The day featured a massive migratory influx of ducks and geese. A truly historic day for the Goose Pond FWA wetland restoration. An almost "perfect storm" of superb wetland food crops, usable water levels for dabbling ducks, and ideal weather conditions probably helped to concentrate the ducks and geese staging at Goose Pond on February 12.
The 64th Lisle Arboretum (ILLA) Christmas Bird Count was held Sunday, 16 Dec 2012. We had what I believe was a record number of participants this year, with over 100 field counters plus several more feeder watchers. We came close to, but fell one species short, of a count record with 86 species reported, and two additional species (so far) were seen during count week. The previous record high count of 87 species was set in 2009.
On Sunday, December 16, 2012 join one of the Chicagoland area’s most active Christmas Bird Counts. More than 75 people volunteer their time on a wintery Sunday to count birds from before dawn until dusk. The long day of counting birds is followed by a great Count Dinner that is free to all count participants as the culmination of the Chicago Ornithological Society’s centennial celebration.
The Bird Conservation Network, of which COS is a member, is excited to announce a new enterprise. We have established the Redstart Connection Campaign to raise funds to help birds here in the Midwest and on their wintering grounds.
Under the guidance of Walter Marcisz, nine dedicated folks gathered at the Bridgeport branch of the Chicago Public Library on September 8 and started entering into eBird historical records of bird observations we received from Doug Anderson. We had a follow-up gathering at the library on October 13th.
Led by Ethan and Aaron Gyllenhaal, 18 birders helped make Chicago's Columbus Park a bit less underbirded on Sundaymorning. They were rewarded with 54 identified species of birds, plus aparakeet-like bird that was not a Monk Parakeet. This flyover had palesecondaries, was overall smaller than a Monk Parakeet, and had a shorter tail. It looked similar to White-winged Parakeet, and we'll keep an eye out for it onfuture visits to the park.
In conjunction with the Montrose Beach "Beach Sweep" clean-up, the Chicago Ornithological Society and the Chicago Group of the Sierra Club teamed up again to visit nature in Chicago's parks. A group that varied in size from two to seven toured Montrose Point looking for birds and other creatures of nature in the park.
Seventeen observers attended this joint Chicago Ornithological Society/Evanston North Shore Bird Club sponsored field trip to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in southeast Chicago on Sunday morning (19 August 2012). An absolutely gorgeous day for a field trip. Shorebirds were rather cooperative as well - we counted over 300 individual shorebirds of ten species (the vast majority of shorebirds were in Lagoon 17, which was the very last lagoon we visited).
A group of 17 individuals spent most of the morning of August 18, 2012 walking through Jackson Park's Wooded Island, south of the Museum of Science and Industry, and then back up the east side of the lagoon and through Bob-o-link Meadow. We looked for birds, bugs, and anything that moved.
There is still room for more participants for the Emiquon and Chautauqua weekend trip on August 25-26. Please contact Jill Niland to register. We'll plan on visiting Chautauqua and Emiquon National Wildlife Refuges in addition to The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve also known as Thompson Lake.
COS headed to the former Joliet Arsenal, now the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, to enjoy the prairie life on the property. The group was led led by John Baxter and observed a plethora of dragonflies, butterflies and birds.
COS and Sierra Club joined forces again to go out and experience nature in Chicago, this time at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. The group toured Montrose Beach and observed Kildeer, Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Terns, Caspian Terns, and Forster's Terns. Next they entered the vegetated "bird and butterfly" area of the sanctuary to see a variety of birds and insects.
Alex Bloss, Sam Burckhardt, Jill Niland, Marcus Roening (from Washington state) and I roamed around a waterlogged Montrose Point for a while, this morning, under the auspices of the Chicago Ornithological Society. The actual walk had few highlights, perhaps the best being an American Redstart.
On another not-so-birdy day, Lisa Hipes led a great group of seven birders at this very pretty preserve. We were able to help a brand new birder, who joined the group toward the end of the trip, find his life male black throated blue warbler, a showy red-breasted grosbeak, a great crested flycatcher, and a very vocal song sparrow.
Geoff Williamson and Jill Niland lead the birding and nature walk at LaBagh Woods on Saturday, May 19. Even though it was very quiet, they found interesting "other-than-bird species." However, Geoff did a great job, as usual, of finding birds by ear.
