NEW! An hour from the north suburbs, Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve is 757 acres of newly restored prairie and wetlands in Kane County and one of the newest birding hotspots in Chicagoland. In the spring the ponds boast a variety of waterfowl as well as shorebirds such as Black-necked Stilts, American Avocets, various sandpipers, and others as they stop on their way to breeding grounds up north. Grassland possibilities in late April include species like Vesper Sparrow, Lapland and Smith’s Longspurs, American Pipit, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Eastern and occasional Western Meadowlarks, early Bobolinks and more.

NOTE: The paths are a mixture of crushed limestone and cut grass that can be wet and muddy, weather depending. Please dress appropriately. Bring scopes if you have them.

Directions: The parking lot entrance is at 42W855 Bahr Road. (Do NOT go to the Rohrsen Road address.) From the north suburbs, take I-294 south, drive 12 miles to exit 40B to take I-90 west to Rockford. Drive 30 miles to exit 47 for IL-47 south. Continue for 6.8 miles, turn left onto Bahr Road, and turn right into the parking lot.

 Leaders: John Sprovieri and Regina McNulty 630-347-5991

Please register for the Muirhead Springs 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.

Techny Basin Conservation Are offers an easy paved walking/cycling path winding around the Techny Basin wetlands, providing opportunities for early landbird migrants along the trail as well as shorebirds when mudflat conditions are right. (One birder had nine shorebird species at the same time last year.) We’ll start at Techny at 4:30 pm, grab a quick dinner at Whole Foods, then head to Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie at 6:45 pm to be in place at dusk when American Woodcocks begin peenting and taking to the sky in their amazing aerial courting display.

Bring scopes if you have them for viewing the Techny Basin wetlands. Dress for possible ticks and wet conditions at Air Station Prairie (high socks, light-colored pants, boots).

 Directions: Techny Basin Conservation Area is located south of Willow Road at 2050 Claire Ct. Driving west on Willow, turn left on Ravine Way, go 0.6 mile and turn left onto Claire Ct. at the JourneyCare sign (the street sign is blocked by a tree). Follow Claire Ct. south to the turnaround at the end and park in the gravel parking lot, leaving room for other vehicles. Air Station Prairie is a few minutes away at 2400 Compass Rd.

Leader: John Leonard 847-845-5563

Please register for the Shorebirds by Day, Woodcocks by Night 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.

This underbirded migrant hotspot was Lake County’s first forest preserve, created in 1961, and features three miles of easy-walking dirt and grass trails along oak forest and wetlands. We’ll be looking for the first wave of landbird migrants – potentially arriving earlier than usual due to climate change.

With two leaders, this trip offers two choices. Either walk the whole three-mile loop out and back with one leader or take a shorter one-mile-out-one-mile-back route with the other. The shorter route will take about two hours.

As always, this trip is open to both beginners and experienced birders.

Directions: From US 41 North, turn east on Rte. 173. Drive 0.1 miles and turn left (north) into the preserve. Park in the first parking lot on your right.

Leaders: Rena Cohen 847-971-1107 and Susan Lamberts

Please register for the Van Patten Woods 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.

This hotspot along the Des Plaines River corridor is a great migrant trap that can attract the first wave of spring warblers, vireos and sparrows. Resident Pileated and Red-headed Woodpeckers and Barred and Great-horned Owls are other possible highlights at this site, which is both an Illinois Nature Preserve indicating its ecologically high-quality land and a Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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.

Leaders: Charlotte Pavelka and Doug Reitz 847-347-8416

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

This Cook County forest preserve provides excellent birding opportunities in the early spring before the trees leaf out, often yielding an abundance of warblers and other passerines. Most of the trails offer easy walking, but trails along the north branch of the Chicago River where many birds tend to hang out can be muddy and require a short walk down to the river, so be sure to wear good trail shoes.

This is a limited-capacity trip because of the narrow river trail and extensive restoration work elsewhere in the preserve that requires careful walking. Priority to Lake/Cook members.

Directions: From the Kennedy Expressway, take exit 41C to Cicero Avenue and drive south to the light at Foster Ave. Turn left (east) and then left into the Irene Hernandez Picnic Grove lot on Foster.

Leader: Ethan Ellis 773-218-9288

Please register for the LaBagh Woods 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.

One of the top migrant hotspots in the northern suburbs, this Cook County forest preserve boasts the extensive woodland trails and a shoreline by the restored lagoons that attract virtually every species of warbler seen in the Chicago region as well as migrating thrushes, flycatchers, vireos and more. Ospreys nesting on the west side of the preserve should also be present, along with multiple waterbird species and flyover raptors.

Waterproof shoes are advisable in case the woods along the lagoons shoreline are wet.

 Directions: Meet at the Willow Rd. entrance just east of the Edens Expressway (the sign says Erickson Woods). From the north, take the Edens southbound and exit at Tower Road. Turn left (south) on the Frontage road to Willow Road. Turn left (east) on Willow and cross over the Edens to the Erickson Woods entrance. Park at the north end of the parking lot.

Leader: Jeff Bilsky 801-842-4013

Please register for the Skokie Lagoons 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.

The trails in this Lake County Forest Preserve move from pine grove to prairie to oak woodland, providing varied habitat that makes it an ideal location to look for spring migrants as well as birds that will stay to nest like Blue-winged Warblers. One eBird checklist from the same time last year counted 59 species including 17 types of warblers.

Directions: The entrance to Lyons Woods is located at the corner of Blanchard and Sheridan Roads, north of Bowen Park and south of York House Road.

Leader: Donna Kenski 847-347-3474

Please register for the Lyons Woods 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.

Pack a picnic dinner and join us for a 5 pm bird walk at the height of spring migration in one of the birdiest forest preserves in Lake County. Daniel Wright Woods and Half Day Forest Preserve are linked by a footbridge over the Des Plaines River, providing crucial habitat for songbirds that utilize the river as a rest stop on their migratory journeys and often yielding over 20 species of warblers on a good day. We’ll bird first, then gather at the picnic tables near the Wright Woods parking lot to eat and socialize.

Directions: From Waukegan Rd., turn west on Everett Rd. in Lake Forest, drive to the end (St. Mary’s Rd), and turn left (south) into the parking lot. Meet in the parking lot at Everett and St. Mary’s Roads.

Leader: Todd Katz 847-409-7355

Please register for the Daniel Wright Woods bird walk and picnic here so that we can get a head count and contact you in the event of a date change due to weather conditions.

Start your Mother’s Day with a (bird)song! With its Lake Michigan beach and “Magic Hedge” bushes serving as a welcome stopover for birds migrating along the Mississippi Flyway, Montrose is a world-famous birding hotspot that has attracted more than 300 species – including some of the rarest birds ever recorded in the state. Mid-May should be hopping with warblers, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes, wrens, sparrows, shorebirds and other bird “magic” – hopefully including the latest generation of Piping Plovers descended from Monty and Rose.

 Directions: From Lake Shore Dr. take the Montrose Ave. exit east, turn right at the Bait Shop at Montrose Harbor Dr., park near the sanctuary entrance and feed parking meters OR park on Montrose before or after Bait Shop for free.

 Leader: Geoff Williamson 773-485-5217

Please register for the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary 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.

Part of the original grove of oak and hickory trees for which Long Grove was named, this small preserve is an oasis of calm that can yield a nice series of migrants on a good day. It offers easy walking through woodland trails and borders an inland lake that houses resident populations of waterfowl and herons.

Directions: Reed-Turner is located at 3849 Old McHenry Road, ½ mile south of Rte. 22 / Half Day Rd in Long Grove.

Leader: Jerry Hampton 630-400-0755

Please register for the Reed-Turner Woodland Preserve 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.

Birders at Lake County’s largest forest preserve have reported 229 species here, thanks to habitat that includes a mixture of oak woods, wetlands and fields. The first-ever state record of Painted Redstart was reported here in 2023, drawing scores of birders from around the state to see this stunning black and red warbler far from its home in the southwestern U.S.

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: Donna Kenski 847-347-3474

Please register for the Lakewood Forest Preserve 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.

This Cook County forest preserve has a rich mix of woodland, wetland and prairie habitat, offering ample opportunities to see a variety of both migrating and resident birds. Possible sightings range from warblers, vireos and other passerines to rails, waterfowl and Black-crowned Night Heron. Note that trails are unpaved and can be muddy depending on weather.

Directions: Crabtree is located at 3 Stover Road in Barrington. Take Willow Rd./Palatine Rd. west, turn north into preserve (Stover Rd.) one mile west of Barrington Rd. Meet in the main parking lot. NOTE: The gates don’t open until 8:00 am so park in the lot across the street if you’re early.

Leader: Dan Ellig 224-456-8011

Please register for the Crabtree Nature Center 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.

Mid-May at IBSP North is a great spot for migrating warblers, vireos, flycatchers and other passerines, including star skulkers like Mourning and Connecticut Warblers. We’ll be taking the North Unit South Trail beginning in Winthrop Harbor, winding through shrubland, marsh, grassland and other habitats as well as beachfront.

Directions: We will meet at the north end of IBSP in Winthrop Harbor (NOT at the 17^th Street entrance in Zion). From Sheridan Road/Route 137, turn east on 7th Street. Follow 7th Street toward North Point Marina. At the stop sign, turn right and then, almost immediately, turn right into the fisherman’s parking lot.

Leader: Nancy Tikalsky 773-655-0269

Please register for the Illinois Beach State Park North Unit 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.

In addition to being one of Lake County’s birdiest forest preserves during migration, Daniel Wright has become a reliable spot for Pileated Woodpecker – a species that was largely absent from the county just a decade ago. Daniel Wright Woods and Half Day Forest Preserve are linked by a footbridge over the Des Plaines River, providing crucial habitat for songbirds that utilize the river as a rest stop on their migratory journeys and often yielding over 20 species of warblers on a good day.

Directions: From Waukegan Rd., turn west on Everett Rd. in Lake Forest, drive to the end (St. Mary’s Rd), and turn left (south) into the parking lot. Meet in the parking lot at Everett and St. Mary’s Roads.

Leaders: Charlotte Pavelka and Doug Reitz 847-347-8416

Please register for the Daniel Wright Woods 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.

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 seminary property is located on Route 45 between Route 176 and Winchester Rd. Enter at the stoplight on Route 45. Park in the Purple Lot.

See pin – USML Purple Parking Lot and Package Delivery

Leaders: Rena Cohen 847-971-1107 and Susan Lamberts

Please register for the University of Saint Mary of the Lake 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

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.

This lakefront park features an abundance of trees and shrubs where warblers and other landbird migrants can feed and rest on their way north, plus a harbor, beach and expansive views of Lake Michigan that can yield waterfowl and shorebirds.

Directions: Park on Michigan Avenue by the main (south) entrance to the park off Sheridan Road and wait for the group to gather there. (Parking inside the park is limited to Wilmette residents.)

Leader: Rena Cohen (847) 971-1107

Please register for the Gillson Park 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

NEW! Horizon Farm, a former equestrian estate, is one of Cook County’s newest forest preserves and a welcome addition to the scarce grassland habitat in the Chicagoland area. The property covers nearly 400 acres and features meadows, wetlands and small streams as well as open habitat for grassland species including Bobolink (as many as 20 were counted here in late May last year) as well as Henslow’s Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark and more.

Google Maps directions

Directions: Horizon Farm is located at Old Sutton Rd., south of Otis Rd. From the north suburbs, take Lake Cook Road to N. Quentin Rd., Turn south (left) on Quentin, drive 1.1 mile to Dundee and turn west (right). Drive 5 miles and turn southwest (left) on IL-59 on 1.4 miles, turn west (right) on Algonquin Rd, Il-62, 1.0 miles, and then north (right) on Old Sutton Rd., 0.8 miles.  Enter the forest preserve and proceed to the parking lot by the barn (see Google maps pin above).

Leader: Kerry Swift 847-323-6878

Please register for the Horizon Farm 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

Migration is winding down, but late May can still be hopping at this hotspot along the Des Plaines River corridor. This has been one of the few places in Lake County to find nesting Hooded Warblers for the last several years. Resident Pileated and Red-headed Woodpeckers and Barred and Great-horned Owls are other possible highlights at this site, which is both an Illinois Nature Preserve indicating its ecologically high-quality land and a Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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.

Leaders: Todd Katz 847-409-7355 and Ethan Ellis 773-218-9288

Please register for the Ryerson 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.

Come bird with us on Memorial Day morning! With woodland, savanna and wetland habitats, Sedge Meadow is a great place for birders to look for lingering warblers, flycatchers, vireos and other spring migrants (one previous chapter walk here yielded a Brewster’s Warbler, a hybrid Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warbler that is rarely reported in the Chicago area) as well as resident species.

Directions: The preserve is located on Wadsworth Rd., just east of US 41. Meet at the Sedge Meadow entrance, which is the first parking lot east of US 41 (NOT the canoe launch lot).

Leaders: Charlotte Pavelka and Doug Reitz 847-347-8416

Please register for the Sedge Meadow 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.

Catch the end of spring migration and the beginning of nesting season at Lake County’s best spot for grassland and marsh birds, including Bobolink, Henslow’s Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark and sometimes Dickcissel. With 1,216 uninterrupted acres, the habitat includes prairie, wetland and an oak grove that plays host to passerines. Rollins is also one of the few places in the county to find Trumpeter Swans, which have nested here for several years.

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 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.

Birding at IBSP South Unit takes you through marsh, dune, swale, oak woods and Lake Michigan beach habitats, providing a rich mix of passerines, waterfowl and raptors. Special sightings can include Brewer’s Blackbirds, which are uncommon nesters in Lake County, and Blue Grosbeak, which have been seen at this site for the past several years. Other possibilities range from hard-to-find species Sedge Wren to European Goldfinch as well as late migrants and resident and nesting birds.

Directions: IBSP South is located between Bowen Park in Waukegan and North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor. From Sheridan Road (IL 137), turn east on Wadsworth Rd. a few blocks north of Emily’s Pancake House and drive 2 miles into the park. Park in the Nature Center parking lot. (Be sure you go to the South Unit – also called Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park – and not the North Unit at 17th Street.)

Leader: CiCi Birnberg 847-945-8500

Please register for the IBSP South Unit 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.

Located on the Fox River, the McHenry Dam area adjacent to Moraine Hills State Park is one of McHenry County’s top birding hotspots and usually a reliable place to find special birds like nesting Prothonotary, Pine and Yellow-throated Warblers as well as other uncommon local nesters like Yellow-throated Vireo. We should also see resident Bald Eagles and much more with trails that wind through wetlands, easy walking trails, and scenic views all the way.

Directions: From I-294, exit Rt. 176 and drive west 17 miles to River Rd. Turn north, drive 2.5 miles to the entrance. Meet at the south end of parking lot.

Leader: Mark Fritzmann 815-382-0055

Please register for the McHenry Dam 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.

European Goldfinches are stunning birds that are obviously native to Europe, but they began showing up in Lake County as early as 2001, presumably because they were released cage birds. By 2024, they were so common in pockets around the U.S. including Illinois and Wisconsin that they were added to the countable Illinois and American Birding Association checklists. Louise Bodt, a PhD candidate in the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago and a scientific affiliate at the Field Museum, will explain how this happened and its relation to her research into how introduced species can serve as a model for understanding how species change in new environments.