Archives: Events

Ryerson Conservation Area – Riverwoods

This hotspot along the Des Plaines River corridor can yield some of the most sought-after migrants, like the Hooded Warbler that nested there for several years and the Cerulean Warbler that hung out at eye level for 20 minutes on a Lake/Cook outing a few years ago. We’ll look for the resident Pileated Woodpeckers as well.

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.

Leader: Donna Kenski 847-347-3474

Glacial Park – Ringwood

One of the best sites in Chicagoland for Yellow-headed Blackbirds, with varying habitats also yielding a rich range of migrating land and water birds. Our last mid-May sightings here included Olive-sided Flycatcher, Clay-colored Sparrow, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope, young Sandhill Cranes, Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink and many warbler species.

Directions: From IL 137 (Buckley Rd.), turn slight right onto W. Peterson Rd., right onto IL 60, left onto IL 120/Belvidere Rd., right onto N. Richmond Rd./IL 31, and left onto Harts Rd. into preserve. Turn into first parking lot on your right. Restrooms are available there.

Leader: Mark Fritzmann 815-382-0055

Crabtree Nature Center – Barrington Hills

Great location for migrating and resident birds with a mix of woodland, wetland and prairie habitat. Trails are unpaved and can be muddy depending on weather. Probable sightings range from warblers, vireos and other passerines to rails, waterfowl and Black-crowned Night Heron.

Directions: Take Willow Rd./Palatine Rd. west, turn north into preserve (Stover Rd.) one mile west of Barrington Rd. Meet in the main parking lot. The gates open at 8 am so plan to arrive as soon as they open.

 Leader: Dan Ellig 224-456-8011

 

Lyons Woods – Waukegan

The trails in this Lake County Forest Preserve move from pine grove to prairie to oak woodland, providing an ideal stopover for migrants as well as breeding habitat for favorites like Blue-winged Warbler.

Directions: The entrance is on Blanchard Road, just west of Sheridan Road, north of Bowen Park and south of Yorkhouse Road.

Leader:Kerry Swift (847) 323-6878

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve – Oakbrook

NEW! Join us to explore two DuPage County hotspots: Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oakbrook and nearby Lyman Woods Forest Preserve in Downers Grove. We’ll begin at Fullersburg Woods, where several paths along Salt Creek can yield both landbirds and shorebirds. Lyman Woods features large swaths of oak forest and is just a few miles away.

Note: Wear boots if it has rained recently. The trails can be muddy.

Directions: The Fullersburg Woods parking lot is at 3609 Spring Road in Oak Brook. From the north suburbs, take the I-294 tollway south to Ogden Avenue/34 West (exit 37B).  Drive .8 miles to North York Road and turn right, then .2 miles to Spring Road and turn right. Then drive ½ mile to the entrance. (The sign is obscured by some brush but it’s at the bottom of a slope.) Lyman Woods is a few miles west of Fullersburg at 901 31st Street.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z9bUnGKnE2jhCiMDA

Leader: Scott McKinney 630-364-0603

 

University of Saint Mary of the Lake – Mundelein

NEW! This underbirded location is a beautiful seminary campus featuring a hard surface road that loops 3.2 miles around a large lake, plus woods surrounding the lake with excellent habitat for migrants.

Directions: The property is located on Route 45 between Route 176 and Winchester Rd. If driving from the south, enter on Route 176. (The stoplight on Route 45 is not currently accessible from the south.) If driving from the north, enter at the stoplight on Route 45. Park in the Purple Lot.

 

Leaders: Wanda Supanich 224-433-1675 and Susan Lamberts

Illinois Beach State Park – South Unit

In mid-June IBSP South Unit is a great place to look for late migrants, shorebirds and nesting birds – including Brewer’s Blackbirds that are hard to find in the Chicago area. As the morning heats up, we may see butterflies as well.

Directions: The South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park is located just east of the intersection of Sheridan Rd. and Wadsworth Rd. in Zion. Just follow Wadsworth Road east past Sheridan Road to enter the park. Meet at the Nature Center parking lot (Map)

Leaders: Rena Cohen 847-971-1107 and Lisa Draper 224-305-3735

Illinois Beach State Park – South Unit – Zion

From the Dead River Trail to the Lake Michigan shoreline with sand dunes and other habitats in between, IBSP provides a rich mix of passerines, waterfowl and raptors.

 Directions: From US-41, turn east on Wadsworth Rd. and drive 2 miles into the park. Park in the Nature Center parking lot.

 Leader: Kerry Swift (847) 323-6878

Illinois Beach State Park – South Unit – Zion

From the Dead River Trail to the Lake Michigan shoreline with sand dunes and other habitats in between, IBSP provides a rich mix of passerines, waterfowl and raptors.

 Directions: From US-41, turn east on Wadsworth Rd. and drive 2 miles into the park. Park in the Nature Center parking lot.

 Leader: Kerry Swift (847) 323-6878

Lakewood Forest Preserve – Wauconda

Lake County’s largest forest preserve – made famous last spring for a sighting of the first-ever state record of Painted Redstart – is a great place to check out early spring songbird migration.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1RlRjHn-igE3F8zEq6AN4VmCaKHdusew&usp=sharing –

Directions: From westbound Route 176, turn left (south) onto Fairfield Road. Within a 1/4 mile turn right (southwest) onto W. Ivanhoe Road. Do NOT turn left into the Lakewood Forest Preserve parking lot. Continue southwest on Ivanhoe Road about 1/4 mile to the first road on your left (past big white house on corner). This road is gravel and unnamed. Drive down this road to a small parking lot and public toilets. (Map)

Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602

 

Skokie Lagoons/Erickson Woods

This popular migrant stopover has a mix of woodland and wetland habitats that can yield a rich mix of early migrants. It is also one of the best places in the north suburbs to look for Rusty Blackbirds in April.

Directions: Meet at the Willow Rd. entrance just east of the Edens Expressway (the sign says Erickson Woods). From the north, take Edens X-way south exiting at Tower Road. Turn left (south) on the Frontage road to Willow Road. Turn left (east) on Willow over the Edens to Erickson Woods entrance. Drive to north end of parking lot.

Leaders: Amanda Tichacek 404-803-4145 and Maureen Marsh 352-317-5130

Rollins Savanna, Grayslake

With 1,216 uninterrupted acres, Rollins Savanna is one of Lake County’s largest forest preserves. The habitat ranges from prairie and wetland to an oak grove that plays host to migrating passerines. Fall birding here can include Trumpeter Swans, migrating waterfowl and occasional shorebirds in the largest wetland to nearly every fall sparrow that passes through the Chicago area along with raptors and the occasional Rusty Blackbird or Short-eared Owl.

Bring a spotting scope to scan the large wetland if you have one.

Directions: Meet at the Drury Lane parking lot on the north side of the preserve. From I-94, exit Grand Ave. west to Rollins Rd., then turn left (west) on Rollins and south on Drury Lane Drive .3 mile to the parking lot on left.

Leader: Beau Schaefer (847) 337-3602

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

Rollins Savanna – Grayslake

Wetland, grassland and oak grove habitats provide ample opportunity to see a wide variety of  migrating landbirds, shorebirds & waterfowl. Meet at Drury Lane parking lot.

Directions: From I-94, exit Grand Ave. west to Rollins Road, turn left (west) on Rollins and south on Drury Lane – drive .3 mile to parking lot.

Leader: Beau Schaefer 847-337-3602

Loons of Lake County

Our annual spring waterfowl trip begins at Diamond Lake in Mundelein, followed by other stops looking for ducks, loons and pelicans passing through on their spring journey to their breeding grounds. Bring scopes if you have them.

Directions: Meet at Gale Street Inn parking lot, 935 N. Diamond Lake Rd., Mundelein.

Leader: Jeff Sanders 847-675-7172 (landline)

Contact day of trip: Rena Cohen 847-971-1107