Next Field Trips
Join us on our next bird watching field trip. Unless otherwise noted, there is no charge for participation. Some trips may require prior registration or are prioritized for Lake Cook Audubon members. This will be noted in the field trip description.
Southern California: Sea, Mountains & Desert
Led by Red Hill Birding’s Steve Huggins, this trip will begin in Los Angeles, end in San Diego and take us out of the cold Chicago winter to varied (and much warmer!) habitats including the Pacific Ocean Coast, high mountains, vast deserts and bird-rich wetlands. We’ll see many of the common and widespread specialties of California like California Scrub-Jay, California Condor, LeConte’s Thrasher and Mountain Quail; endangered species like California Gnatcatcher; endemic species like Yellow-billed Magpie and Island Scrub-Jay; uncommon species like Lawrence’s Goldfinch; coastal Pacific specialties like Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Bran’s and Pelagic Cormorants, and Pacific Loon; and much more. We’ll also look for pelagic species on our boat ride to Santa Cruz Island. Maximum 7 participants.
Priority to Lake/Cook Chapter members.
Email renabird3@gmail.com if you are interested in a complete itinerary and cost.
Oak forests often serve as resting sites and habitat for monarch butterflies during their annual migration to the Mexican state of Michoacan. Yet these vital tree ecosystems are being cleared for urban development, coffee plantations and grazing fields, contributing to the monarchs’ steep population declines. In this program, the Morton Arboretum’s Silvia Alvarez Clare and the USDA Forest Service’s Mike Rizo will discuss both organizations’ efforts to protect the oak and pine-oak forests near the Monarch Butterly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan through research, restoration work, community outreach and more.
Optional bird walk before the program at 9:00 AM – bring binoculars!
Parking is free. Admission is free to Chicago Botanic Garden members (you must purchase a ticket online before the program and bring your CBG membership card to the arboretum on the day of the program to receive a refund). Admission is $11 (age 65 and older) or $12 (under 65) for non-CBG members. Complete details will be provided to all registrants.
Please email renabird3@gmail.com to register. Participants will receive information about the specific meeting place a few days before the event.
Next Programs
Our programs are open to the public and free. Most are offered at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. Some may be presented on Zoom. This will be noted in the program description. Many past-programs can now be viewed on YouTube here.
Oak forests often serve as resting sites and habitat for monarch butterflies during their annual migration to the Mexican state of Michoacan. Yet these vital tree ecosystems are being cleared for urban development, coffee plantations and grazing fields, contributing to the monarchs’ steep population declines. In this program, the Morton Arboretum’s Silvia Alvarez Clare and the USDA Forest Service’s Mike Rizo will discuss both organizations’ efforts to protect the oak and pine-oak forests near the Monarch Butterly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacan through research, restoration work, community outreach and more.
Optional bird walk before the program at 9:00 AM – bring binoculars!
Parking is free. Admission is free to Chicago Botanic Garden members (you must purchase a ticket online before the program and bring your CBG membership card to the arboretum on the day of the program to receive a refund). Admission is $11 (age 65 and older) or $12 (under 65) for non-CBG members. Complete details will be provided to all registrants.
Please email renabird3@gmail.com to register. Participants will receive information about the specific meeting place a few days before the event.
Many birders shy away from shorebird identification because they think “all shorebirds look the same.” With spring migration just around the corner, award-winning local birder Geoff Williamson will dispel that notion by illustrating the importance of shape, structure and proportion in identifying major types of shorebirds as well as in differentiating between similar-looking species. In fact, plumage features come into play only to decide between two or three species. Geoff’s program will be followed by a short walk outside at dusk to see American Woodcocks display. (Bring binoculars!)
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Who We Are
We are a gathering of people who enjoy bird watching and studying birds and wildlife. We welcome people of all ages and skills to join us on our field trips, programs and other events. Most of our monthly programs are bird-oriented, but we also address environmental and natural history topics.
The Illinois Audubon Society is the state’s oldest conservation organization that functions as a land trust to protect and enhance Illinois’ unique habitats and to educate the public about them. Organized in 1897, Illinois Audubon is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society.