Summer 2007 Field Events

Download this complete list of events and registration form  (PDF) (click link).

Hi! Our 2006 -2007 Field Events are now complete.  During June & July we are planning our next year's schedule.  Please register to receive our email newsletter and we will email you the schedule when it is published.

Next Up:

2007 Illinois Audubon Society Summer Hummingbird Festivals

July 7 (Saturday) -- Siloam Springs State Park (Adams County) (9:00 to noon)
July 22 (Sunday) -- Lois White's (Fulton County) (2:00 to 5:30 p.m.)
July 29 (Sunday) -- Sugar Grove (Funk's Grove) Nature Center (McLean County) (3:00 to 6:00 p.m.)
Aug. 4 (Saturday) -- Trail of Tears State Forest (Union County) (9:00 to 1:00)
Aug. 5 (:Sunday) -- Trail of Tears State Forest (Union County) (9:00 to 1:00)
Aug. 11 (Saturday)-- New Salem Historic Site (Petersburg) (9:00 to noon)
Aug. 12 (Sunday) -- Pere Marquette State Park (Jersey County) (3:00 to 6:00 p.m.)
Aug. 18 (Saturday)-- Siloam Springs State Park (Adams County) (9:00 to noon)
Aug. 19 (Sunday) -- Lois White's (Fulton County) 2:00 to 5:30 p.m.)
Aug. 25 (Saturday)-- Forest Park Nature Center (Peoria) (9:00 to noon)
Sep. 8 (Saturday) -- Hillsboro (Montgomery County) (9:00 to noon)

Contact: Vern Kleen  217.787.3515


**********************************************

Fall 2006 & Winter/Spring 2007 Past Field Trips & Events

Here is a list of our completed 2006  & 2007 Lake Cook Audubon Bird Watching & Birding  Field Trip Schedule.

Sunday, September 17, 2006 at 8:00 AM
Half Day Preserve
Lincolnshire

Join us to look for early migrants as well as local residents. Take Rt 22 west to Rt 21 north, to the entrance on the right at the traffic lights. Meet in parking lot "C." MAP

Leader: Coral Ackerman 
**********************************************

September 22 - 24. 2006 
Fall Illinois Audubon Society Meet
Kankakee

Join with birders from throughout Illinois as we explore local bird watching opportuniites in nearby Kankakee.
**********************************************
Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 9:00 AM
Illinois Beach State Park, North Unit
Zion

Bring a chair, drinks and snacks to use while looking for hawks in migration. We'll also check the harbor and lake for other species.

Take I-94 to Route 173 exit and go east 8 miles to Sheridan Rd. Turn north to 17th Street, turn right (east), take the park road into the park, turn right at the sign for the Sailing Beach, and walk to the first pavilion on the right.

Leader: Donnie Dann

**********************************************

Saturday, October 7, 2006 at 8:00 AM
Middlefork Savanna
Lake Forest

Help us look for grassland and woodland birds in this ecologically important preserve. Middlefork Savanna is part of the Lake County Forest Preserve system. It is a beautiful tall grass savanna and identified as one of the most important sites for biodiversity in Northeastern Illinois. This hidden jewel in an unlikely location in Lake Forest has been identified as a birder's paradise.

Take Rt 43 north to Westmoreland Dr, but turn left at the traffic lights onto Middlefork Dr and go all the way to the end. You will see the Savanna to your left. Bear left into the parking lot as the street turns right onto Jensen Dr and away from the savanna.

Leader: Nolan Lameka
**********************************************

Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 8:00 AM
Ryerson Conservation Area Lincolnshire

We'll be looking for local residents and late migrants from the forest to the Des Plaines River. Take Deerfield Rd west, turn right (north) on Riverwoods Rd, to the Ryerson entrance on the left. Meet in the south parking lot by the Ryerson home.

Leaders: Dan and Irene Weinman

**********************************************

Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 7:30 AM
Ducks on Lake Michigan

We’ll start at Park Avenue Beach in Glencoe (just east of downtown Glencoe) and then hit Rosewood, Waukegan and Zion with optional hawk watching in Zion. Prepare for a full morning. Bring a spotting scope if you have one.

Take Dundee Road east to its end at Green Bay Road. Turn south (right) to first light which is Park Avenue. Turn left (east) to end. Meet at the Park Avenue overlook.

Leader: Jeff Sanders


**********************************************
Weekend, January 27 & 28, 2007
Bald Eagle Watch Weekend
Starved Rock State Park & Illinois Waterway Visitor Center

The Illinois Waterway Visitor Center will be the site of this Starved Rock Audubon Chapter's Bald Eagle Watch Weekend. At one eagle watch, 45 eagles were spotted from the viewing balcony of the visitor center. More online information can be found at the Illinois Raptor Center website. 


**********************************************
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Gull Frolic (all day)
Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club, Winthrop Harbor, Illinois

You don't have to be winter-hardened to enjoy the Illinois Ornithological Society's annual Gull Frolic in Winthrop Harbor. Plenty of warm shelter, lunch and day long coffee & tea are part of the modest $10 at-the-door registration fee. You just can't miss this. Get the details by clicking here.

Your Lake Cook Chapter is a contributing sponsor of this IOS event. Visit us at our table in the marina.
**********************************************
March 9 - 10, 2007 
Prairie Chickens in Jasper County

Leapin' chickens! Observe Prairie Chickens strut their stuff in this annual mating ritual. Watch this short video from a previous expedition (Careful, this is a 900 MB file to download - you must have high bandwidth internet access to download).

Contact: Vern Kleen 217.787.3515
**********************************************
March 21 - April 2, 2007 
Costa Rica Expedition

WOW, what an expedition! This trip to Costa Rica (the rich coast) has been specifically arranged for Vern's Nature Tours and is considered one of the best of all possible 13-day Costa Rican itineraries.

Contact Vern Kleen 217.787.3515

Click this link to download complete details

**********************************************
Saturday March 31, 2007 at 8 AM
Loons of Lake County
Diamond Lake

This is our annual search for Loons and other waterfowl in Northwest Lake County. We will begin at the Gale Street Inn parking lot overlooking Diamond Lake and then visit 6 more lake habitats and we won't forget Almond Marsh and its amazing Heron rookery.

This worrisome morning-long snapshot of our Northern Illinois region under development pressure reveals remarkable habitats and the bird species that call this area a winter home, a summer home or just a nice place to visit.

Our annual search for loons and other waterfowl will begin at the Gale Street Inn parking lot. Take Rt 22 west, to Rt 83 north, to Diamond Lake Rd, and then turn right, drive 1/2 mile to the parking lot on the right. A spotting scope may be useful. Carpooling recommended. Bring a 2-way Talk About radio if you have them.

Leader: Jeff Sanders - or contact Rena

**********************************************
Prairie Chicken Birding Trip
Prairie Ridge State Natural Area
Newton, IL
9 AM Friday to 5 PM
Saturday, March 23 & 24, 2007 
Fee: $135

Ride comfortably with the Heller Nature Center's Theresa Greinig and Lake-Cook Audubon's Arnie Bock as you travel to the Prairie Ridge State Natural Area in Newton, Illinois for a day of grassland birds and prairie chickens. Trip fee includes transportation from Heller, guides, hotel, admissions & other fees. Meals on own. Limits: 10 people maximum.

Prairie Ridge is one of the best sites in Illinois for observing rare species of grassland wildlife. It contains the state's largest population of northern harriers, short-eared owls and, of course, the best booming ground of greater prairie chickens
Plans also call for a visit to the Robert Ridgeway Grassland Sanctuary of the Illinois Audubon Society. Registration is exclusively through Heller Nature Center by calling 847.433.6901.

**********************************************

Illinois Audubon Society Spring Gathering
Exploring the Illinois River Valley
Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center
East Peoria, Illinois
April 13 - 15, 2007

Whether you are a beginner or experienced observer of wildlife in nature, there is something at this conference for you. The 2007 IAS Spring Gathering will be focused on exploring the Illinois River Valley. In addition to two full days of birding field trips, the event includes a buffet dinner, silent auction and the sociability and insights of birders from throughout Illinois.

**********************************************
Beginner's Birding
Lake County Forest Preserve District Fort Sheridan
Saturday, April 21, 2007  8:00 AM

A bird walk for beginners and backyard birders. Seasoned birders welcome as well. Learn about using binoculars, scopes, field guides and bird watching technique, then practice your skills with others at the new forest preserve portion of this historic military site. Bring your binoculars.

Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is located in southeast Lake County north of Highland Park.The entrance is located on Sheridan Road at Old Elm Road and Simonds Way. Enter on Simonds Way (East), turn left on Leonard Wood Drive North, then left on Gilgare Lane to parking area. Map to Fort Sheridan. Leader: Arnie Bock 847-433-0083
**********************************************
Foley Fishing Pond & Rosewood Park
Highland Park
Saturday, May 12, 2007 8:00 AM  

See warblers and other migrants from your lawn chair at Foley Fishing Pond (map) in Highland Park. This unlikely vest-pocket preserve is nestled behind suburban backyards but provides a small forested region along the Skokie Valley greenway.

Then we'll scale the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan to check out the multiple terrains of Rosewood Park and adjacent ravines.

Take Deerfield Road east, bear right at the split by the golf course, then turn right (south) on McDaniels Ave and drive several blocks to the deadend and to Foley Pond on the right. Park on McDaniels Ave and walk in at the marked entrance.

Leader: Joel Shoolin
**********************************************
Bird Banding at the Skokie River Nature Preserve (Shaw Woods)
Lake Forest
Sunday, May 20, 2007 8:00 AM

A rare opportunity to get an up-close look at migrants being banded in a Lake Forest College project. If it rains, program will be rescheduled. Call 847-735-6051 to check status.

Follow these links for more information on the Skokie River Nature Preserve, the Lake Forest Open Lands Association and the scientific research behind this bird banding and the Shaw Woods Avian Monitoring Project (SWAMP). Bird banding is conducted by Caleb E. Gordon, Ph.D., Lake Forest College.

Take Deerpath Road east to Green Bay Road then north to Laurel. Turn left (west) on Laurel to its end at Hawkweed Lane. Park on the side of Laurel Avenue. Please do not park on Hawkweed Lane.

Leader: Rena Cohen

**********************************************
Rollins Savanna
Sunday, June 3, 2007 at 8:00 AM
Grayslake

Grassland birds should be at this beautiful multi-habitat forest preserve in abundance!

Take Rt 22 west, to Rt 45 north, to Washington St west, to the entrance on the right at the traffic light.

Leader: Donnie Dann

**********************************************
5th Annual Breeding Bird Blitz Day
June 8 to June 18th, 2007 

Participate in the Lake County bird count to identify quantities of shrubland bird species. Help identify all potentially important shrubland sites. Participate on a team or on your own. Contact: Donnie Dann 847-266-2222

**********************************************
Northwest Illinois
June 8 -10, 2007 

The northwestern route will travel to Spring Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi Palisades State Park, Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge, Lowden-Miller State Forest, promising marshes and premier grasslands. An optional evening trip to the Green River State Fish & Wildlife Area is also on the agenda. Attendees will spend a night in Savannah (6/8) and Rock Falls or Sterling (6/9). REGISTRATION Please confirm your intentions to be a participant on the trip with Vern Kleen. PARTICIPATION DONATION: $50 per person (Members of the Illinois Audubon Society), $65 per person (others) This fee is totally tax-deductible and does not include any travel, food, lodging or other expenses.

Contact: Vern Kleen 217.787.3515

**********************************************

Events Archive
Events from previous years

2005-2006 Events Calendar