Fifteen people in parkas, hats and gloves, wearing binoculars, on a boardwalk in front or tall grasses and distant trees.

words by Steve Whitman

On a frosty morning Oct. 25, COS Board Member Vinod Babu and Lake County Audubon Officers Carolyn Lueck and Matt Tobin jointly led a birding outing in Deer Park’s Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve. Ten birders from each organization joined them and observed a total of 43 species of birds in the preserve’s expansive marshes, woodlands, and grasslands.

The group met at the parking lot off Cuba Road and, during introductions, enjoyed seeing Red-winged Blackbirds, House Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos until a Sharp-shinned Hawk swooped by, scattering all of the small songbirds. Sandhill Cranes’ bugling calls beckoned the group towards the main path.

Very tight shot of just the face of a bird with black feathers. One dark eye is looking at camera, showing serrated skin around the eye. The beak is pink and stubby with a gray tip. — Dark-eyed Junco. *Photo by Dustin Weidner, Ravenswood, Jan. 25, 2023.*

No cranes were seen, but White-breasted Nuthatches, Purple Finches, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-rumped Warblers were observed in some pines. The bright, early morning glare made it difficult to see anything in the ponds on the east side of the park, but the leaders planned to return on the way back.

Along the path, Lueck and Tobin pointed out the evidence of the extensive restoration work done in the preserve. The Lake County FPD website reports that 80,000 trees have been replanted there. Many birds are enjoying their new homes. In fact, one thicket near a beautiful white pine grove hosted a flock of noisy, active White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows.

Field of tall dried grasses, many with seed heads, with many tall trees in the background, some starting to show fall color.

A foot trail led through the pine grove and, while traversing the trail, the group saw two Cooper’s Hawks chasing each other until they came to a stop and perched in a distant tree.

Back on the main gravel path, Vinod pointed out a bald-faced hornet nest hanging from a tree just before a long boardwalk through the marsh. On the boardwalk, a Wilson’s Snipe flushed, and Babu described its “jinking flight” to the group of captivated birders.

Bird flying left against bare trees in background. Very long thin bill, brown overall with white dots on wings and horizontal white streaks on the body, short tail. Dark eye line runs through the dark eye under a white eyebrow. — Wilson’s Snipe. *Photo by Jake Vinsel, Burnham Prairie, March 20, 2022.*

On the west end of the park, four Northern Shovelers waded in a pond among many Mallards. A prophetic birder said, “I think this would be a good spot for a kingfisher.” Five minutes later the rattling call of a Belted Kingfisher was heard and soon it was seen zipping around the pond.

When the group retraced their steps, they encountered even more birds. A Tennessee and an Orange-crowned Warbler, in addition to a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds, were some of the highlights. The group was led to another grove of white pines–-this one more expansive—with a blanket of fallen nettles below and the wonderful scent of the trees all around.

Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Ima Akagawa, Burnham Corridor, Oct. 9, 2024.

Continuing through the preserve, the group took another foot path towards a pond with an island on the east side of the park. Lueck and Tobin said that the pond was great habitat for shorebirds earlier in the migration season. Another Mallard flock included a Green-winged Teal this time.

Back at the parking lot, before the trip leaders invited everyone for a social gathering at a nearby sandwich shop, a Red-tailed Hawk soared low, providing one last bird observation for a lovely morning trip to Cuba Marsh.

Field trip recap: Cuba Marsh