Avian outcasts: Non-native species unloved
(published 2-15-07)
It’s fitting that the monk parakeet is green. It is, after all, an alien bird.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Or maybe that depends on who you ask. Non-native or “introduced” species like the monk parakeet, European starling, rock pigeon and house sparrow are despised by a lot of birders. They’re regarded as illegal immigrants, or worse. I’ve heard pigeons called rats with wings. Sky carp. Falcon food.
But whatever your opinion of them, non-native birds are here to stay. We might as well accept them and—dare I say it?—enjoy them. I confess that last spring I caught myself admiring a starling. The bird was on the ground, warming itself in the sun on a chilly morning. From my angle, the rainbow effect on its iridescent plumage was striking.
Monk parakeets are showy in a different way, and most of us are still getting to know them. This South American species gained a Chicago foothold in the 1970s, probably when a few pet birds were released into the wild. Their local population has been growing ever since.
Think of the monk as a parrot, not a parakeet. It’s a sizeable, conspicuous bird. Author Pete Dunne likens it to a bright green American kestrel, but with a longer, pointier tail. Monk parakeets live in noisy colonies characterized by enormous stick nests, often constructed on power line towers. The nest clusters—a headache for ComEd—are so dense (and the birds so hardy) that monk parakeets survive here year-round.
Like many area birders, I saw my first monk parakeet in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, home of the region’s original colony. The birds are easily found just south of the Science and Industry Museum—look for their nests on the light poles at the golf course driving range.
Last year, following a tip, I set out to see my first monk parakeets in DuPage County. I found them at Cricket Creek Forest Preserve in Addison. The best vantage point was actually from outside the preserve, from the southbound on-ramp to Route 83 off Lake Street. Their massive nest on the utility tower is impossible to miss.
Monk parakeets will visit backyard feeding stations, but be careful what you wish for. The birds travel in groups and have voracious appetites. They can empty a feeder faster than a flock of grackles, and watch your ornamental fruit trees too! They’d be welcome in my yard, though, just for the color and excitement.
Another expanding non-native species to look for is the Eurasian collared-dove. This bird looks just like a mourning dove but has a thin black band or “collar” behind its head. I see these birds every time I visit South Florida but their distribution is now well beyond the Southeast and moving north. They are commonly sighted in Illinois counties south of here, so I’ve started looking at the mourning doves in my yard a lot more carefully.
Maybe I’m thinking about non-native species a bit more these days because of a newly published book that I received for Christmas: “Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird.” I’m looking forward to it. Really.
Learning more about the common birds around us, including the non-natives, is a worthy goal. Be curious and keep an open mind. It’ll help you enjoy the hobby even more.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Jeff Reiter's newspaper column about birds, birding and birders, appearing in the Daily Herald (west suburban Chicago). Hatched in 2004!
Got ground? Try this simple and effective feeding strategy
(published 1-18-07)
The foundation of my backyard feeding program is a small Droll Yankees tube feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds. It is joined by two other tube-style feeders—one for shelled peanuts and one for thistle. These stations attract a nice variety of birds in all seasons. In May I’ll put out the hummingbird feeder, too.
But let’s remember that a lot of birds prefer to do their eating on the ground. Toss down a few handfuls of seed and you might be surprised by how quickly the activity level picks up. Sparrows, juncos, mourning doves and even cardinals are highly terrestrial when it comes to feeding.
In the winter, I put small amounts of millet and cracked corn on our bluestone patio. This brings the birds up close, right outside our kitchen’s sliding doors. The action can be especially good right after it snows, when foraging on bare ground is no longer possible. On those days I clear off an area of the patio, creating a “landing pad” that works like a bird magnet.
On Dec. 2, the day after that big snow messed up everybody’s Friday, a fox sparrow made a surprise appearance on the bluestone. “Foxies” are not common in my yard, and I’d never had one visit so late in the year. Even more exciting was the American tree sparrow that turned up about a week later—a new species, No. 102, for my yard list. The bird was congregating with a group of house sparrows and, based on coloration alone, could have been overlooked. So, if you try ground feeding, be alert for unusual visitors—attracting them is the whole point!
Ground feeding does have some drawbacks. The major one is that it brings joy to the lives of house sparrows and squirrels. That’s hard for most birders to accept, and I once had a problem with it myself. My outlook changed, however, when “good” birds began taking advantage of my generosity. I now believe that whatever waste might come with ground feeding is well worth it.
Still, be sure to avoid putting out too much food. I try to spread just enough seed to last a half day, so that it’s all gone by nightfall. Fresh, dry seed is important for the health of the birds, and excess food could attract any number of nocturnal four-legged creatures. Typically, I only do ground feeding on weekends, when I’m home to enjoy the results.
The choice of millet and cracked corn is strategic, too. These foods please a variety of birds—cardinals especially like the corn—and they are inexpensive. My usual source is the Wild Bird Center in Wheaton, where millet sells for $.59/lb and cracked corn is only $.39/lb. You get an even better deal if you buy the 25-lb bags.
In closing, I’d like to confess that my inspiration for ground feeding came from an ace birder in Wheaton who is less than half my age. For years he’s been attracting ground-loving seed eaters to his yard by sprinkling millet under trees and shrubs. The tactic has delivered brown thrashers, Eastern towhees and white-crowned sparrows among other desirable species. Consider giving ground feeding a try now and continue the practice this spring when the range of potential “customers” increases.
Copyright 2007 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
(published 1-18-07)
The foundation of my backyard feeding program is a small Droll Yankees tube feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds. It is joined by two other tube-style feeders—one for shelled peanuts and one for thistle. These stations attract a nice variety of birds in all seasons. In May I’ll put out the hummingbird feeder, too.
But let’s remember that a lot of birds prefer to do their eating on the ground. Toss down a few handfuls of seed and you might be surprised by how quickly the activity level picks up. Sparrows, juncos, mourning doves and even cardinals are highly terrestrial when it comes to feeding.
In the winter, I put small amounts of millet and cracked corn on our bluestone patio. This brings the birds up close, right outside our kitchen’s sliding doors. The action can be especially good right after it snows, when foraging on bare ground is no longer possible. On those days I clear off an area of the patio, creating a “landing pad” that works like a bird magnet.
On Dec. 2, the day after that big snow messed up everybody’s Friday, a fox sparrow made a surprise appearance on the bluestone. “Foxies” are not common in my yard, and I’d never had one visit so late in the year. Even more exciting was the American tree sparrow that turned up about a week later—a new species, No. 102, for my yard list. The bird was congregating with a group of house sparrows and, based on coloration alone, could have been overlooked. So, if you try ground feeding, be alert for unusual visitors—attracting them is the whole point!
Ground feeding does have some drawbacks. The major one is that it brings joy to the lives of house sparrows and squirrels. That’s hard for most birders to accept, and I once had a problem with it myself. My outlook changed, however, when “good” birds began taking advantage of my generosity. I now believe that whatever waste might come with ground feeding is well worth it.
Still, be sure to avoid putting out too much food. I try to spread just enough seed to last a half day, so that it’s all gone by nightfall. Fresh, dry seed is important for the health of the birds, and excess food could attract any number of nocturnal four-legged creatures. Typically, I only do ground feeding on weekends, when I’m home to enjoy the results.
The choice of millet and cracked corn is strategic, too. These foods please a variety of birds—cardinals especially like the corn—and they are inexpensive. My usual source is the Wild Bird Center in Wheaton, where millet sells for $.59/lb and cracked corn is only $.39/lb. You get an even better deal if you buy the 25-lb bags.
In closing, I’d like to confess that my inspiration for ground feeding came from an ace birder in Wheaton who is less than half my age. For years he’s been attracting ground-loving seed eaters to his yard by sprinkling millet under trees and shrubs. The tactic has delivered brown thrashers, Eastern towhees and white-crowned sparrows among other desirable species. Consider giving ground feeding a try now and continue the practice this spring when the range of potential “customers” increases.
Copyright 2007 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
Some lists keep growing, and others come to an end
(published 12-28-06)
Seeing a bird for the first time is a great feeling, so I can understand why it leads some birders to do the “life bird dance.” I’ve never actually seen this performed, but I picture it looking something like a sandhill crane’s courtship ritual—interesting, but not terribly graceful.
My own ritual following a first-time sighting is to make a hand-written entry in the birdwatcher’s logbook I’ve been using for about a dozen years. I keep a master list on my computer hard drive too, as a back up, but that’s just a bunch of bird names without any details. The log contains all the meaningful stuff, and it would be one of the first things I’d reach for if my house was burning down.
I didn’t travel much in 2006, so my life list was stuck on 450 species all year. That is, until October 29. That day I drove to the Chicago lakefront in search of my first snow bunting, a bird I’d been pursuing for years. I knew from Internet postings that my chances were pretty good. Migrating snow buntings were reported on Montrose beach for several days leading up to my visit.
Within two hours of arrival I had the bird. Several small flocks of snow buntings were swirling around that morning, and fortunately I spotted a solitary bird foraging on the ground, affording me a nice long look in perfect light. It wasn’t easy, but I resisted the temptation to dance.
I made slightly better progress with my yard list in 2006, adding two new species. The first of those, a common yellowthroat, was No. 100. Of all the lists you can keep, I think the yard list is the most personal and possibly the most rewarding. It’s your property after all, so feeding, habitat creation and identifications depend on your efforts alone. For me, seeing an uncommon bird in the yard is more satisfying than seeing that same bird in the field.
I’m not a chronic lister (I swear!), but I do have a few other favorite lists. One is for Florida, where my parents live most of the year. I try to add a few species whenever I’m there. The list benefited substantially from a birding festival I attended in Tampa a few years back, a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and multiple visits to the Everglades.
Sadly, some lists come to an end. It happened this year when my in-laws sold their home at Kiawah Island, S.C. We had the good fortune to visit there for many years, and during those times I saw some amazing birds, many of them “lifers.” Painted buntings love it at Kiawah, and I loved watching them. I’ll keep my Kiawah list on file in case we ever go back, but for now it’s officially retired.
I blame Donald Trump for another favorite list that ceased to be. Sapsucker Court was the unofficial name for a little downtown Chicago plaza between the Wrigley Building and former Sun-Times Building. I walked through it every morning on my way to work and kept close track of the birds, growing my list to 66 species. Now the courtyard is gone, blown up to make way for The Donald’s massive condo tower now under construction. Too bad—not for me, for the birds. I’m hopeful that some decent green space will be restored once the project is complete.
You can enjoy birding without keeping lists, just like you can enjoy golf without keeping score. In my opinion, though, the ritual of list-keeping is part of the fun. Dancing is optional.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
(published 12-28-06)
Seeing a bird for the first time is a great feeling, so I can understand why it leads some birders to do the “life bird dance.” I’ve never actually seen this performed, but I picture it looking something like a sandhill crane’s courtship ritual—interesting, but not terribly graceful.
My own ritual following a first-time sighting is to make a hand-written entry in the birdwatcher’s logbook I’ve been using for about a dozen years. I keep a master list on my computer hard drive too, as a back up, but that’s just a bunch of bird names without any details. The log contains all the meaningful stuff, and it would be one of the first things I’d reach for if my house was burning down.
I didn’t travel much in 2006, so my life list was stuck on 450 species all year. That is, until October 29. That day I drove to the Chicago lakefront in search of my first snow bunting, a bird I’d been pursuing for years. I knew from Internet postings that my chances were pretty good. Migrating snow buntings were reported on Montrose beach for several days leading up to my visit.
Within two hours of arrival I had the bird. Several small flocks of snow buntings were swirling around that morning, and fortunately I spotted a solitary bird foraging on the ground, affording me a nice long look in perfect light. It wasn’t easy, but I resisted the temptation to dance.
I made slightly better progress with my yard list in 2006, adding two new species. The first of those, a common yellowthroat, was No. 100. Of all the lists you can keep, I think the yard list is the most personal and possibly the most rewarding. It’s your property after all, so feeding, habitat creation and identifications depend on your efforts alone. For me, seeing an uncommon bird in the yard is more satisfying than seeing that same bird in the field.
I’m not a chronic lister (I swear!), but I do have a few other favorite lists. One is for Florida, where my parents live most of the year. I try to add a few species whenever I’m there. The list benefited substantially from a birding festival I attended in Tampa a few years back, a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and multiple visits to the Everglades.
Sadly, some lists come to an end. It happened this year when my in-laws sold their home at Kiawah Island, S.C. We had the good fortune to visit there for many years, and during those times I saw some amazing birds, many of them “lifers.” Painted buntings love it at Kiawah, and I loved watching them. I’ll keep my Kiawah list on file in case we ever go back, but for now it’s officially retired.
I blame Donald Trump for another favorite list that ceased to be. Sapsucker Court was the unofficial name for a little downtown Chicago plaza between the Wrigley Building and former Sun-Times Building. I walked through it every morning on my way to work and kept close track of the birds, growing my list to 66 species. Now the courtyard is gone, blown up to make way for The Donald’s massive condo tower now under construction. Too bad—not for me, for the birds. I’m hopeful that some decent green space will be restored once the project is complete.
You can enjoy birding without keeping lists, just like you can enjoy golf without keeping score. In my opinion, though, the ritual of list-keeping is part of the fun. Dancing is optional.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
Right place, right time: When good luck prevails
(published 11-1-06)
Luck and chance play a big role in bird watching. It’s part of the fun, and everyone seems to have a story about the time a really great bird made a surprise appearance.
I’ve shared a few “luck stories” myself in this space, most recently about an improbable yard visit by a pair of green herons. For this column, however, I invited a few of my DuPage Birding Club colleagues to relate some of their luckier moments in the field. The hardest thing, they told me, was choosing just one.
Jeff Chapman, from Woodridge, recalled a cold November day when he was birding with his wife at Morton Arboretum. They were looking for crossbills in the hemlock area when Melinda’s back stiffened up.
“To stretch it out, she would get in a catcher’s stance while I held her hands so she could lean back,” says Chapman. “As I was holding her hands I looked up into a white pine and saw a Northern saw-whet owl staring back at me. He was not more than a few feet above our heads!”
It was only the second saw-whet Chapman had ever seen. The tiny species is a rare visitor here and quite difficult to find. This owl was in the open, but would he have noticed it if he hadn’t been helping his wife? Maybe, maybe not. He thinks luck had a lot to do with it.
Susan Kaley from Naperville described the time she was biking on the Prairie Path and, on a whim, decided to take a different route than usual. Near Timber Ridge Forest Preserve she heard an unusual bird sound. So she jumped off her bike, pulled out her binoculars, and was soon looking at a prairie warbler—a truly rare bird in DuPage County and a new entry on Kaley's life list.
“It was exciting,” she says, “and you can imagine my relief when other people went out and reported seeing the bird, too.”
This last story is my favorite. Kate Frazier, from Batavia, was birding in Rocky Mountain National Park with her husband Jim and some friends. Their “target bird” one morning was the three-toed woodpecker. They went to a spot where the species had been seen before and waited. And waited. Finally, they decided to move on and try another place. But Frazier stayed back to take care of some personal business—nature was calling. And then, as she was doing her thing in the underbrush, a male three-toed woodpecker landed on a tree beside her!
“Imagine my dilemma,” she recalls. “If I finish what I’ve begun, the bird may fly away and no one will believe I saw it. But if I yell loud enough, three people are going to turn around and see a sight they don’t want to see.”
Luckily, the woodpecker was cooperative. After Frazier reassembled herself she caught up to the group and led them to the bird, a “lifer” for all.
For sure, some birders are luckier than others. They’re the ones who are always prepared, always ready for something unusual. I know people who have seen golden eagles pass over DuPage County—this fall, in fact. That’s lucky by any measure, but they knew what to watch for.
And take my friend Susan. She’d never seen a prairie warbler before but she’d heard a recording of one, so she hit the brakes.
Me? Well, when those green herons appeared last June I had a garden hose in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. But my eyes and ears were open, and binoculars were around my neck.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
(published 11-1-06)
Luck and chance play a big role in bird watching. It’s part of the fun, and everyone seems to have a story about the time a really great bird made a surprise appearance.
I’ve shared a few “luck stories” myself in this space, most recently about an improbable yard visit by a pair of green herons. For this column, however, I invited a few of my DuPage Birding Club colleagues to relate some of their luckier moments in the field. The hardest thing, they told me, was choosing just one.
Jeff Chapman, from Woodridge, recalled a cold November day when he was birding with his wife at Morton Arboretum. They were looking for crossbills in the hemlock area when Melinda’s back stiffened up.
“To stretch it out, she would get in a catcher’s stance while I held her hands so she could lean back,” says Chapman. “As I was holding her hands I looked up into a white pine and saw a Northern saw-whet owl staring back at me. He was not more than a few feet above our heads!”
It was only the second saw-whet Chapman had ever seen. The tiny species is a rare visitor here and quite difficult to find. This owl was in the open, but would he have noticed it if he hadn’t been helping his wife? Maybe, maybe not. He thinks luck had a lot to do with it.
Susan Kaley from Naperville described the time she was biking on the Prairie Path and, on a whim, decided to take a different route than usual. Near Timber Ridge Forest Preserve she heard an unusual bird sound. So she jumped off her bike, pulled out her binoculars, and was soon looking at a prairie warbler—a truly rare bird in DuPage County and a new entry on Kaley's life list.
“It was exciting,” she says, “and you can imagine my relief when other people went out and reported seeing the bird, too.”
This last story is my favorite. Kate Frazier, from Batavia, was birding in Rocky Mountain National Park with her husband Jim and some friends. Their “target bird” one morning was the three-toed woodpecker. They went to a spot where the species had been seen before and waited. And waited. Finally, they decided to move on and try another place. But Frazier stayed back to take care of some personal business—nature was calling. And then, as she was doing her thing in the underbrush, a male three-toed woodpecker landed on a tree beside her!
“Imagine my dilemma,” she recalls. “If I finish what I’ve begun, the bird may fly away and no one will believe I saw it. But if I yell loud enough, three people are going to turn around and see a sight they don’t want to see.”
Luckily, the woodpecker was cooperative. After Frazier reassembled herself she caught up to the group and led them to the bird, a “lifer” for all.
For sure, some birders are luckier than others. They’re the ones who are always prepared, always ready for something unusual. I know people who have seen golden eagles pass over DuPage County—this fall, in fact. That’s lucky by any measure, but they knew what to watch for.
And take my friend Susan. She’d never seen a prairie warbler before but she’d heard a recording of one, so she hit the brakes.
Me? Well, when those green herons appeared last June I had a garden hose in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. But my eyes and ears were open, and binoculars were around my neck.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
Backyard wrens: three kinds to watch and listen for
(published 10-4-06)
If I could choose one bird that I’d like to hear every morning for the rest of my life, it might well be the house wren. Its loud, exuberant song is hard not to love. The sound permeates our neighborhoods in the spring like no other.
Wrens are fun to watch, too. They’re always moving, always busy. I admire their industry.
I have only one birdhouse in my yard, a terra cotta model that I placed about four years ago with hopes of attracting a wren family. I’m still waiting, but this summer I had a close call. Just one day after moving the house to a new location, I noticed a wren checking it out. He perched momentarily on the roof and then went inside.
A day or two later, I noticed a single twig poking out of the house’s entrance hole. Yes! Nest building has begun! But then a funny thing happened: nothing. All activity suddenly stopped.
At times like these, it’s great to have a good birding library. I began reading up on house wrens and learned a lot about these common backyard birds with the big voice. Turns out I had witnessed some typical wren behavior. The males are known to choose several potential nest sites, “claiming” them with a few sticks and other debris. And yup, one stick out the hole is a classic marker.
Once his territory is in order, the male wren shows a female his handiwork. If one of the home sites meets her approval, she takes over and completes the nest.
Apparently my terra cotta casa didn’t pass muster. So I’ll clean it out and hope for better results in 2007. Meanwhile, the house will stay out all winter as a potential roosting place for chickadees.
House wrens head south this time of year, to the southern U.S. and beyond. October and November, however, are good months for spotting another kind of wren.
The winter wren is an uncommon treat. If you see one it will probably be on the ground, scurrying mouse-like through your garden or shrubs. These birds are smaller, rounder and darker than house wrens, and their stubby tails point straight up. Some say it has the sweetest song of all the wrens. I don’t dispute that, based on recordings I’ve heard, but I long to hear one in real life.
Winter wrens are seen here only during late fall and early spring, as they migrate to and from their breeding grounds in the North Woods and Canada.
Only one member of the wren family occurs in this region throughout the year, the non-migratory Carolina wren. This is the northern edge of its range, however, so the species is relatively scarce in these parts.
My yard has hosted a Carolina wren on just two occasions, and in each case I heard the bird before I saw it. Like the house wren, it announces its presence with gusto. And keep in mind that could happen at any time—the Carolina wren is known for singing during all four seasons.
To complete the picture, marsh wrens and sedge wrens also nest here. But as their names suggest, these species are closely associated with specific habitats. Neither one is likely to visit a typical suburban backyard.
For more information about wrens, and to hear their remarkable songs, go to www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/birdguide.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
(published 10-4-06)
If I could choose one bird that I’d like to hear every morning for the rest of my life, it might well be the house wren. Its loud, exuberant song is hard not to love. The sound permeates our neighborhoods in the spring like no other.
Wrens are fun to watch, too. They’re always moving, always busy. I admire their industry.
I have only one birdhouse in my yard, a terra cotta model that I placed about four years ago with hopes of attracting a wren family. I’m still waiting, but this summer I had a close call. Just one day after moving the house to a new location, I noticed a wren checking it out. He perched momentarily on the roof and then went inside.
A day or two later, I noticed a single twig poking out of the house’s entrance hole. Yes! Nest building has begun! But then a funny thing happened: nothing. All activity suddenly stopped.
At times like these, it’s great to have a good birding library. I began reading up on house wrens and learned a lot about these common backyard birds with the big voice. Turns out I had witnessed some typical wren behavior. The males are known to choose several potential nest sites, “claiming” them with a few sticks and other debris. And yup, one stick out the hole is a classic marker.
Once his territory is in order, the male wren shows a female his handiwork. If one of the home sites meets her approval, she takes over and completes the nest.
Apparently my terra cotta casa didn’t pass muster. So I’ll clean it out and hope for better results in 2007. Meanwhile, the house will stay out all winter as a potential roosting place for chickadees.
House wrens head south this time of year, to the southern U.S. and beyond. October and November, however, are good months for spotting another kind of wren.
The winter wren is an uncommon treat. If you see one it will probably be on the ground, scurrying mouse-like through your garden or shrubs. These birds are smaller, rounder and darker than house wrens, and their stubby tails point straight up. Some say it has the sweetest song of all the wrens. I don’t dispute that, based on recordings I’ve heard, but I long to hear one in real life.
Winter wrens are seen here only during late fall and early spring, as they migrate to and from their breeding grounds in the North Woods and Canada.
Only one member of the wren family occurs in this region throughout the year, the non-migratory Carolina wren. This is the northern edge of its range, however, so the species is relatively scarce in these parts.
My yard has hosted a Carolina wren on just two occasions, and in each case I heard the bird before I saw it. Like the house wren, it announces its presence with gusto. And keep in mind that could happen at any time—the Carolina wren is known for singing during all four seasons.
To complete the picture, marsh wrens and sedge wrens also nest here. But as their names suggest, these species are closely associated with specific habitats. Neither one is likely to visit a typical suburban backyard.
For more information about wrens, and to hear their remarkable songs, go to www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/birdguide.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Nelson Lake Marsh: Kane County birding at its best
(published 9-14-06)
There are times when Kane County might as well be Iowa for me. I just don’t get out there very often. But this much I know: For birding, Kane County is always worth the drive.
If you could go to only one place in Kane, make it Dick Young Forest Preserve near Batavia. Best known as Nelson Lake Marsh, it is the largest (1,000 acres) and most naturally diverse preserve in the county.
Jon Duerr, a St. Charles resident, has been watching birds at Nelson Lake since the late 1950s. It was private property then, used for peat mining because the land was too soft and wet for farming. Through the years, Duerr has seen an impressive 237 bird species on the grounds, including some rare one-timers like Wilson’s phalarope, prairie warbler and spotted towhee. His life list for all of Kane County holds 275 species.
“On a good day you’ll find birds on the lake, in the marsh, flying into trees and shrubs or popping out of the drying grasses,” he says.
Habitat diversity is indeed a Nelson Lake hallmark. The open land west of the lake and marsh—corn fields just eight years ago, according to Duerr—is now restored prairie, attracting a variety of grassland birds. Dickcissels, Henslow’s and grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks and sedge wrens reside there in season.
Wetland birds are the main attraction, however. Marsh specialties include American bittern, least bittern and common moorhen. “These are tough to get anywhere else in the county, but pretty regular at Nelson,” says Scott Cohrs, another St. Charles birder.
Nelson Lake spans 40 acres, making it a prime destination for migrating ducks and geese in the spring and fall. Rarities like loons and scoters also use the lake occasionally. For the past four years, during the first week of April, a flock of American white pelicans has visited. Mark your calendars for 2007!
Put Nelson Lake on your fall schedule, too. October and November are ideal for spotting waterfowl from the observation deck near the parking lot. It’s best to get there early so the sun is at your back. Keep an eye on the trees near the deck for migrating songbirds, and don’t forget to look up—flocks of snow geese and sandhill cranes are quite likely, especially in November. You might even see tundra swans.
My own birding experiences at Nelson Lake are few, but I well remember a beautiful fall morning in 2004 when I went looking for a reported red-necked grebe. I didn’t find the grebe, but I saw a lot of great birds including nine species of ducks. Snow geese were on the water and in the air, wheeling against a perfectly blue sky.
You could spend a whole morning on Nelson Lake’s viewing platform and see plenty of birds (and birders). I also recommend the easy three-mile trail that loops around the lake and marsh. What you’ll see depends on the season, but Nelson Lake is truly an excellent birding venue year-round.
The preserve is located about three miles west of Batavia. From the village, take Main Street west to Nelson Lake Road and turn south. The entrance will be on your right. For more information, call the Kane County Forest Preserve District at (630) 232-5980.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
(published 9-14-06)
There are times when Kane County might as well be Iowa for me. I just don’t get out there very often. But this much I know: For birding, Kane County is always worth the drive.
If you could go to only one place in Kane, make it Dick Young Forest Preserve near Batavia. Best known as Nelson Lake Marsh, it is the largest (1,000 acres) and most naturally diverse preserve in the county.
Jon Duerr, a St. Charles resident, has been watching birds at Nelson Lake since the late 1950s. It was private property then, used for peat mining because the land was too soft and wet for farming. Through the years, Duerr has seen an impressive 237 bird species on the grounds, including some rare one-timers like Wilson’s phalarope, prairie warbler and spotted towhee. His life list for all of Kane County holds 275 species.
“On a good day you’ll find birds on the lake, in the marsh, flying into trees and shrubs or popping out of the drying grasses,” he says.
Habitat diversity is indeed a Nelson Lake hallmark. The open land west of the lake and marsh—corn fields just eight years ago, according to Duerr—is now restored prairie, attracting a variety of grassland birds. Dickcissels, Henslow’s and grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks and sedge wrens reside there in season.
Wetland birds are the main attraction, however. Marsh specialties include American bittern, least bittern and common moorhen. “These are tough to get anywhere else in the county, but pretty regular at Nelson,” says Scott Cohrs, another St. Charles birder.
Nelson Lake spans 40 acres, making it a prime destination for migrating ducks and geese in the spring and fall. Rarities like loons and scoters also use the lake occasionally. For the past four years, during the first week of April, a flock of American white pelicans has visited. Mark your calendars for 2007!
Put Nelson Lake on your fall schedule, too. October and November are ideal for spotting waterfowl from the observation deck near the parking lot. It’s best to get there early so the sun is at your back. Keep an eye on the trees near the deck for migrating songbirds, and don’t forget to look up—flocks of snow geese and sandhill cranes are quite likely, especially in November. You might even see tundra swans.
My own birding experiences at Nelson Lake are few, but I well remember a beautiful fall morning in 2004 when I went looking for a reported red-necked grebe. I didn’t find the grebe, but I saw a lot of great birds including nine species of ducks. Snow geese were on the water and in the air, wheeling against a perfectly blue sky.
You could spend a whole morning on Nelson Lake’s viewing platform and see plenty of birds (and birders). I also recommend the easy three-mile trail that loops around the lake and marsh. What you’ll see depends on the season, but Nelson Lake is truly an excellent birding venue year-round.
The preserve is located about three miles west of Batavia. From the village, take Main Street west to Nelson Lake Road and turn south. The entrance will be on your right. For more information, call the Kane County Forest Preserve District at (630) 232-5980.
Copyright 2006 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
Resources available to become a better birder
(published 8-3-06)
I’ve commented before on what a wonderfully simple and inexpensive activity birding can be. The only essential tools are binoculars and a field guide. That’s still as true as ever. But in this column I’ll highlight some additional resources that can elevate your birding skills and, hopefully, your enjoyment of the hobby.
Let’s start with two books: “Sibley’s Birding Basics” and “Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: The How-to, Where-to and When-to of Birding.” These recently published paperbacks are loaded with good advice for beginners and beyond. Make a point to read at least one of them. A third book, “The Complete Birder” by Jack Connor, is also well worth a look, especially if you’ve been at this for a while.
“All About Birds” is a terrific online reference offered free by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Imagine your field guide with sound. More than 600 species are highlighted. Go to www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/birdguide.
If you have an e-mail account, consider signing up for IBET, a statewide list-serve where birders report their sightings and share other useful information. The network provides opportunities to see more birds, including rarities like the pileated woodpecker that visited DuPage County in June. But just reading the incoming messages is valuable—you’ll learn what birds to expect at different times throughout the year, and the best places to go see them. To sign on, send a blank e-mail to ILbirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, wait for the response, then follow the instructions.
If you’re not a computer user, try calling the DuPage Birding Club hotline at (630) 406-8111. You’ll hear a recorded message about what’s being seen and where. This is the low-tech alternative to IBET so sighting information is updated less frequently.
Speaking of the DuPage Birding Club, why not become a member or at least tag along on some of the group’s field trips? There is no better way to learn about birds and birding than to spend some time with others who share your interest. You’ll see new birds, too. Visit the club website, dupagebirding.org, for more information about membership, meetings and outings. To receive a sample newsletter, call (630) 933-0387.
Subscribe to Bird Watcher’s Digest or Birder’s World. These magazines, each published six times a year, will educate and inspire you. The photos alone are worth the price.
Another subscription worth having is to the quarterly newsletter of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. It’s free for county residents and offers a calendar of activities that always includes a few birding events at local hot spots like Fullersburg Woods, Springbrook Prairie and Tri-County State Park. To sign up, call (630) 933-7085 or send an e-mail to forest@dupageforest.com. While you’re at it, ask for a copy of “A Guide to Bird-Watching in DuPage County’s Forest Preserves.” It’s a nice booklet with tips for beginners.
Bird identification becomes a lot easier—and satisfying—when you know the songs and call notes. Think about acquiring some CDs. The narrated “Birding by Ear” series from Peterson is excellent. For just the bird sounds without the commentary, try “Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region.” Finally, if you’re new to birding, the Peterson “Backyard Bird Song” CD is a good starting point. It features 28 common birds.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
(published 8-3-06)
I’ve commented before on what a wonderfully simple and inexpensive activity birding can be. The only essential tools are binoculars and a field guide. That’s still as true as ever. But in this column I’ll highlight some additional resources that can elevate your birding skills and, hopefully, your enjoyment of the hobby.
Let’s start with two books: “Sibley’s Birding Basics” and “Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: The How-to, Where-to and When-to of Birding.” These recently published paperbacks are loaded with good advice for beginners and beyond. Make a point to read at least one of them. A third book, “The Complete Birder” by Jack Connor, is also well worth a look, especially if you’ve been at this for a while.
“All About Birds” is a terrific online reference offered free by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Imagine your field guide with sound. More than 600 species are highlighted. Go to www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/birdguide.
If you have an e-mail account, consider signing up for IBET, a statewide list-serve where birders report their sightings and share other useful information. The network provides opportunities to see more birds, including rarities like the pileated woodpecker that visited DuPage County in June. But just reading the incoming messages is valuable—you’ll learn what birds to expect at different times throughout the year, and the best places to go see them. To sign on, send a blank e-mail to ILbirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, wait for the response, then follow the instructions.
If you’re not a computer user, try calling the DuPage Birding Club hotline at (630) 406-8111. You’ll hear a recorded message about what’s being seen and where. This is the low-tech alternative to IBET so sighting information is updated less frequently.
Speaking of the DuPage Birding Club, why not become a member or at least tag along on some of the group’s field trips? There is no better way to learn about birds and birding than to spend some time with others who share your interest. You’ll see new birds, too. Visit the club website, dupagebirding.org, for more information about membership, meetings and outings. To receive a sample newsletter, call (630) 933-0387.
Subscribe to Bird Watcher’s Digest or Birder’s World. These magazines, each published six times a year, will educate and inspire you. The photos alone are worth the price.
Another subscription worth having is to the quarterly newsletter of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. It’s free for county residents and offers a calendar of activities that always includes a few birding events at local hot spots like Fullersburg Woods, Springbrook Prairie and Tri-County State Park. To sign up, call (630) 933-7085 or send an e-mail to forest@dupageforest.com. While you’re at it, ask for a copy of “A Guide to Bird-Watching in DuPage County’s Forest Preserves.” It’s a nice booklet with tips for beginners.
Bird identification becomes a lot easier—and satisfying—when you know the songs and call notes. Think about acquiring some CDs. The narrated “Birding by Ear” series from Peterson is excellent. For just the bird sounds without the commentary, try “Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region.” Finally, if you’re new to birding, the Peterson “Backyard Bird Song” CD is a good starting point. It features 28 common birds.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Luck and persistence lead to backyard milestone
(published 7-5-06)
In 2002, when Sammy Sosa was still a Chicago icon, the former Cubs slugger finished the season with 499 career home runs. He had to wait until the following spring to hit the Big One.
I thought of that last fall after a black-throated blue warbler appeared in my yard. It was a completely unexpected bird, and it raised my all-time yard list to 99 species. Now, like Sammy, I’d most likely have the whole winter to ponder my date with destiny.
I’ve had my sights on 100 yard birds for the last few years, when hitting the century mark began to look like a realistic goal. I started keeping the list in 1997 when we first moved to Glen Ellyn. Since reaching about 80 species, the “game” has been a lot more challenging—growing the list now depends far more on luck than identification skills.
I was determined this spring to be in ready when a new bird came along. Almost every morning before work I spent at least an hour on the back patio, waiting and watching. That meant getting up at 5:00 a.m. but it was always worth it. I welcomed many beautiful and interesting birds, including a blue-headed vireo, scarlet tanager, Blackburnian warbler, Wilson’s warbler and veery.
The best bird of all, a male common yellowthroat, arrived on May 21. No. 100 at last! Seeing that bird—a species I’ve seen dozens of times in other places—was a special moment.
I’m still a bit surprised that my yard hadn’t produced a common yellowthroat before. The species—a striking member of the warbler family with a bright yellow breast and black mask—usually prefers wetland habitat. But like many migrating songbirds, yellowthroats can turn up just about anywhere in May. I guess it was just my turn.
Two weeks after spotting No. 100, I received a bonus. While outside watering some new grass, a pair of green herons flew in low and landed in a neighbor’s tree. After getting over the shock of just seeing these out-of-place birds, I watched for several minutes as they rested and preened. Those herons made my day, and they raised my yard list to 101.
For me, “keeping score” is part of what makes birding so much fun. I love the challenge of seeing new birds, especially in the yard, where the birds must come to you instead of you going to them. It still amazes me what can be seen and heard right outside our doors.
Of course, some doors lead to greater possibilities than others. If your yard overlooks a lake or pond, for instance, you’ll see more species. But you work with what you have. My property is small and unremarkable. It is surrounded by other houses. I’ve always felt fortunate, however, that our back patio faces west. That puts the morning sun at my back, making it easier to see and identify the birds.
When something special comes along, a bird you’ve been waiting for, it’s nice to see it in the best possible light.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
(published 7-5-06)
In 2002, when Sammy Sosa was still a Chicago icon, the former Cubs slugger finished the season with 499 career home runs. He had to wait until the following spring to hit the Big One.
I thought of that last fall after a black-throated blue warbler appeared in my yard. It was a completely unexpected bird, and it raised my all-time yard list to 99 species. Now, like Sammy, I’d most likely have the whole winter to ponder my date with destiny.
I’ve had my sights on 100 yard birds for the last few years, when hitting the century mark began to look like a realistic goal. I started keeping the list in 1997 when we first moved to Glen Ellyn. Since reaching about 80 species, the “game” has been a lot more challenging—growing the list now depends far more on luck than identification skills.
I was determined this spring to be in ready when a new bird came along. Almost every morning before work I spent at least an hour on the back patio, waiting and watching. That meant getting up at 5:00 a.m. but it was always worth it. I welcomed many beautiful and interesting birds, including a blue-headed vireo, scarlet tanager, Blackburnian warbler, Wilson’s warbler and veery.
The best bird of all, a male common yellowthroat, arrived on May 21. No. 100 at last! Seeing that bird—a species I’ve seen dozens of times in other places—was a special moment.
I’m still a bit surprised that my yard hadn’t produced a common yellowthroat before. The species—a striking member of the warbler family with a bright yellow breast and black mask—usually prefers wetland habitat. But like many migrating songbirds, yellowthroats can turn up just about anywhere in May. I guess it was just my turn.
Two weeks after spotting No. 100, I received a bonus. While outside watering some new grass, a pair of green herons flew in low and landed in a neighbor’s tree. After getting over the shock of just seeing these out-of-place birds, I watched for several minutes as they rested and preened. Those herons made my day, and they raised my yard list to 101.
For me, “keeping score” is part of what makes birding so much fun. I love the challenge of seeing new birds, especially in the yard, where the birds must come to you instead of you going to them. It still amazes me what can be seen and heard right outside our doors.
Of course, some doors lead to greater possibilities than others. If your yard overlooks a lake or pond, for instance, you’ll see more species. But you work with what you have. My property is small and unremarkable. It is surrounded by other houses. I’ve always felt fortunate, however, that our back patio faces west. That puts the morning sun at my back, making it easier to see and identify the birds.
When something special comes along, a bird you’ve been waiting for, it’s nice to see it in the best possible light.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
Swainson’s hawks in Illinois? Now I’m a believer
(published 6-1-06)
Is this Colorado? No, it’s Huntley, and that’s a Swainson’s hawk up there.
I had to say this to myself, because the sight I’d driven 40 miles to see was still a bit unbelievable. Along with a dozen other birders, I was watching one of this region’s true avian specialties from our position in the northeast corner of the Huntley Outlet Mall parking lot. The location seemed almost disrespectful of the bird’s majesty, but nobody was complaining.
I’d seen a Swainson’s hawk once before, on a visit to Pawnee National Grassland northeast of Denver. You’d expect to see one there—Swainson’s are fairly common on the Western plains and prairies. Their breeding range is vast, stretching from Alaska to Mexico, and California to central Iowa. But there is one exception. For reasons not fully understood, a few Swainson’s hawks make their spring and summer home in parts of Kane and McHenry counties. They are the only Swainson’s known to nest east of the Mississippi River, and they’ve been doing it since at least 1973.
This spring, an important research project was initiated with the goal of learning more about the lives and needs of our “local” Swainson’s hawks. Vic Berardi, a veteran hawk watcher from Gurnee, is the project’s coordinator.
“In a broad sense, the project is very important for gaining knowledge of how and possibly why these hawks are living 400 miles east of their usual range,” Berardi told me. “We don’t know if this population is a remnant population or an accidental population. We’re hoping to get a better idea in the coming years.”
The study area spans more than 1,000 square miles—as far south as Sugar Grove, Huntley and I-88, and north to Harvard, near the Wisconsin border. About 30 volunteers are conducting the field surveys. (To learn more, visit the project website, http://bcnbirds.org/shp.)
There are probably 10 or fewer Swainson’s hawks living in northern Illinois. No surprise, then, that the species is on the state’s endangered list. But while further land development poses a constant threat to habitat, Berardi has a positive outlook.
“I believe the Kane/McHenry Swainson’s hawks and humans can live side by side,” he says. “We just have to make sure we approach it correctly and avoid disasters. I’ve been watching the hawks for 11 years now and I can’t imagine driving over to the Huntley area and not being able to see them.”
Luck was with me the morning I joined Berardi and the others for some “hawk shopping” at the outlet mall. I was on the scene less than 30 minutes when a beautiful Swainson’s appeared overhead against a clear blue sky. The soaring bird was unmistakable from below with its long pointed wings with light-colored linings and dark flight feathers.
It was a fabulous morning for raptors of all kinds. Along with expected species like red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks and turkey vultures, we saw two kinds of falcons—American kestrel and merlin—plus an osprey. Two sandhill cranes also flew by.
But the main attraction was the Swainson’s hawk. We only saw one, but we saw it well. In Huntley, not Colorado. It was a great day to be a birder.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
(published 6-1-06)
Is this Colorado? No, it’s Huntley, and that’s a Swainson’s hawk up there.
I had to say this to myself, because the sight I’d driven 40 miles to see was still a bit unbelievable. Along with a dozen other birders, I was watching one of this region’s true avian specialties from our position in the northeast corner of the Huntley Outlet Mall parking lot. The location seemed almost disrespectful of the bird’s majesty, but nobody was complaining.
I’d seen a Swainson’s hawk once before, on a visit to Pawnee National Grassland northeast of Denver. You’d expect to see one there—Swainson’s are fairly common on the Western plains and prairies. Their breeding range is vast, stretching from Alaska to Mexico, and California to central Iowa. But there is one exception. For reasons not fully understood, a few Swainson’s hawks make their spring and summer home in parts of Kane and McHenry counties. They are the only Swainson’s known to nest east of the Mississippi River, and they’ve been doing it since at least 1973.
This spring, an important research project was initiated with the goal of learning more about the lives and needs of our “local” Swainson’s hawks. Vic Berardi, a veteran hawk watcher from Gurnee, is the project’s coordinator.
“In a broad sense, the project is very important for gaining knowledge of how and possibly why these hawks are living 400 miles east of their usual range,” Berardi told me. “We don’t know if this population is a remnant population or an accidental population. We’re hoping to get a better idea in the coming years.”
The study area spans more than 1,000 square miles—as far south as Sugar Grove, Huntley and I-88, and north to Harvard, near the Wisconsin border. About 30 volunteers are conducting the field surveys. (To learn more, visit the project website, http://bcnbirds.org/shp.)
There are probably 10 or fewer Swainson’s hawks living in northern Illinois. No surprise, then, that the species is on the state’s endangered list. But while further land development poses a constant threat to habitat, Berardi has a positive outlook.
“I believe the Kane/McHenry Swainson’s hawks and humans can live side by side,” he says. “We just have to make sure we approach it correctly and avoid disasters. I’ve been watching the hawks for 11 years now and I can’t imagine driving over to the Huntley area and not being able to see them.”
Luck was with me the morning I joined Berardi and the others for some “hawk shopping” at the outlet mall. I was on the scene less than 30 minutes when a beautiful Swainson’s appeared overhead against a clear blue sky. The soaring bird was unmistakable from below with its long pointed wings with light-colored linings and dark flight feathers.
It was a fabulous morning for raptors of all kinds. Along with expected species like red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks and turkey vultures, we saw two kinds of falcons—American kestrel and merlin—plus an osprey. Two sandhill cranes also flew by.
But the main attraction was the Swainson’s hawk. We only saw one, but we saw it well. In Huntley, not Colorado. It was a great day to be a birder.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
See nesting herons and more at Glen Ellyn’s Churchill Woods
(published 5-3-06)
As a birder, there are some spots you never forget—places where good fortune prevailed and you found something special. I could show you the exact tree, for example, where I saw my first yellow-billed cuckoo, a bird I’d been hoping to see for years. It was at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn.
I’ve been visiting Churchill more often lately, not for the “cuckoo tree” but to check on some other trees containing giant nests made of sticks.
If you’ve never seen great blue heron “rookery,” now is a fine opportunity. A small nesting colony of great blues is easily visible from the parking lot just off Crescent Boulevard, the south entrance to Churchill Woods. Look across the DuPage River to the small islands and you’ll see five active nests. Four of them are clustered near the top of a tall dead tree.
Great blue herons are large, long-legged waders. They are usually seen alone, feeding along the edges of ponds and streams. So it’s almost a shock to see the birds congregating up in trees. Herons are believed to nest in colonies primarily to protect their eggs and young from predators such as raccoons.
The Churchill rookery is fairly new, according to Scott Meister, animal ecologist for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. He told me the first nest was noticed in 2003, two appeared in 2004, and a third in 2005. So the colony is growing—a positive sign for the preserve’s ecosystem.
Visit the rookery in May and some fuzzy-headed hatchlings should be in the nests. But that’s just one reason to go birding at Churchill. The 270-acre preserve offers great habitat diversity, including mature forest, wetland, savanna and prairie. This attracts many kinds of birds. Colorful warblers, orioles and tanagers will arrive on the scene this month.
Glen Ellyn resident Jim Hedges spent all of 2005 monitoring bird populations at Churchill for the Forest Preserve District. In 88 total hours of observation, he recorded 103 species. One of his most surprising finds, he told me, was nesting red-headed woodpeckers. They are not at all common in DuPage County, and Churchill Woods is one of the few places I’ve seen them myself in this area.
Other “goodies” Jim observed last year at Churchill were alder flycatcher and nesting chestnut-sided warblers. He finds the most consistent bird activity to be along the north side of the river from the youth campground west and north to St. Charles Road. You can park at the main entrance to the preserve off St. Charles and pick up a map at the trailhead.
A unique feature of Churchill Woods is the 60-acre native prairie on the north side of St. Charles Road. Henslow’s sparrows have been seen here during breeding season in recent years. And thanks to a tip from Jim Hedges, I was able to observe American woodcocks on the prairie in early April. (I took my kids along that evening and they were far more impressed by the white-tailed deer we encountered.)
Also in April, I twice found a singing Carolina wren in the woods adjacent to the parking lot that overlooks the rookery—a very nice bonus.
Churchill Woods is a place worth exploring. For more information, go to www.dupageforest.com, or call (630) 933-7200.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
(published 5-3-06)
As a birder, there are some spots you never forget—places where good fortune prevailed and you found something special. I could show you the exact tree, for example, where I saw my first yellow-billed cuckoo, a bird I’d been hoping to see for years. It was at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn.
I’ve been visiting Churchill more often lately, not for the “cuckoo tree” but to check on some other trees containing giant nests made of sticks.
If you’ve never seen great blue heron “rookery,” now is a fine opportunity. A small nesting colony of great blues is easily visible from the parking lot just off Crescent Boulevard, the south entrance to Churchill Woods. Look across the DuPage River to the small islands and you’ll see five active nests. Four of them are clustered near the top of a tall dead tree.
Great blue herons are large, long-legged waders. They are usually seen alone, feeding along the edges of ponds and streams. So it’s almost a shock to see the birds congregating up in trees. Herons are believed to nest in colonies primarily to protect their eggs and young from predators such as raccoons.
The Churchill rookery is fairly new, according to Scott Meister, animal ecologist for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. He told me the first nest was noticed in 2003, two appeared in 2004, and a third in 2005. So the colony is growing—a positive sign for the preserve’s ecosystem.
Visit the rookery in May and some fuzzy-headed hatchlings should be in the nests. But that’s just one reason to go birding at Churchill. The 270-acre preserve offers great habitat diversity, including mature forest, wetland, savanna and prairie. This attracts many kinds of birds. Colorful warblers, orioles and tanagers will arrive on the scene this month.
Glen Ellyn resident Jim Hedges spent all of 2005 monitoring bird populations at Churchill for the Forest Preserve District. In 88 total hours of observation, he recorded 103 species. One of his most surprising finds, he told me, was nesting red-headed woodpeckers. They are not at all common in DuPage County, and Churchill Woods is one of the few places I’ve seen them myself in this area.
Other “goodies” Jim observed last year at Churchill were alder flycatcher and nesting chestnut-sided warblers. He finds the most consistent bird activity to be along the north side of the river from the youth campground west and north to St. Charles Road. You can park at the main entrance to the preserve off St. Charles and pick up a map at the trailhead.
A unique feature of Churchill Woods is the 60-acre native prairie on the north side of St. Charles Road. Henslow’s sparrows have been seen here during breeding season in recent years. And thanks to a tip from Jim Hedges, I was able to observe American woodcocks on the prairie in early April. (I took my kids along that evening and they were far more impressed by the white-tailed deer we encountered.)
Also in April, I twice found a singing Carolina wren in the woods adjacent to the parking lot that overlooks the rookery—a very nice bonus.
Churchill Woods is a place worth exploring. For more information, go to www.dupageforest.com, or call (630) 933-7200.
Jeff Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Ill., resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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