Next Field Trips
Join us on our next bird watching field trip. Unless otherwise noted, there is no charge for participation. Some trips may require prior registration or are prioritized for Lake Cook Audubon members. This will be noted in the field trip description.
Texas Hill Country and Big Bend Led by Red Hill Birding
Texas Hill Country and Big Bend National Park are must-visit U.S. destinations for avid birders. Highlights include Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo, two endangered migratory songbirds that breed exclusively in south central Texas; Colima Warbler, a montane species found nowhere else in the U.S.; and stunners like Painted Bunting, Painted Redstart, Lucifer Hummingbird, Greater Roadrunner and many more – plus the spectacle of millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats leaving their roosting cave in a small town 90 minutes west of San Antonio in the evening.
Red Hill’s last trip here tallied 181 species, including the Elf Owl that was voted #1 bird of the trip. The lodge at Big Bend is scheduled to close for renovations at the end of the season, so this will be the last opportunity to make the trip for several years.
Email renabird3@gmail.com for a detailed itinerary and pricing. Space is limited; Lake/Cook members have priority.
Happy early spring – the perfect time to look for early migrants as well as join Lake/Cook Chapter’s continuing efforts to help Lake Forest Open Lands restore the property formerly known as Westleigh Meadow.
We’ll meet at Carruthers Nature Preserve at 7:30 am and start with a bird walk at West Skokie Nature Preserve directly across the street. This is an ongoing restoration that began 25 years ago and now boasts excellent pollinator prairie plants, hopefully beginning to leaf out for summer blooming. The endangered Rusty-patched Bumblebee has been spotted here, and last year the Eastern Bluebirds occupied nesting boxes by mid-April. Time permitting, we will finish with our walk on the new boardwalk at Carruthers, checking the pond for any waterfowl/wading birds.
Then we’ll participate in a restoration workday at Carruthers from 10-12. Work at this property began several years ago and has included removal of acres of buckthorn and other woody invasive species, seed collection, and enhancement of the current native herbaceous species. Join in – no experience required.
Directions: From Waukegan Rd (Rt 43), turn east on Westleigh Rd. and drive 1/8 mile to Wallace Rd – then turn north to Carruthers Nature Preserve. From Rt 41, turn west on Westleigh Rd. and drive 1/4 mile to Wallace Rd – then turn north to Carruthers Nature Preserve. Park along the street on Wallace Road.
Leader: Maureen Marsh 352-317-5130
Please register for the bird walk and/or field trip here so that we can get a head count and contact you in the event of a date change due to weather conditions.
Next Programs
Our programs are open to the public and free. Most are offered at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. Some may be presented on Zoom. This will be noted in the program description. Many past-programs can now be viewed on YouTube here.
Our program year 2024-2025 is in development and programs are being published when set up.
Do you struggle to distinguish Alder Flycatchers from Acadians, or Tree Swallows from Rough-winged? Have trouble deciding if you’re looking at a Willow Flycatcher or an Eastern Wood-Pewee, or ID’ing Cliff and Cave Swallows on the wing (which is how you usually see them)? With spring migration beginning, join us to get tips and tricks for identifying these aerial insectivores using field marks like tail and wingtip length as well as song mnemonics (fitz-bew!). In this interactive multimedia presentation, Matt Hayes, an avian biologist and Illinois Audubon Society’s Assistant Director, will also discuss why birds that catch their food in flight face population declines and what we can do to help save them.
The group of songbirds known as Darwin’s finches that Charles Darwin collected in the Galapagos on his 1830s HMS Beagle expedition are frequently (and mistakenly) associated with his formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection, but recent genetic studies have established that these birds are actually tanagers in the family Thraupidae. John Bates, the Rowe Family Curator of Evolutionary Biology at the Field Museum, will join us to explain the research behind these new revelations and other insights provided by genetic research into the relationships in this amazing family of New World birds.
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Who We Are
We are a gathering of people who enjoy bird watching and studying birds and wildlife. We welcome people of all ages and skills to join us on our field trips, programs and other events. Most of our monthly programs are bird-oriented, but we also address environmental and natural history topics.
The Illinois Audubon Society is the state’s oldest conservation organization that functions as a land trust to protect and enhance Illinois’ unique habitats and to educate the public about them. Organized in 1897, Illinois Audubon is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society.