Congratulations to our Senior Animal Keeper

Lori Bankson, our Senior Animal Keeper, was selected by the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce as one of the "20+10 People You Should Know" feature in the Bay Business Journal (BBJ) magazine. She was nominated and honored as an individual who has made a significant impact in her field. The criteria includes: accomplishments and contributions, spirit, drive, ambition, innovativeness and creativity, and living and working in Brown County.
Congratulations to Lori from all of the staff!

"All of us are so proud of Lori for being recognized by the Chamber with this prestigious recognition. Lori is tireless in her efforts in helping to rehabilitate animals, plan events, work with volunteers, and be a wildlife awareness ambassador in the community."
-Ty Baumann, Director

If you'd like to read more about Lori and this award go to http://www.titletown.org/

Thank you for a successful Frosty Family Fun Night & Gambler's Promotion!

A big thank you to everyone for great success at our Frosty Family Fun Night on Saturday, February 6th! Over 400 people experienced beautiful night hikes, a night tour of our new waterfalls, great music with Good News, yummy s'mores, chocolate dipping, and treats, and fun crafts, including hanging "Cheerio" garland for the Wildlife Sanctuary birds to snack on! All of our Animal Ambassadors loved seeing so many people all night. A big thanks to all of our volunteers for helping us out. We hope to see you next year on Saturday, February 5th, 2011!

Another big thank you to all of you for supporting the Green Bay Gamblers Bat Promotion. With your help, the Gamblers presented us with a check for $1,650! This money will be used to help many, many orphaned and injured wildlife, including bats, to get back into the wild. We look forward to working with the Gamblers in the future-- what a great organization!

Have a great day-- enjoy the beautiful winter weather!

Frosty Family Fun Night is Saturday!

Did you ever wonder what went on at the Wildlife Sanctuary at night? Well here is your chance to see your favorite critters in a whole new "light"! Frosty Family Fun Night is Saturday, February 6th from 5:30 to 8pm here at the Wildlife Sanctuary. You can join your neighbors for a great bonfire and roast s'mores! Hike around the Woodland Building trail and visit the coyotes, deer, otters, bobcats, and maybe even hear the wolves howl! Listen to some great music by Good News, do some fun crafts, and try your hand at our chocolate dipping station! You can even visit our new waterfalls that will be illuminated that night only! At only $5 a carload, the price is right for a fun night out, and all the proceeds go towards our Friends of the Wildlife Sanctuary Guild to help put on many programs and save orphaned and injured wildlife! Please call (920) 391-3671 with any questions. We hope to see you there!

Lake Michigan Field Trip

By: Ty Baumann, Director - Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

Despite the frigid temperature and brutal icy wind our hardy Bay Area Bird Club members made a birding field trip on December 2, 2010 along the Lake Michigan shoreline starting at Port Washington. Our target bird was a Black-Legged Kittiwake, a small and rather uncommon member of the gull family.

After braving the wind chill for an hour scoping the harbor finding Canvasbacks, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Gadwalls, Common Goldeneyes, plus Greater-black backed and Glaucous Gulls - it was time to warm up, but we weren't giving up. Putting one car near the north breakwater and one car near the river channel we waited and hoped for a showing. The Kittiwake didn't disappoint. Appearing out of who knows where, the bird flew in low over the river and continued to soar making circles around the south gazebo area. We had excellent views and continued to watch this special bird for 10-15 minutes before we left the harbor and continued on the tour.


Our planned route next included a drive along Six Mile Road just north of Holy Cross. We slowed for some Horned Larks and several Rough-legged Hawks. Then, there on the ridge, to the east, was a Snowy Owl. North of the owl we encountered a huge flock of Snow Buntings estimating between 800 -1,000 individual birds. Across from the Harrington Beach State Park entrance we saw a lot of bird activity in the small wood lot and brushy habitat - a little pishing and up popped the Harris’s Sparrow, staying near the road for all eleven of our members to get a good look. At Sheboygan we started on the Blue Harbor Hotel and Convention Center side of the river. Using our binoculars and spotting scopes we scanned through dozens of Common Goldeneyes. Very quickly the Barrow’s Goldeneye was found providing excellent close viewing for everyone. A group of Sheboygan birders we encountered said a Tufted Titmouse was visiting a bird feeder in a nearby neighborhood. After scanning the feeders and bushes the Titmouse flew in directly above our heads. That was fun! On to North Point where a Harlequin Duck was found south of the parking lot diving in the strong waves with Buffleheads and Goldeneyes.

We saw many Rough-legged Hawks between Sheboygan and Harrington Beach, both going south on the highway early and back along the lakeshore. We had Peregrine Falcons in Port Washington and Manitowoc. The ferryboat harbor had lots of gulls but only 1 Greater-black-backed Gull. A Bald Eagle scattered all the rest of the gulls. We ended seeing 47 species on this very cold day. Congratulations to Brian Pierce for a 5 "lifer" day. Our next scheduled fieldtrip is February 6th, which leaves the Sanctuary at 4:00 am. We will be driving to the Three Lakes area and through the Nicolet National Forest concentrating on locating the boreal bird species.

We are happy to have established a partnership with the Green Bay Gamblers. This is a perfect opportunity to educate people about bats and the important role they play in the ecosystem. This program will foster public interest in bats and offer a chance to dispel many of the myths and misconceptions about these unique animals. The money given by the Green Bay Gamblers from the sale of the toy bats will be used for food and medical care for the 4000+ injured and orphaned wild animals that the Wildlife Sanctuary rehabilitation program admits yearly.

Winter at the Wildlife Sanctuary-- We Never Hibernate!

Winter is here, and snow does not slow us down at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary! Being open everyday of the year gives you an unique opportunity to see the seasons at their best. The beauty of nature is seen in a new light as snow covers the trees and dusts the cages, giving a natural illumination. Most of the animals love playing in the snow. On any given winter day, you can see the otters or bobcats sliding and jumping in the drifts. Some of the critters are not big fans of the cold, like our cougar and golden eagle, so they have limited time outside. Some of the birds of prey are moved to their "winter migration" station. Birds that naturally migrate--turkey vultures, swainson hawks, and broadwinged hawks-- are moved to enclosed cages away from public viewing until spring returns again. If you love feeding the ducks and geese, winter is your time of year! As the natural food is covered, they rely on corn feeding by the general public. But do not worry-- if visitorship is down, we do have feeders in the back for the resident waterfowl to eat from!

Visiting the Wildlife Sanctuary in winter also means some great outdoor activities are available. Six miles of cross country ski trails are open daily from 8am to 4:30 pm-- and they are beautiful! You wind through the back trails, going past the wolves, deer, and through great natural habitats. Just be sure to bring your own skis! Check the website and Honker newsletter also for snowshoe hikes and great winter programs like an ice fishing workshop and Frosty Family Fun Night in February. Come out and visit the new waterfalls, go across the open boardwalk, bird watch, or just enjoy being outside in the crisp air. We also accept all orphaned and injured wildlife daily-- call us with any animal questions at (920) 391-3685.

Winter is a great time of year-- be sure to get out and enjoy it!
Lori Bankson, Senior Animal Keeper

Fly Away Home

It was a great morning at the Sanctuary today! We released two immature bald eagles back into the wild after spending months being rehabilitated by our dedicated staff and volunteers. Check out the short video of the release below.

The pair of sibling eagles had been under the care of the Sanctuary since June when they were found on the ground after falling from their nest near Calrsville, WI. Mike Neil of the Door County WDNR found the eagles and knew that in order for them to survive, they would need special care.

The eagles were ready to be released earlier this fall, but they became sick after contracting West Nile Virus. But, thankfully, a generous donor stepped forward and covered the cost of the additional care for the eagles.

These eagles have been through a lot and seeing them fly back into the wild was a great moment for us all this morning - but especially for the eagles.

The eagles are among more than 4,000 animals that the Sanctuary and its many volunteers help to rehabilitate and release back into the wild each year.