chapter meeting
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
7:00 PM
Lions Field House – 270 Elkhorn Road (Hwy 67), Williams Bay, WI
Free to attend and open to the public!
Guest Speaker: Vic Berardi
Topic: “The Stories Behind the Photos“
Join the Lakeland Audubon Society at its April 2026 chapter meeting. This meeting will feature a guest speaker (Vic Berardi) who will give a talk called: The Stories Behind the Photos. Vic will discuss his nature photography and the stories behind the photos. His favorite subject is raptors, but he will also include a few photos of wildflowers, trees, and dragonflies, which he also enjoys photographing.
Vic is a knowledgeable, avid raptor enthusiast and an accomplished photographer with many of his images published in guidebooks, magazines, journals, and online.
About the speaker: Vic Berardi is the founder of the all-volunteer Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch, which has conducted twenty-four complete seasons of full-time hawk migration monitoring, which began in the fall of 2000. In 2013, he and a few others conducted several spot counts at a new hawkwatch site at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve on the shore of Lake Michigan in Highland Park, IL. The Fort Sheridan Hawkwatch has now completed seven seasons of hawk watching and is now close to having full-time coverage.
Vic is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), a position he previously held several years ago. He also serves on several HMANA Committees, including being the Chair of the Winter Raptor Survey Committee. He also served for several years as the Central Continental Flyway Editor for Hawk Migration Studies, which is HMANA’s biannual publication. In 2014, he was the recipient of HMANA’s Appreciation Award for his outstanding service to further hawk migration studies and conservation. In 2009, he was awarded the Service to Chicago Area Birders by the Chicago Audubon Society. And in 2007, he was awarded the Grassroots Conservation Leadership Award for his leadership in raptor education and research.
In addition to Vic’s dedication to the hawk watches in northeastern Illinois and HMANA, he also finds time to write articles on hawk watching, give hawk identification seminars, and give raptor conservation-related talks. Vic is also an accomplished photographer, and many of his photos are published in several magazines, including several cover photos for Hawk Migration Studies, Bird Watching Magazine, and Outdoor Illinois.
His book contributions include, “Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America” by Donald & Lillian Stokes, “Hawks From Every Angle” and “Hawks At A Distance” by Jerry Liguori, “Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of North America” by Pete Dunne with Kevin Carlson, “The Crossley Guide: Raptors” by Richard Crossley, Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan and the “Pembina Valley Raptor Field Guide.” Most recently, he has contributed many photos for the new HawkWatch International (HWI) Raptor ID app co-authored by Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan, and has made contributions to the latest raptor book by Brian Wheeler, “Birds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide.” He also regularly donates his photos for use in raptor conservation efforts.
Vic is also a member of the Raptor Research Foundation, HawkWatch International, and several other birding organizations, including the Illinois Ornithological Society, in which he served as a Board member for 4 years and Field Trip Chair for 3 years.
Bird Walks at Big Foot
Saturdays
11:00 AM
Big Foot Beach State Park – N1550 S Lakeshore Drive, Lake Geneva, WI
Join us for a Bird Walk near the shores of beautiful Geneva Lake. We will follow the park’s trails while on the lookout for birds and other wildlife. Meet in the main parking area to the right of the entrance station a little before 11:00 AM. A state park sticker: $28 or daily pass: $8 ($13, $3 if age 65 or older) is required to enter Big Foot Beach State Park.
Please contact us if you are interested in attending a walk.
Kevin Dickey – https://lakelandaudubon.com/contact/ or +1 (262) 729-9702
Visit the events page to see a list of our scheduled bird walks.
bird walks at white river
Sundays
11:00 AM
White River County Park – 6503 Sheridan Springs Road, Lyons, WI
Get out and enjoy one of the best parks Walworth County has to offer. We’ll walk the trails and be on the lookout for birds and other critters. We’ll also watch for plant blooms and other interesting elements of nature. Meet at the kiosk by the parking lot a little before 11:00 AM.
Please contact us if you are interested in attending a walk.
Kevin Dickey – https://lakelandaudubon.com/contact/ or +1 (262) 729-9702
Visit the events page to see a list of our scheduled bird walks.
Christmas bird count results
Lake Geneva CBC-2025 (Data)
For anyone who is interested in the final numbers of last year’s CBC, simply click on the link below:
Lakeland Audubon Society 