Spring Guided Hikes Encountered Abundant Birds & Beavers

6/11/2026

Two birds in natural settings promote Bayfield Area Trails’ Spring Nature & Bird Walks, with a small brown bird on moss-covered stone and a black, white, and yellow bird among branches with event text overlay.

2026 Spring Nature and Bird Hikes. Click images to enlarge.

Bayfield Area Trails volunteers offered a variety of nature walks during the month of May.

On Saturday May 2, Chequamegon Audubon President Neil Howk led a hike at the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery and along the Salmo Lakewalk Trail to view early season migratory birds. Nine participants viewed more than 40 species of birds including Yellow-rumped and Palm warblers and Blue-winged teals.

Blue-winged Teal

A small brown and yellow bird perches on a concrete surface covered with bright orange lichen, with blurred red branches in the background.

Palm Warbler

A small black, white, and yellow bird perches on a branch among dense leafless twigs, with yellow patches above its eye and on its wings.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The scheduled May 9th hike could not compete with the annual "dumpster day" in Bayfield, but two stalwarts (Gerry Miller and Neil) still walked to the pond at the Big Ravine Headwaters to view the latest beaver activity and numerous lesser yellowlegs feeding in the flooded fields north of the pond.

On Saturday May 16, Ted May and Neil led a hike at Frog Bay Tribal National Park for six interested nature lovers. Highlights of that walk included a half dozen blue-headed vireos and eleven species of warblers including the elusive black-throated blue warbler.

Lesser Yellowlegs

A beaver partially submerged near a grassy, leafy riverbank gnaws on a piece of wood while a tree branch crosses diagonally in front.

Beavers at work!

A group of people in outdoor clothing walk along a sandy lakeshore with trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

Frog Bay Tribal National Park beach.

The Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival from May 21-23 included field trips on many trails in the Bayfield Area Trails network. These included the Big Ravine Headwaters, Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the Lakeshore Trail in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Pileated Woodpecker Trail at the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery, the Salmo Lakewalk Trail, the Lost Creek Falls Trail, and the Houghton Falls Trail.

More than 230 people participated in the 62 field trips, programs and activities offered during the festival and 178 species of birds were identified. See the full bird list here.