forest with open park lands and mature hardwood forest, this area offers unique birding opportunities. An 800 foot long boardwalk and several miles of trails through woods and along the Rock River has yielded 146 bird species e-Birded to date. Depending on river levels we could see woodpeckers, shorebirds, warblers and flycatchers. It is one of the few spots in SE Wisconsin that consistently yields Prothonotary Warblers.We will be walking along level mowed trails.

Meet at Harnischfeger Park W3048 Crawfish Road, Ixonia, WI near the restroom facilities.

Latitude: 43.210988/Longitude: -88.546100

Location: Harnischfeger Park 3048 N Crawfish Rd Ixonia, WI 53036

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Nest Box Hike

Join Marsh Haven Nature Center director, Matt Rupnik, as we hike the nest box trail. This easy hike will include frequent stops to monitor the 40+ nest boxes at Marsh Haven. We will record our discoveries and learn more about what birds are building nests and raising their young at the nature center.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Sounds & Dances – Dusk into Dark

Join USFWS staff Erin Railsback, for this unique dusk into dark tour of critters that sing, call, and dance as the sun sets and night falls on Horicon Marsh.The tour begins at Marsh Haven Nature Center. With special permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we will take a bus on the Auto Tour loop at dusk and stay AFTER DARK. The bus will make stops to get out to hear and see the Woodcock dance and to listen to songs and calls of the marsh’s nocturnal birds and amphibians. Conditions permitting, we will take a short walk down Old Marsh Road and the Boardwalk to enjoy the night sky and experience a new perspective of the marsh at night. Long pants and sleeves are recommended as well as closed toed shoes.Bring a flashlight if you wish.

Meet at Marsh Haven Nature Center at 7pm.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

May 10, 2025

6:00 am - 12:00 pm - First Light Birding Bus Tour: Saturday

This is a field trip designed for birders who want to add as many species as possible to their bird lists. Field trip leaders are Jeff Bahls and Pat Horn. Be prepared to move by bus from location to location in search of migratory hot spots. There will be some walking, but it is rated easy. We try our best to finish on time, but in the world of birding, bird activity is the deciding factor. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the lower entrance on the south side of the building. Bus departs at 6:00 AM SHARP. Bring your own snacks.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28, Horicon, WI

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Kelli Bahls.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street, Horicon, WI

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Bird Hike at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center

Kid & Family Event. Join leaders for a hike that will focus on bird species along the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center trail system; a boardwalk reaching out to Indermuehle Island through the marsh and covering a variety of habitats. Walking on uneven trails and in damp foliage is a possibility. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28, Horicon, W

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Birding Ziegler Park, Mayville

Since “discovering” this 70-acre gem, it has been a superstar throughout the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival (154 species e-Birded here). Ziegler Park has 72.3 acres of parkland; most of it is mature wooded forest along the east branch of the Rock River with a 1.5-mile nature trail. This Mayville City Park is a great spot for many birds but particularly warblers. This can be a warbler hotspot with over 15 species being seen on a good day (28 species e-Birded). Join us to search for the colorful woodland warblers!

Trip leaders: Brad Webb and Sarah Warner.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Ziegler Park 800 Kekoskee Street Mayville, WI 53050

8:00 am - 12:00 pm - Birding by Bike

Bigby (Big, green, bird year). Green birding is birding done without the use of fossil fuels and/or the internal combustion engine. Green birders are self-propelled birders, e.g., walking, riding a bicycle, paddling a canoe or kayak, or using skis or snowshoes.

Join Former Dodge County Volunteer Coordinator for the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II and avid Bigby birder Matt Herzmann for a bike ride of about 10 leisurely miles around the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour and portions of the Wild Goose Trail.

Meet at the main parking lot of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour. If using Google Maps, use the “Redhead Hiking Trail Trailhead” location.

No charge for this program but donations to the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival fund are greatly appreciated. Pre-registration required.

Location: Horicon NWR Auto Tour Main Parking Lot W10145 WI-49 Waupun, WI 53963

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Birding Ziegler Park, Mayville

Since “discovering” this 70-acre gem, it has been a superstar throughout the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival (154 species e-Birded here). Ziegler Park has 72.3 acres of parkland; most of it is mature wooded forest along the east branch of the Rock River with a 1.5-mile nature trail. This Mayville City Park is a great spot for many birds but particularly warblers. This can be a warbler hotspot with over 15 species being seen on a good day (28 species e-Birded). Join us to search for the colorful woodland warblers!

Trip leaders: Brad Webb and Sarah Warner.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Ziegler Park 800 Kekoskee Street Mayville, WI 53050

8:00 am - 12:00 pm - Birding by Bike

Bigby (Big, green, bird year). Green birding is birding done without the use of fossil fuels and/or the internal combustion engine. Green birders are self-propelled birders, e.g., walking, riding a bicycle, paddling a canoe or kayak, or using skis or snowshoes.

Join Former Dodge County Volunteer Coordinator for the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II and avid Bigby birder Matt Herzmann for a bike ride of about 10 leisurely miles around the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour and portions of the Wild Goose Trail.

Meet at the main parking lot of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour.

No charge for this program but donations to the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival fund are greatly appreciated. Pre-registration required.

Location: Horicon NWR Auto Tour Main Parking Lot W10145 WI-49 Waupun, WI 53963

9:00 am - 10:00 am - Introducing…The Whooping Crane!

Let us introduce you to the regal Whooping Crane! During this easy walking tour, staff from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss crane biology and refuge management and highlight the work the International Crane Foundation is doing to conserve Whooping Cranes at Horicon Marsh and throughout Wisconsin. Includes a potential opportunity to view whoopers in the wild from a distance. Meet at the Egret Trail boardwalk parking lot at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge auto tour off Highway 49.

This program is free and no pre-registration is needed.

9:00 am - 4:00 pm - International Crane Foundation Activity Station

Please join the International Crane Foundation for an opportunity to learn hands-on how scientists monitor cranes using colorful leg bands and tracking devices. At this activity station you will have the opportunity to be banded with colorful paper bracelets like a wild crane and record your sightings of other banded “cranes” just like our scientists do! In this activity you will learn about different strategies our scientists use to monitor cranes at Horicon and across their flyway, using the same technology we use!

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

9:30 am - 11:30 am - Bird Hike at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center

Kid & Family Event. Join leaders for a hike that will focus on bird species along the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center trail system; a boardwalk reaching out to Indermuehle Island through the marsh and covering a variety of habitats. Walking on uneven trails and in damp foliage is a possibility. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

9:30 am - 11:30 am - Birding Ziegler Park, Mayville

Since “discovering” this 70-acre gem, it has been a superstar throughout the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival (154 species e-Birded here). Ziegler Park has 72.3 acres of parkland; most of it is mature wooded forest along the east branch of the Rock River with a 1.5-mile nature trail. This Mayville City Park is a great spot for many birds but particularly warblers. This can be a warbler hotspot with over 15 species being seen on a good day (28 species e-Birded). Join us to search for the colorful woodland warblers!

Trip leaders: Brad Webb and Sarah Warner.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Ziegler Park 800 Kekoskee Street Mayville, WI 53050

9:30 am - 3:00 pm - Bird Lab
    
Bring your family out for the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival May 9-12. Before the kids hit the trails in search of birds, bring them into the Visitor Center to make their own binoculars! We will have a Make and Take station all weekend where kids can decorate their own binoculars with stickers, markers and more!

Join us for a bird banding activity with a twist, you get to be the bird! After getting trapped in our “Mist Net,” we will take your measurements just like if you were a real bird. You will even get a band to take home. Learn the important role bird banding plays in conservation with this hands-on activity.

From 9:30-3pm on May 10, try out your bird skills? Can you run faster than a Peregrine Falcon can fly? Can you flap your arms faster than a hummingbird can flap their wings? Test your athletic ability at the Bird Olympics! You will be competing against the best birds in their sport. Have fun trying to beat their adaptations and learn some cool facts along the way. Visit the classrooms to try your hand or should we say beak at eating like a bird. Find out why a bird’s beak is critical to their survival.

For more information, contact Liz Herzmann at 920-210-9054 or [email protected].

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

10:00 am - 11:00 am - Birding the Sense of Wonder Trail

Join staff from the USFWS on a guided hike along the Sense of Wonder Trail as we explore different habitats to see what birds and other wildlife may be using the wetlands, fields and forest. The hike is approximately one mile of easy walking and is perfect for beginning birders and families. Binoculars will be provided if needed. Meet at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (W4279 Headquarters Rd, Mayville) parking lot near the Sense of Wonder Trailhead.

This program is free and no pre-registration is needed.

Location: Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center W4279 Headquarters Road Mayville, WI 53050

10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Kelli Bahls.

Register and pay at https://www.horiconmarsh.com/ or by calling (920) 643-7072.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

11:00 am - 12:30 pm  - Beginning Birding

Your hike leader will be Liz Herzmann. This program will introduce binocular and field guide use and bird identification. A short bird hike will accompany the program. The hike may be on uneven trails, but they are rated easy. This is for ALL ages that want to learn more about birding. Meet in the auditorium of the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

11:00 am - 2:00 pm - Chili Lunch

Grab a bite to eat at the Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center’s Chili Lunch. Enjoy a relaxing meal while sitting inside the lower lobby of the visitor center or enjoy the day at any of the picnic tables surrounding the visitor center. Cash only.

Chili Lunch proceeds benefit the Friends of Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - NEW! Birding Horicon Marsh Presentation

Horicon Marsh is a 33,000 acre Wetland of International Importance. It is a globally important birding area and can be a bit confusing for the first-time visitor. Catch up on a brief history of Horicon Marsh, management strategies for birds and then delve into the recommended birding locations at Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area. Find out where is the best place for bobolink, black-necked stilts, yellow-headed blackbird and more! This will be a great overview for all visitors to Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area!

Free.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - NEW! Birding Horicon Marsh Presentation

Horicon Marsh is a 33,000 acre Wetland of International Importance. It is a globally important birding area and can be a bit confusing for the first-time visitor. Catch up on a brief history of Horicon Marsh, management strategies for birds and then delve into the recommended birding locations at Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area. Find out where is the best place for bobolink, black-necked stilts, yellow-headed blackbird and more! This will be a great overview for all visitors to Horicon Marsh and the surrounding area!

Free.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh. Your guide will be Rick Vant Hoff.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32 seats

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Photographing Birds in Their Environment

Please join PhotoMidwest for an approximately 3-hour introductory bird photography class at the Horicon Marsh Visitor Center beginning at 4pm on Saturday, May 11. The class begins with a classroom session followed by about 2 hours photographing in Horicon Marsh. If there is bad weather, DNR staff will have mounted specimens to practice photographing indoors at the Visitor Center. Advance registration is strongly encouraged because the class is limited to 15 photographers. Cost is $25.

Prerequisites: Bird photography is a challenging subject for both equipment and the photographer. This class is for the bird enthusiast that wants to improve their bird photography using a fully functional camera (as opposed to a cell phone or point and shoot camera) and has a lens with a 200 mm or more focal length. If you have questions about the adequacy of your camera equipment for this class, please email your concerns to [email protected] before you register for this class.

The class will cover recommended camera settings for bird photography such as shutter speeds, aperture, frame and burst rate, auto-focus settings, exposure meter settings, and ISO settings. We will have volunteers who are familiar with the major camera brands to help you with your settings. We will then cover how to determine the best time of day, different lighting situations, location, weather, and aspects of bird behavior to give the best potential for good photographs of birds in flight and at rest. Finally, we will touch on basic post processing of images along with ethical/animal welfare considerations.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Wild Birds of Prey

This program will introduce some of Wisconsin’s raptors through mounted specimens, artifacts, resources, and LIVE birds. Appreciate the many benefits raptors provide to humans and nature, learn action items to help our raptors through habitat conservation and awareness, and celebrate the majesty of these amazing birds of prey. It is a privilege to work with these incredible avian ambassadors as partners in education. These are educational birds and cannot be returned to the wild due to a variety of permanent injuries. Marsh Haven Nature Center holds permits from both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to use these birds for educational purposes.

Marsh Haven Nature Center, Indoor Respect Our Earth Theater.

$5 for adults | $3 for students 6-14 | free for students 5 and under

No registration needed or pre-payment necessary.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Hot Spot Birding: Saturday

Trip leader Jeff Bahls and Kelli Bahls will be using the knowledge obtained from other festival field trips in finding various birding locations (Hot Spots) in hopes of adding as many species as possible in the time allotted. We may even strike out on our own to a new birding spot not included in this year’s festival! Walking on uneven trails is possible. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the entrance on the south side of the building. Bus departs at 4:00 PM SHARP. This event will be held again on Sunday.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Birds and Beers

Join your fellow festival goers and bird buddies at “The Rock”. Compare sightings and celebrate life birds.

The Rock River Tap has been a local hangout for decades. It features a nice deck along the shores of the Rock River, 6 beers on tap and a great food menu.    

Free event.

Location: Rock River Tap 110 W. Lake Street Horicon, WI 53032

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Screeches, Squawks and, Squeals of the Marsh

During the day, Horicon Marsh is a relaxing and tranquil place to enjoy nature. But the dark mysteries of the marsh at night can be “chilling” to those not accustomed to the sounds of nocturnal creatures. Hike leader Liz Herzmann will dispel the myths of the night as she helps you identify the many nocturnal sounds that come from within the cattails. This program will be conducted outside with easy walking but possible uneven terrain so dress warm and bring a low powered flashlight. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the lower entrance on the south side of the building.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

May 11, 2025

6:00 am - 12:00 pm  - Birding Old Marsh Road – Bus Tour

Join Jeff Bahls and Frank Gercz on a guided birding bus tour across 3+ miles of the interior of the refuge via Old Marsh Road. A reconfigured route visits many of the normal hotspots that have been your favorites for so long, but this year we will be able to travel Old Marsh Road by bus. We will start at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge headquarters and begin with some grassland, marsh, and forested sections along the way to Old Marsh Road.

This is a unique opportunity to travel an area of the marsh that is closed to public access during this time of the year. Viewing highlights include many species of water birds, spring warblers etc. Wear good walking shoes. Meet at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, W4279 Headquarters Rd. off Cty. Rd. Z on the east side of the marsh. The bus will depart at 6:00 AM SHARP. Bring your own snacks.

Registration with payment required. A portion of each registration for this tour will be donated to the Friends of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.

Location: Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center W4279 Headquarters Road Mayville, WI 53050

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Ledge Park Birding Tour

Ledge Park is part of the Dodge County Park system. Ledge Park (82 acres) lies along the Niagara Escarpment, a natural rock ledge which divides the park into upper and lower areas and provides a breathtaking overlook of the famous Horicon Marsh and surrounding countryside. The area is heavily wooded and located along the Niagara Escarpment a natural migration corridor. We will bird along park roads and trails looking for flycatchers, tanagers, thrushes and warblers. Over time Ledge Park has 160+ birds on its e-Bird checklist.

Trip leader: Matt Herzmann.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Dodge County Ledge Park N7403 Park Road Horicon, WI 53032

7:00 am - 9:00 am - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh.

Register and pay at https://www.horiconmarsh.com/ or by calling (920) 643-7072.

Price: $38/adult | $20/child

Available Spaces: 32

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

8:00 am - 10:00 am - Bird Hike at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center

Kid & Family Event. Join leaders for a hike that will focus on bird species along the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center trail system; a boardwalk reaching out to Indermuehle Island through the marsh and covering a variety of habitats. Walking on uneven trails and in damp foliage is a possibility. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon.

Free. No registration required.

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh.

Register and pay at https://www.horiconmarsh.com/ or by calling (920) 643-7072.

Price: $38/adult, $20/child

Available Spaces: 32

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Birding the Marsh Haven Nature Center Trails

The hike at Marsh Haven Nature Center consists of three different trails: a wetland trail, a prairie trail, and a woodland trail, with no trail longer than ½ mile. Common birds in the area are Eastern Bluebirds, swallows, a variety of sparrows, hawks, Sandhill Cranes and more. The spring season holds potential for spotting a variety of warblers migrating through. Meet at Marsh Haven Nature Center.

Trip leader: Rick Vant Hoff.

Registration with payment required.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - NEW! Absolutely Bat-ty

It’s another thing with wings program! Learn about the bats that call Wisconsin home. You’ll learn about their characteristics, natural history, the challenges they face, and how we can help them. The program is indoors and will have a PowerPoint presentation along with artifacts and LIVE bat ambassadors. Admission to the Marsh Haven museum is included in the cost of the program.

Indoor Respect Our Earth Theater.

$5 for adults, $3 for students 6-14, free for students 5 and under

No registration required.

Location: Marsh Haven Nature Center W10145 Wisconsin 49 Waupun, WI 53963

2:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Hot Spot Birding: Sunday

Trip leaders Jeff Bahls and Liz Herzmann will be using the knowledge obtained from other festival field trips in finding various birding locations (Hot Spots) in hopes of adding as many species as possible in the time allotted. We may even strike out on our own to a new birding spot not included in this year’s festival! Walking on uneven trails is possible. Meet at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, off Hwy. 28 between Mayville and Horicon. Please use the entrance on the south side of the building. Bus departs at 2:00 PM SHARP.

Registration with payment required

Location: Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center N7725 Highway 28 Horicon, WI 53032

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Birding Adventure Boat Tour

Engage in a Birding Adventure to glimpse one of the over 300 species of birds that visit Horicon Marsh Annually. This is a guided two-hour pontoon ride into the Horicon Marsh.
Price: $38/adult, $20/child

Available Spaces: 32

Location: Horicon Marsh Boat Tours 305 Mill Street Horicon, WI 53032

May 12, 2025

8:00 am - 10:00 am - Birding Ziegler Park, Mayville

Since “discovering” this 70-acre gem, it has been a superstar throughout the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival (154 species e-Birded here). Ziegler Park has 72.3 acres of parkland; most of it is mature wooded forest along the east branch of the Rock River with a 1.5-mile nature trail. This Mayville City Park is a great spot for many birds but particularly warblers. This can be a warbler hotspot with over 15 species being seen on a good day (28 species e-Birded). Join us to search for the colorful woodland warblers!

Trip leader: Brad Webb.

Registration with payment required.

Date: May 9 - 11, 2025

Location: Various Venues in WI, USA

Click here to Register

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