This former farmland was preserved as open space in the 1960s and restored by the Lake County Forest Preserves over the years, leaving a blend of marsh, woodland, prairie and grassland habitats that can yield nearly 50 species on a good day in mid-September. eBird reports at the same time in 2024 included noteworthy sightings ranging from Golden-winged, Connecticut and Bay-breasted Warblers to Brown Thrasher, Philadelphia Vireo, Marsh Wren, Green-winged Teal and more.

 Directions: Cuba Marsh is located at 24205 W Cuba Rd. Take Lake Cook Rd. west, turn north on Ela Rd. and west on Cuba Road to the preserve parking lot.

 Leader: Scott McKinney 630-364-0603

Please register for the Cuba Marsh walk 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 look for fall migrants as well as resident birds like Pileated Woodpecker at one of the birdiest forest preserves in Lake County. Daniel Wright Woods and Half Day Forest Preserve are linked by a footbridge over the Des Plaines River, providing crucial habitat for songbirds that utilize the river as a rest stop on their migratory journeys. Both preserves can be equally productive, providing a two-in-one opportunity for a great birding morning.

Directions: From Waukegan Rd., turn west on Everett Rd. in Lake Forest, drive to the end (St. Mary’s Rd), and turn left (south) into the parking lot. Meet in the parking lot at Everett and St. Mary’s Roads.

Leader: Jerry Hampton 630-400-0755

Please register for the Wright Woods walk 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 bird one of the most important sites for biodiversity in Illinois, named for the waterway known as the Middle Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River that transects the property. Featuring a rare tallgrass savanna ecosystem as well as wetland, woodlands, prairies and open fields, this preserve is a prime spot for viewing fall migrants like Fox, White-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrows as well as Sandhill Cranes, Wilson’s Snipe, Northern Harrier and a variety of migrating waterfowl. Special mid-October sightings in recent years have included Harris’ Sparrow, Purple Finch and the spectacle of hundreds of undulating Pine Siskins swooping over the fields. European Goldfinch are also becoming increasingly common sightings here.

Directions: The preserve is located at 1401 Middlefork Dr in Lake Forest. From Route 60, take Route 43 north to Westmoreland Dr./Middlefork Dr. Turn left to the parking lot.

Leaders: Charlotte Pavelka and Doug Reitz (847) 347-8416

Please register for the MIddlefork Savanna walk here so that we can get a head count and contact you in the event of a date change due to weather conditions.