Spring Birding Guide
As spring arrives, Middleton’s natural areas come alive with returning birds and wildlife.
As winter fades, returning birds herald the start of spring across Middleton’s natural areas.
Migration offers a chance to spot familiar species that spent the winter away, along with birds passing through on their way to northern nesting grounds. To make the most of this fleeting season, explore the Middleton Spring Birding Guide below for some of the top spots to watch the action.
Pheasant Branch Conservancy
With 682 acres of protected land, Pheasant Branch Conservancy offers one of the best places in Middleton to start the spring birding season. Oak savanna, marsh and restored prairie create a patchwork of habitats, while Pheasant Branch Creek winds through the landscape. That variety attracts an equally wide variety of birds, especially during spring migration.
One of the conservancy’s best-known residents is a bald eagle pair named Prairie and Swoop, who have called the area home for years. In 2025, after their eaglet fledged, a powerful storm knocked down the nest. Prairie and Swoop quickly got to work building a new one and visitors can sometimes spot the pair flying through the conservancy carrying sticks as they add to it.
Two spots provide a good chance to glimpse the nest built by this famous duo. Until the trees fill in with leaves, the best vantage point sits along the wooden boardwalk that runs east-west across the southern side of the conservancy; or near the western end of the boardwalk, look north about 100 yards into the treetops (map here.)
Another viewing option sits on the north side of the conservancy, near the steps leading to the Pheasant Branch springs. From the top of the steps, look south through binoculars and scan the upper canopy of the distant forest as the nest sits about 1.2 kilometers away.
Bald eagles typically lay eggs in late winter to early spring. After that, the roughly 35-day countdown to hatching begins. Because bald eagles are especially sensitive to human activity during nesting season, it is important to watch from a respectful distance and use binoculars to avoid disturbing the birds. As of March 12, one of Prairie and Swoops' eaglets has hatched!
Spring also brings a burst of new life across the conservancy. Canada geese often lead the charge, with fuzzy goslings appearing in April and providing some of the first baby wildlife sightings of the season. Not long after, Sandhill cranes begin nesting. By late May, patient birders might spot their tall parents guiding fluffy chicks, known as colts, through the marsh.
If you have Instagram and even a small interest in birds, your algorithm has probably shown you that the American woodcock is having a bit of a viral moment. It could be the bird’s comical “meep,” called a peent, or the famous “sky dance” males perform to attract a mate. During this acrobatic display, the bird launches into the air, climbs high in wide spirals and then tumbles back to the ground, only to start peenting all over again.
Woodcocks (aka timberdoodles) rank among the earliest migratory birds to return each spring and usually stick around for only a few months. Birders often spot them around Pheasant Branch and the surrounding area during that short window. The one-of-a-kind sky dance happens at dusk, so hike up Fredrick’s Hill for your best chance to catch the performance.
Click on each photo to view full size.
Tiedeman Pond and Stricker’s Pond
Tiedeman Pond and nearby Stricker’s Pond are kettle ponds, formed thousands of years ago as glaciers retreated and left depressions in the landscape that later filled with water. Best of all, the ponds sit just a short distance from Downtown Middleton, making them a perfect stop for a peaceful walk after lunch.
The protected conservancy areas teem with wildlife. Turtles bask along the shoreline while muskrats, fish and even the occasional mink move through the wetlands. Unsurprisingly, this mix of open water and wildlife makes it the perfect ecosystem to attract birds.
Watch the reeds for red-winged blackbirds and scan the water for herons, hooded mergansers and other waterfowl. Sharp-eyed birders might even spot a least bittern. This small and wide-eyed, elusive heron (pictured) often hides among dense marsh grasses, and many birders go years without seeing one.
The ponds also host an impressive colony of purple martins each spring. These birds migrate all the way from Brazil to nest in North America and rely almost entirely on human-made nesting boxes to raise their young. A group of dedicated Purple Martin Stewards maintains nearly 50 gourd-shaped nesting boxes between the two ponds. In 2025 alone, 96 pairs of purple martins raised 132 young at the ponds, filling the air above with activity throughout the nesting season.
Lake Street Park
Middleton’s newest park gives birders a front-row seat to springtime activity on Lake Mendota, and a kayak-specific launch site lets visitors take the experience onto the water for a closer look at waterfowl and shorebirds.
The spring that feeds Pheasant Branch Creek flows out into the water in front of the park, making this area one of the first to thaw each year. Early-melting waters attract birds eager to splash, feed and enjoy the first warm days of the season. Bring a cup of coffee, grab a treat from nearby C’s Restaurant (the peanut butter cup is a must), and settle onto a park bench with a pair of binoculars to watch the activity drift across the water.
The open water occasionally attracts one of spring’s most exciting visitors: the common loon. Like an airplane, loons need a long runway to take flight and require anywhere from about 30 yards to a quarter mile of open water to build enough speed for liftoff, which makes large lakes like Mendota prime places to spot them.
Keep an eye out for American coots. At first glance, they may look like a plain black waterbird, but a closer look reveals one of the strangest feet in the bird world. Instead of webbed feet like a duck, coots have lobed toes that help them paddle through the water and walk easily on land. If you catch one out of the water, take a look. The feet look like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. See if you can't find the one in the above photo!
Middleton Bike Park
Even before hitting the trails, the Middleton Bike Park delivers a birding treat. From the parking lot, you get a sweeping view of the area, perfect for spotting red-tailed hawks cruising above nearby Pleasant View Golf Course or turkey vultures riding warm spring thermals.
For those ready to explore, five miles of single-track trails wind through woods and open clearings. Walking is allowed on the trails, but keep an eye and ear out for bikers and give them the right of way as they approach.
Nearby Options
Picnic Point (Madison, 13 minutes)
Indian Lake County Park (Cross Plains, 14 minutes)
Governor Nelson State Park (Waunakee, 15 minutes)
Lewis Nine Springs E-Way (Madison, 15 minutes)
UW Arboretum (Madison, 15 minutes)
Cherokee Marsh (Madison, 23 minutes)
Riverwalk Park and Overlook (Prairie du Sac, 22 minutes)
