The rolling topography of this preserve is filled with multiple wetlands, making it a magnet for migrating waterfowl and reclusive marsh residents like Wilson’s Snipe. The large open space can also offer great views of migrating raptors, and special late October sightings over the last few years have included Purple Finch, American Pipit, Snow Bunting and Northern Saw-whet Owl.
BONUS: Stay after the walk for hot cider and donuts plus a discussion about the history and restoration of Pine Dunes Forest Preserve.
Directions: From US-41 N, exit west on IL-173, drive 1.5 miles to Hunt Club Rd., turn north. Preserve is on the east side. We will meet in the main lot.
Leader: Nancy Tikalsky 773-655-0269
Please register for Pine Dunes Forest Preserve here so that we can get a head count and contact you in the event of a date change due to weather conditions.
Join us to view the new trails and boardwalks as well as do some light conservation work at Lake Forest Open Lands Association’s Carruthers Preserve (formerly 770 Westleigh), where Lake-Cook Chapter is in its fourth year of a collaborative project to help restore a property that used to be one of the last working farms in Lake Forest.
Activities will include planting a few shrubs and seedlings and doing some light seed collecting, followed by a walk and a demonstration of the Purple Martin nesting system.
Snacks and drinks will be provided.
To register, email Maureen Marsh at firefeats@hotmail.com or call 352-317-5130
Directions: From Rte 41, head west on Westleigh Rd. After the stop sign at Ridge Rd, take the first right on Stable Lane and park along curb.
Texas Hill Country and Big Bend Led by Red Hill Birding
Texas Hill Country and Big Bend National Park are must-visit U.S. destinations for avid birders. Highlights include Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo, two endangered migratory songbirds that breed exclusively in south central Texas; Colima Warbler, a montane species found nowhere else in the U.S.; and stunners like Painted Bunting, Painted Redstart, Lucifer Hummingbird, Greater Roadrunner and many more – plus the spectacle of millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats leaving their roosting cave in a small town 90 minutes west of San Antonio in the evening.
Red Hill’s last trip here tallied 181 species, including the Elf Owl that was voted #1 bird of the trip. The lodge at Big Bend is scheduled to close for renovations at the end of the season, so this will be the last opportunity to make the trip for several years.
Email renabird3@gmail.com for a detailed itinerary and pricing. Space is limited; Lake/Cook members have priority.