As part of our collaboration with Lake Forest Open Lands on their 770 Westleigh property, we will be harvesting seed at LFOLA’s Everett Farm site. This location has a larger seed bank due to previous restorations, allowing us to collect seed from many species not currently seen or underrepresented at 770 Westleigh. Some of this seed, once processed, can then be used for distribution at the 770 Westleigh site.
As usual, dress in long pants and consider sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent. We will provide water and snacks. If possible, bring a refillable water bottle.
Please RSVP to Maureen Marsh (firefeats@hotmail.com).
We will start at Crawford Road and continue from there. Combination of walking and roadside birding.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
Meet at Drury Lane parking lot on the north side of the preserve. We will walk out to the observation deck
Directions:
From I-94, exit Grand Ave. west to Rollins Rd., then left (west) on Rollins and south on Drury Lane .3 mile to parking lot on left.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602 beauschaefer@yahoo.com
Bird the preserve for passerine migrants. We will walk the main Bird Loop Trail.
Bathrooms (temporary port o potties) off main parking lot.
Directions:
Access the Preserve from Sheridan Road at the stoplight with Old Elm. Follow the access road to stop sign and turn left (east). Continue east to Gilgare Lane. Turn left and continue to parking lot. You MUST park in the lot and not along the roadway. (Map)
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
We’ll start at North Point Marina then head south on the trail to Illinois Beach State Park North Unit.
Directions:
From Sheridan Road turn east on 7th to North Point Marina. Turn right at stop sigh and then turn right to parking area.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
We’ll start at the North Point Marina (NOT Yacht Club) Scopes helpful but not essential. Dress warmly for lake winds.
No bathrooms.
Directions:
From Sheridan Road turn east onto 7th Street and continue to end of road. Turn right at stop sign. Take another immediate right into the fisherman’s parking lot. (MAP)
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602 beauschaefer@yahoo.com
We’ll start at the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club parking lot. Bring scopes. Dress warmly. Plan for a lot of standing
No bathrooms at yacht club.
Directions:
From Sheridan Road turn east onto 7th Street and continue to end of road. Turn left along service drive. Turn right at stop sign toward yacht club. Park in lot or in pull outs along the harbor.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
Car caravan with minimal walking to observe ducks inland. Will take most of the morning to complete but you can leave anytime.
Directions:
Meet at Rollins -Washington St. parking lot on the exit side of the lot (nearest to Washington St) to car pool. We need a maximum of 3 cars.
Route will be a loop from South to North and back to Rollins.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602 beauschaefer@yahoo.com
We’ll land-bird at Lyons Woods, a former Christmas tree farm with a combination of pine grove, prairie and oakland wood habitat. The woods can have a lot of bugs at times so be prepared for mosquitoes.
Directions:
The entrance is on Blanchard Road, just west of Sheridan Road, north of Bowen Park and south of Yorkhouse Road.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602 beauschaefer@yahoo.com
Fall migration continues. Anticipate muddy trails and probable wet grass. We expect to cover about 3 miles in 3 hours.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
Directions:
From Deerfield Rd., turn north on Riverwoods Rd., drive to Ryerson entrance. Enter preserve and follow the signs to Brushwood Visitors Center. Meet in the Brushwood parking lot. NOTE: The gates open at 6:30 am.
1+ mile trail loop through conifers to look for finches, sparrows.
Directions:
We will meet and park on Kelsey Ct, a residential street off of Beck Rd. This is on the west side of McDonald Woods. Beck Rd runs north/south and might best be accessed from the south from Sand Lake Road. McDonald Wood Forest Preserve does not have a parking lot. Map
Leader: Beau Schaefer (847) 337-3602 beauschaefer@yahoo.com
Fall migration is in full swing! We’ll check the beach for migrating shorebirds. Bring scopes if you have them.
Directions:
Follow Route 120 EAST (Belvidere Rd.), drive to the lake, turn left on Market St/Pershing Rd. right on E Clayton, left on Sea Horse Drive, and bear right to beach parking lot.
Leader: Beau Schaefer (847) 337-3602
Migrating sparrows should be present in abundance joined by lingering earlier migrants as well as newly arriving waterfowl. This is one of Lake County’s newest preserves, with rolling hills and panoramic views of prairie, savanna and oak-hickory woodlands.
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: Beau Schaefer (847) 337-3602
Learn more about Pine Dunes Forest Preserve (Lake County Forest Preserve)
With fall migration in full swing, we’ll be looking for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and passerines at the various habitats in this Lake County Forest Preserve, ranging from wetlands and grasslands to a large oak savannah that can yield warblers and other land birds.
Meet at Drury Lane parking lot on the north side of the preserve. Anticipate about 3 hour field trip covering about 2 miles.
Directions:
From I-94, exit Grand Ave. west to Rollins Rd., then left (west) on Rollins and south on Drury Lane .3 mile to parking lot on left.
Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602
Any time is a good time to bird this jewel of a preserve, but fall birding here provides the bonus of an organized hawk watch that has been in operation since 2013 to monitor the migration of raptors along the western shore of Lake Michigan. From the savanna in the center to the bluff and lakefront on the east, historic parade ground on the south and military cemetery are on the north, early October can be filled with birdlife. Be prepared to walk the preserve as well as hang out at the hawk watch to look for raptors with birders who can identify approaching buteos and accipiters when they’re just specks in the sky.
Directions: Access the Preserve from Sheridan Road at the stoplight with Old Elm. Follow the access road to the stop sign and turn left (east). Continue east to Gilgare Lane. Turn left and continue to the parking lot. Meet at the Hawk Watch picnic tables at the west end of the parking lot. (Map)
Leader: Jeff Bilsky (801) 842-4013
Please register for the Fort Sheridan trip here so that we can get a head count and contact you in the event of a date change due to weather conditions.
