Watching woodcocks: A favorite rite of spring
(published 3-3-05)
For birders, signs of spring start well before winter gives up its grip. In mid-February male cardinals started singing from high perches, and red-winged blackbirds descended on the local marshlands, setting up territories and belting out their familiar “conk-a-ree.” These are great sounds to hear after so many cold, snowy days.
Another early spring tradition I look forward to is the courtship ritual of the American woodcock. This is one of the true highlights of the local birding year and something every bird watcher should witness at least once.
As a kid, one of my first “beyond the backyard” birding experiences was a trip to the Stark Wilderness Center in Wilmot, Ohio. The center was hosting their annual woodcock watch and, frankly, I don’t recall being too thrilled about being there. It felt a lot like one of those snipe hunts at summer camp, except it was cold. Nor do I remember actually seeing a woodcock. I must have, though, because a few years ago I found an old Peterson field guide at my parent’s home—one of my first bird books. In the back there was a bird checklist and next to American woodcock was faded little “x.” The mark was mine.
Seeing this species does take some effort. As with many birds, success depends on being in the right place at the right time. Area forest preserves offering reliable woodcock sites—typically brushy fields adjacent to damp, open woodland—include Green Valley, Pratt’s Wayne Woods, Herrick Lake, West DuPage Woods and Springbrook Prairie. Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester is another good spot.
As for timing, try for dawn or just after sunset when the weather is dry and calm. Late March through mid-April is the peak viewing period.
The view you’re looking for is a male woodcock performing his aerial mating dance for the females on the ground. The chunky, long-billed bird spirals high into the sky, making a twittering sound with his wings during the ascent. After reaching his apex, he zig-zags back to earth like a falling-leaf. On the ground, in between flights, woodcocks make a buzzy, one-syllable call that’s easily recognized.
All of this takes place at twilight, so woodcocks are seldom seen in great detail. Occasionally, though, a high-beam flashlight can pick up a bird when it lands, affording a glimpse of these odd-looking birds. When darkness sets in the show is over.
Plan to join one of several woodcock outings offered by local birding clubs later this month. Non-members are welcome. The DuPage Birding Club will sponsor evening watches on six different dates beginning on March 23. Full details, including starting times and directions, are posted at www.dupagebirding.org. Or call 630-985-2956.
Kane County Audubon has a woodcock watch scheduled for March 30 at Paul Wolff Forest Preserve on Big Timbers Road, west of Randall Road near Elgin. Start time is 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 630-584-8386.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. You can reach him at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Jeff Reiter's newspaper column about birds, birding and birders, appearing in the Daily Herald (west suburban Chicago). Hatched in 2004!
Wintering eagles are just a few hours away
(published 2-10-05)
My last column was about winter bird watching and the birds that make this season special. Now comes part two, but with a focus on one species, the bald eagle.
Winter is indeed the best time to go eagle watching. The birds congregate on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in spots where open water allows them to catch fish. If you don’t mind a road trip, you can easily observe bald eagles through early March, before most of the birds return to their northern nesting grounds.
I saw my first bald eagle in the wild in 1996 and the memory is still vivid. I was walking with a naturalist at Kiawah Island, S.C., when we noticed a large dark raptor soaring above. Our binoculars then confirmed the trademark white head and white tail—a postcard image against the morning’s clear blue sky.
My experience at Kiawah made me want to see more eagles, so a few months later I joined a bus full of birders for a trip to the Mississippi. On that bitter-cold February day, my number of lifetime eagle sightings rose from one to about 50.
The winter eagle population in Illinois is healthy and growing—a great comeback story considering that about 40 years ago our national symbol appeared headed for extinction. You can’t help but think of that when watching these noble birds of prey.
But where to watch? There are many options. If you can spare two days instead of one, I recommend an overnight trip to the Mississippi. Spending the night in eagle country lets you be at the river in the early morning, when the birds are most active.
In Galena, the Eagle Nature Foundation sponsors bald eagle bus tours on selected Saturday mornings. For details, call 815-594-2306 or visit www.eaglenature.com. If you prefer an independent tour, consider visiting Cassville, Wis., or Guttenberg, Iowa. Both river towns are near Lock and Dam No. 10 and two power-generating plants, which ensures plenty of unfrozen water for the birds. The lock and dam has an observation deck for eagle watchers, as does Cassville’s Riverside Park.
Further south, in Illinois, a good starting point for a self-guided driving tour is Lock and Dam No. 12, just north of Savanna. From there, just follow the Mississippi River south along Highway 84, stopping where you please. Lock and Dam No. 13, five miles north of Fulton, provides a viewing platform and heated restrooms too!
Another great vantage point is across the river from Fulton in Clinton, Iowa. Just north of town is Eagle Point Park, where you can look down on the dam and watch the eagles from above.
The nearest eagle watch option is Starved Rock State Park in Utica—about 85 miles away. If you go, head for the observation deck at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center in Ottawa, located across the Illinois River from the park. It’s open seven days a week and offers fine views of Plum Island, a haven for wintering eagles. For more information, call 815-667-4054 or visit www.flocktotherock.com.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
(published 2-10-05)
My last column was about winter bird watching and the birds that make this season special. Now comes part two, but with a focus on one species, the bald eagle.
Winter is indeed the best time to go eagle watching. The birds congregate on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in spots where open water allows them to catch fish. If you don’t mind a road trip, you can easily observe bald eagles through early March, before most of the birds return to their northern nesting grounds.
I saw my first bald eagle in the wild in 1996 and the memory is still vivid. I was walking with a naturalist at Kiawah Island, S.C., when we noticed a large dark raptor soaring above. Our binoculars then confirmed the trademark white head and white tail—a postcard image against the morning’s clear blue sky.
My experience at Kiawah made me want to see more eagles, so a few months later I joined a bus full of birders for a trip to the Mississippi. On that bitter-cold February day, my number of lifetime eagle sightings rose from one to about 50.
The winter eagle population in Illinois is healthy and growing—a great comeback story considering that about 40 years ago our national symbol appeared headed for extinction. You can’t help but think of that when watching these noble birds of prey.
But where to watch? There are many options. If you can spare two days instead of one, I recommend an overnight trip to the Mississippi. Spending the night in eagle country lets you be at the river in the early morning, when the birds are most active.
In Galena, the Eagle Nature Foundation sponsors bald eagle bus tours on selected Saturday mornings. For details, call 815-594-2306 or visit www.eaglenature.com. If you prefer an independent tour, consider visiting Cassville, Wis., or Guttenberg, Iowa. Both river towns are near Lock and Dam No. 10 and two power-generating plants, which ensures plenty of unfrozen water for the birds. The lock and dam has an observation deck for eagle watchers, as does Cassville’s Riverside Park.
Further south, in Illinois, a good starting point for a self-guided driving tour is Lock and Dam No. 12, just north of Savanna. From there, just follow the Mississippi River south along Highway 84, stopping where you please. Lock and Dam No. 13, five miles north of Fulton, provides a viewing platform and heated restrooms too!
Another great vantage point is across the river from Fulton in Clinton, Iowa. Just north of town is Eagle Point Park, where you can look down on the dam and watch the eagles from above.
The nearest eagle watch option is Starved Rock State Park in Utica—about 85 miles away. If you go, head for the observation deck at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center in Ottawa, located across the Illinois River from the park. It’s open seven days a week and offers fine views of Plum Island, a haven for wintering eagles. For more information, call 815-667-4054 or visit www.flocktotherock.com.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Winter bird watching can be full of surprises
(published 1-6-05)
When I was new to bird watching, I spent winter waiting for spring. Too cold for any interesting birds to be around, right? Well, turns out I was missing a lot. In the backyard and out in the field, there’s a lot to see (and hear) this time of year.
It’s a great season for owls, in particular. Last month I received a most welcome 1:45 a.m. wake-up call from a great horned owl. Winter is when this species is most vocal so you may want to leave your window open a crack. You might even hear an eastern screech owl, which, like the great horned, lives here year-round.
Other kinds of owls are just visiting. I’ll never forget a December bird outing in 1998 when, near the end of a long cold day, our group leader took us to Pratts Wayne Woods in Bartlett to search for short-eared owls, an endangered species in Illinois. Sure enough, as if on cue, the owls started flying around just before dusk.
Less than two months later, at Morton Arboretum, I was thrilled to see my first Northern saw-whet owl. Amazingly, that same February day at the Arb, birders located a Townsend’s solitaire, a Western species very rarely seen around here.
Indeed, a few rare birds seem to turn up every winter. Just last month, in fact, local birders spotted two more Western rarities—a varied thrush at Calumet Park and a lark bunting at West Aurora Forest Preserve. My schedule didn’t allow me to try for the thrush, and my one attempt to see the bunting was unsuccessful.
My luck was better last January when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a spotted towhee that turned up in Winfield. It wasn’t the prolonged view one hopes for when seeing a species for the first time, but at least I saw the bird.
Of course, there are a number of cold-weather “specialties” that occur here every year. Besides the owls already mentioned, some of the most coveted winter visitors are rough-legged hawk, snowy owl, northern shrike, Lapland longspur, snow bunting, common redpoll and white-winged crossbill. Find two or three of these species and you’ve had a good winter.
If you bird watch from the kitchen window, look for uncommon winter species that may join your regular feeder birds—pine siskins, purple finches and redpolls, for example. It’s also fun to spot familiar birds that are generally scarce in winter, like robins, flickers and white-throated sparrows. Even a catbird or hermit thrush could make a surprise appearance.
One of my backyard highlights of 2004 was the yellow-rumped warbler that visited our heated birdbath on January 6. Yellow-rumps are fairly common in the spring and fall, and a few of them are known to spend the winter here. Still, it was a shock to see one on that cold, snowy day. It was also a reminder of why I love this hobby—the element of surprise. During any month of the year, day or night, you just never know.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
(published 1-6-05)
When I was new to bird watching, I spent winter waiting for spring. Too cold for any interesting birds to be around, right? Well, turns out I was missing a lot. In the backyard and out in the field, there’s a lot to see (and hear) this time of year.
It’s a great season for owls, in particular. Last month I received a most welcome 1:45 a.m. wake-up call from a great horned owl. Winter is when this species is most vocal so you may want to leave your window open a crack. You might even hear an eastern screech owl, which, like the great horned, lives here year-round.
Other kinds of owls are just visiting. I’ll never forget a December bird outing in 1998 when, near the end of a long cold day, our group leader took us to Pratts Wayne Woods in Bartlett to search for short-eared owls, an endangered species in Illinois. Sure enough, as if on cue, the owls started flying around just before dusk.
Less than two months later, at Morton Arboretum, I was thrilled to see my first Northern saw-whet owl. Amazingly, that same February day at the Arb, birders located a Townsend’s solitaire, a Western species very rarely seen around here.
Indeed, a few rare birds seem to turn up every winter. Just last month, in fact, local birders spotted two more Western rarities—a varied thrush at Calumet Park and a lark bunting at West Aurora Forest Preserve. My schedule didn’t allow me to try for the thrush, and my one attempt to see the bunting was unsuccessful.
My luck was better last January when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a spotted towhee that turned up in Winfield. It wasn’t the prolonged view one hopes for when seeing a species for the first time, but at least I saw the bird.
Of course, there are a number of cold-weather “specialties” that occur here every year. Besides the owls already mentioned, some of the most coveted winter visitors are rough-legged hawk, snowy owl, northern shrike, Lapland longspur, snow bunting, common redpoll and white-winged crossbill. Find two or three of these species and you’ve had a good winter.
If you bird watch from the kitchen window, look for uncommon winter species that may join your regular feeder birds—pine siskins, purple finches and redpolls, for example. It’s also fun to spot familiar birds that are generally scarce in winter, like robins, flickers and white-throated sparrows. Even a catbird or hermit thrush could make a surprise appearance.
One of my backyard highlights of 2004 was the yellow-rumped warbler that visited our heated birdbath on January 6. Yellow-rumps are fairly common in the spring and fall, and a few of them are known to spend the winter here. Still, it was a shock to see one on that cold, snowy day. It was also a reminder of why I love this hobby—the element of surprise. During any month of the year, day or night, you just never know.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who enjoys birding at home and in the field. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.
These gifts for bird watchers are sure to fly
(published 12-2-04)
For a birder, the best presents are those that money can’t buy. Like a backyard owl on Christmas Eve, or a redpoll at the feeder the next morning. Events such as these would clinch a happy holiday for anybody who appreciates birds.
But just in case, you’d better have a back-up plan. Here are 10 gift ideas for serious and casual bird watchers alike:
-- A second field guide. It really helps to have a second resource, especially when confronted with an identification challenge. I refer to the Peterson, Sibley and National Geographic guides all the time. Each book has unique strengths.
-- Binoculars. This is a sensitive gift choice. Like neckties for men, it’s best to let birders choose their own optics. That said, a good pair of binoculars is potentially the most useful and most appreciated gift you can bestow. And every birder needs a reliable secondary pair. But unless you know exactly what the birder wants, buy a gift certificate.
-- A new feeder. Consider a specialty feeder that will help attract more species. A tube-style thistle feeder will draw goldfinches and pine siskins, or go with a peanut feeder to serve chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. If choosing a hummingbird feeder, look for a durable design—many glass ones are beautiful works of art but not very practical.
-- Heated birdbath. Fresh water is a backyard magnet for birds any time of year, especially during winter. Cleaning and filling is a chore when it’s frigid outside but the results will justify the effort.
-- Bird seed storage container. Not a glamorous gift, I know, but keeping seed dry, fresh and safe from garage critters is important. Select a container designed specifically for this purpose. Mine is heavy-duty plastic with an airtight lid and holds 25 pounds of seed. If you give one of these, fill it up with black-oil sunflower seeds and maybe bury a surprise.
-- Bird song CDs. Identification becomes a lot easier when you learn the songs and call notes. And those who know them tend to find more birds. The Peterson “Birding by Ear” series is excellent.
-- A good book. This was a banner year for birders who like to read. Amazingly, three full-length biographies on John James Audubon appeared. Two other new books tell the sad but fascinating story of the ivory-billed woodpecker. And birders are still talking about “The Big Year.” It’s highly entertaining, and also recommended for non-birder spouses who need to realize that birding obsessions are truly a matter of degree. “The Birdwatcher’s Companion” is another recent title worth investigating.
-- Memberships. The ones I think of first are the DuPage Birding Club and Kane County Audubon. Either club will open doors to new birding adventures and new friends who are eager to share the hobby. Or how about The Morton Arboretum? It’s one of this area’s best birding spots and the new visitor center makes it better than ever.
-- Magazines. You couldn’t go wrong by giving a subscription to Bird Watcher’s Digest or Birder’s World. Each is published six times a year.
-- Bird-a-day calendar. I love these things. Along with great photos, they offer interesting facts about common species and introduce us to exotic ones. The featured species on Sept. 25, for example, was East Africa’s bare-faced go-away bird. I quickly added that one to my running list of favorite bird names. Right after superb fairy wren.
I hope that your holidays are equally superb, and that you take some time to enjoy the birds!
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
(published 12-2-04)
For a birder, the best presents are those that money can’t buy. Like a backyard owl on Christmas Eve, or a redpoll at the feeder the next morning. Events such as these would clinch a happy holiday for anybody who appreciates birds.
But just in case, you’d better have a back-up plan. Here are 10 gift ideas for serious and casual bird watchers alike:
-- A second field guide. It really helps to have a second resource, especially when confronted with an identification challenge. I refer to the Peterson, Sibley and National Geographic guides all the time. Each book has unique strengths.
-- Binoculars. This is a sensitive gift choice. Like neckties for men, it’s best to let birders choose their own optics. That said, a good pair of binoculars is potentially the most useful and most appreciated gift you can bestow. And every birder needs a reliable secondary pair. But unless you know exactly what the birder wants, buy a gift certificate.
-- A new feeder. Consider a specialty feeder that will help attract more species. A tube-style thistle feeder will draw goldfinches and pine siskins, or go with a peanut feeder to serve chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. If choosing a hummingbird feeder, look for a durable design—many glass ones are beautiful works of art but not very practical.
-- Heated birdbath. Fresh water is a backyard magnet for birds any time of year, especially during winter. Cleaning and filling is a chore when it’s frigid outside but the results will justify the effort.
-- Bird seed storage container. Not a glamorous gift, I know, but keeping seed dry, fresh and safe from garage critters is important. Select a container designed specifically for this purpose. Mine is heavy-duty plastic with an airtight lid and holds 25 pounds of seed. If you give one of these, fill it up with black-oil sunflower seeds and maybe bury a surprise.
-- Bird song CDs. Identification becomes a lot easier when you learn the songs and call notes. And those who know them tend to find more birds. The Peterson “Birding by Ear” series is excellent.
-- A good book. This was a banner year for birders who like to read. Amazingly, three full-length biographies on John James Audubon appeared. Two other new books tell the sad but fascinating story of the ivory-billed woodpecker. And birders are still talking about “The Big Year.” It’s highly entertaining, and also recommended for non-birder spouses who need to realize that birding obsessions are truly a matter of degree. “The Birdwatcher’s Companion” is another recent title worth investigating.
-- Memberships. The ones I think of first are the DuPage Birding Club and Kane County Audubon. Either club will open doors to new birding adventures and new friends who are eager to share the hobby. Or how about The Morton Arboretum? It’s one of this area’s best birding spots and the new visitor center makes it better than ever.
-- Magazines. You couldn’t go wrong by giving a subscription to Bird Watcher’s Digest or Birder’s World. Each is published six times a year.
-- Bird-a-day calendar. I love these things. Along with great photos, they offer interesting facts about common species and introduce us to exotic ones. The featured species on Sept. 25, for example, was East Africa’s bare-faced go-away bird. I quickly added that one to my running list of favorite bird names. Right after superb fairy wren.
I hope that your holidays are equally superb, and that you take some time to enjoy the birds!
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Close encounters of the nuthatch kind
(published 11-4-04)
It’s about a 20-minute walk from the Chicago train station to my office. Over the years, I’ve seen some great birds during that walk, including my first blue-winged warbler. I’ve also seen some surprising things on the sidewalk. Severed heads, for instance. Bird heads. One belonged to a red-headed woodpecker, the other to a northern flicker. The butchery was likely committed by a peregrine falcon.
Another interesting sidewalk birding experience took place in September. Walking east along Wacker Drive I noticed what looked like a leaf floating toward the ground ahead of me. It landed softly, and a few steps later I was looking down at a male red-breasted nuthatch—the first one I’d ever encountered downtown. The tiny bird had smacked into a building but was still alive. I picked him up and he seemed to be in good shape, just stunned. Sometimes a safe, quiet spot is enough to help a bird recover, so I placed the bird under some nearby shrubs. He was gone when I checked at the end of the day.
The red-breasted nuthatch has always been one of my favorite backyard visitors, so it was a thrill to hold that bird in my hand. What a beautiful and virtually weightless little creature.
Nuthatches are a joy to watch, and watching them became a whole lot easier once I bought a peanut feeder. In recent years I’ve had one or two coming and going almost daily from October into April. The birds enjoy black oil sunflower seeds and suet as well, but it’s the shelled peanuts that really keep them coming back. Plus, the peanut feeder is great for watching nuthatches eat upside down, one of their many quirky habits. Chickadees, downy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers use the feeder, too.
There are two species of nuthatches in this area, red-breasted and white-breasted. Generally speaking, white-breasteds are more common. They are year-round residents, whereas red-breasteds arrive here after spending spring and summer further north.
A friend of mine who lives close by has white-breasted nuthatches in her backyard all the time, but she never sees red-breasted. In my yard the opposite is true. A lot depends on habitat—white-breasted nuthatches tend to prefer big trees, especially oaks.
Once, and only once, I had both species converge on my peanut feeder at the same time. Next to the red-breasted, the more robust white-breasted looked huge. But consider this: the combined weight of the two birds was about one ounce!
Like chickadees, nuthatches can be very trusting. One time, a red-breasted landed on my peanut feeder just as I was about to hang it up. I froze and was able to watch the bird 12 inches from my face for a few precious seconds. With patience, nuthatches will even take food from your hand. I hope to experience that some day. For now, I’m happy to watch them at any distance.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
(published 11-4-04)
It’s about a 20-minute walk from the Chicago train station to my office. Over the years, I’ve seen some great birds during that walk, including my first blue-winged warbler. I’ve also seen some surprising things on the sidewalk. Severed heads, for instance. Bird heads. One belonged to a red-headed woodpecker, the other to a northern flicker. The butchery was likely committed by a peregrine falcon.
Another interesting sidewalk birding experience took place in September. Walking east along Wacker Drive I noticed what looked like a leaf floating toward the ground ahead of me. It landed softly, and a few steps later I was looking down at a male red-breasted nuthatch—the first one I’d ever encountered downtown. The tiny bird had smacked into a building but was still alive. I picked him up and he seemed to be in good shape, just stunned. Sometimes a safe, quiet spot is enough to help a bird recover, so I placed the bird under some nearby shrubs. He was gone when I checked at the end of the day.
The red-breasted nuthatch has always been one of my favorite backyard visitors, so it was a thrill to hold that bird in my hand. What a beautiful and virtually weightless little creature.
Nuthatches are a joy to watch, and watching them became a whole lot easier once I bought a peanut feeder. In recent years I’ve had one or two coming and going almost daily from October into April. The birds enjoy black oil sunflower seeds and suet as well, but it’s the shelled peanuts that really keep them coming back. Plus, the peanut feeder is great for watching nuthatches eat upside down, one of their many quirky habits. Chickadees, downy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers use the feeder, too.
There are two species of nuthatches in this area, red-breasted and white-breasted. Generally speaking, white-breasteds are more common. They are year-round residents, whereas red-breasteds arrive here after spending spring and summer further north.
A friend of mine who lives close by has white-breasted nuthatches in her backyard all the time, but she never sees red-breasted. In my yard the opposite is true. A lot depends on habitat—white-breasted nuthatches tend to prefer big trees, especially oaks.
Once, and only once, I had both species converge on my peanut feeder at the same time. Next to the red-breasted, the more robust white-breasted looked huge. But consider this: the combined weight of the two birds was about one ounce!
Like chickadees, nuthatches can be very trusting. One time, a red-breasted landed on my peanut feeder just as I was about to hang it up. I froze and was able to watch the bird 12 inches from my face for a few precious seconds. With patience, nuthatches will even take food from your hand. I hope to experience that some day. For now, I’m happy to watch them at any distance.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Sandhill crane passage is a fall classic
(published 10-14-04)
The first sandhill crane I ever saw was through a rental car window just outside of Grand Island, Neb. The huge bird was flying low, silhouetted in a soft evening sky. It was one of those “wow” moments in birding that you never forget.
I was in central Nebraska to witness one of the birding world’s great spectacles—the annual gathering of up to 500,000 sandhill cranes along the Platte River, the key stopover along their northerly spring migration. “Sandies” were everywhere, roosting on the Platte’s sandbars at dusk and foraging in surrounding corn fields by day. There was even a rare whooping crane mixed in among them, an exciting bonus for the hundreds of visiting birders like me.
That was 1998, when I barely knew a kinglet from a kingfisher. Now I fully appreciate that going to Nebraska in March to see my first sandhill crane was like somebody going to the Super Bowl to see his first football game. And frankly, I had no idea back then how easy it is to see sandhill cranes right here at home. October and November, in particular, offer prime viewing opportunities as the birds migrate south. You may not see a crane on the ground, but with a little patience you’re almost certain to see one of their noisy flocks passing over—maybe from your own backyard.
Cranes are indeed conspicuous in the late autumn sky. They have extra-long windpipes that serve to amplify their distinctive bugle call. Even high-flying flocks are easily heard.
One of my favorite nature writers, Scott Weidensaul, described the sandhill crane’s call as “pure magic, guaranteed to raise gooseflesh on someone hearing it for the first time.” Such reverent words are commonly associated with cranes, which are among the world’s oldest living bird species. They have an almost mythical quality that people find inspiring.
Of course, sandhill cranes are distinguished by their size as well. With wingspans up to 7 feet they are slightly larger than great blue herons. Unlike herons, however, cranes fly with their long necks stretched straight out. They usually travel in loose V formations, like geese, but on Indian summer days you may see them soaring in a spiral pattern. In those cases they’re riding updrafts of warm air, called thermals, just like hawks and turkey vultures do.
Sandies passing over DuPage and Kane counties this fall likely spent their summers on breeding grounds in Minnesota, Wisconsin or southern Canada. Most of them will now assemble at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana before journeying on to Florida and southern Georgia for the winter.
To see cranes in great numbers, Jasper-Pulaski is the place to be from mid-October through November. It’s the Midwest version of the Platte River spectacle, and it’s a whole lot closer than Nebraska. For more information, call (219) 843-4841.
Copyright 2004 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
Bird list growing at Tri-County State Park
(published 9-30-04)
You know a place is serious about birds—and about attracting birders—when it publishes its own bird checklist. So it is with Tri-County State Park in Bartlett, which I visited for the first time on Sept. 4.
I’m embarrassed that it took me so long to get there. The 500-acre preserve—parts of which are in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties—opened to the public in April 2003. Since then I’d heard good things about Tri-County, including some very promising bird reports. One that stands out is a field trip last April when birders spotted more than 50 Wilson’s snipe. Talk about a successful snipe hunt!
Tri-County is unique for being a joint venture between the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Forest Preserve District manages the park and conducts environmental education programs on the grounds and in the impressive new visitor center.
Kevin Luby, one of several naturalists on staff, is Tri-County’s resident bird expert. He told me that nearly 100 species have been seen at the park since record keeping began in June 2003. Notable species sighted this year include bald eagle, osprey, sandhill crane, northern shrike, orchard oriole, yellow-headed blackbird, sedge wren and dickcissel. Among the park’s known breeding birds are wood duck, American woodcock, sora rail and Wilson’s snipe.
In August, birders discovered a common moorhen with four chicks in the wetland just north of the Indigo Trail loop—an excellent find for this area. A couple of those chicks were seen again when I toured Tri-County with the DuPage Birding Club. I was not among the lucky observers, but it was still a great morning. A highlight for me was learning the gurgling song of the marsh wren and then enjoying great looks of the bird at close range.
As a birding venue, Tri-County is very good and will only get better. The park offers five miles of easy-to-walk trails that showcase a nice variety of avian habitats. Native prairie and wetland restoration projects on the former farm fields will produce great benefits for migrating and breeding birds in the coming years. Displays in the visitor center explain the remarkable transformation that is taking place due to the Forest Preserve District’s efforts.
Currently, Luby says, most of Tri-County’s birds are seen in the marsh areas or in shrubby patches along Brewster Creek. For birders who want the “most bang for their buck,” he recommends the short Indigo Trail. He also likes the bridge between the Indigo and Bluestem Trails for spotting warblers and vireos in the spring. Pick up a map (and a bird list) at the visitor center.
Luby will lead bird walks beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 12 and Nov. 9. The walks are free but advance sign-up is required—call (847) 429-4670. The entrance to Tri-County is on the north side of Stearns Road, west of Route 59.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
(published 9-30-04)
You know a place is serious about birds—and about attracting birders—when it publishes its own bird checklist. So it is with Tri-County State Park in Bartlett, which I visited for the first time on Sept. 4.
I’m embarrassed that it took me so long to get there. The 500-acre preserve—parts of which are in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties—opened to the public in April 2003. Since then I’d heard good things about Tri-County, including some very promising bird reports. One that stands out is a field trip last April when birders spotted more than 50 Wilson’s snipe. Talk about a successful snipe hunt!
Tri-County is unique for being a joint venture between the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Forest Preserve District manages the park and conducts environmental education programs on the grounds and in the impressive new visitor center.
Kevin Luby, one of several naturalists on staff, is Tri-County’s resident bird expert. He told me that nearly 100 species have been seen at the park since record keeping began in June 2003. Notable species sighted this year include bald eagle, osprey, sandhill crane, northern shrike, orchard oriole, yellow-headed blackbird, sedge wren and dickcissel. Among the park’s known breeding birds are wood duck, American woodcock, sora rail and Wilson’s snipe.
In August, birders discovered a common moorhen with four chicks in the wetland just north of the Indigo Trail loop—an excellent find for this area. A couple of those chicks were seen again when I toured Tri-County with the DuPage Birding Club. I was not among the lucky observers, but it was still a great morning. A highlight for me was learning the gurgling song of the marsh wren and then enjoying great looks of the bird at close range.
As a birding venue, Tri-County is very good and will only get better. The park offers five miles of easy-to-walk trails that showcase a nice variety of avian habitats. Native prairie and wetland restoration projects on the former farm fields will produce great benefits for migrating and breeding birds in the coming years. Displays in the visitor center explain the remarkable transformation that is taking place due to the Forest Preserve District’s efforts.
Currently, Luby says, most of Tri-County’s birds are seen in the marsh areas or in shrubby patches along Brewster Creek. For birders who want the “most bang for their buck,” he recommends the short Indigo Trail. He also likes the bridge between the Indigo and Bluestem Trails for spotting warblers and vireos in the spring. Pick up a map (and a bird list) at the visitor center.
Luby will lead bird walks beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 12 and Nov. 9. The walks are free but advance sign-up is required—call (847) 429-4670. The entrance to Tri-County is on the north side of Stearns Road, west of Route 59.
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
So many birds, and so many things to learn
(published 9-16-04)
It happened again. On August 20, a bird made my day.
When I least expected it, smack in the dog days of summer, a Carolina wren visited my yard. A first! And like it so often does in birding, luck played a big role.
The lucky part is that I happened to be outside. It was one of those unseasonably cool days last month so I took my coffee and newspaper out on the patio. I was keeping an eye on our bird feeders, of course, but not expecting anything unusual. Then I heard it—a strikingly loud and distinctive song. I knew instantly that I’d never heard it before, at least not in the backyard.
I really should have recognized that sound. I’ve seen and heard Carolina wrens many times while vacationing in South Carolina, where it’s the state bird. But on my patio that morning I guess I was too surprised to think. I needed to see the singer. Fortunately, after an agonizing minute or two, the wren popped into view.
When the bird moved on—it never went near my feeders—I went inside and grabbed my “Birding by Ear” CDs. I wanted to hear that song again. That’s when I learned something interesting. The narrator said that the Carolina wren is one of the few birds that sing year-round. Come to think of it, it did seem odd to hear a bird singing like that in mid-August. Later I looked in a few books to find out more. Carolina wrens are not migratory, which I didn’t know, and the Chicago area is about as far north as they ever go. Like mockingbirds, another “southern” species, they are said to be turning up in DuPage County with increasing regularity.
Seeing the wren was a great surprise, and learning some facts about it made the experience even better.
Lately I’ve been reminded how much more there is to learn about birds, even the common ones. A few weeks ago I was reading “Two Blue Jays” to my 3-year-old son. From that children’s book I discovered that the blue jay is the only bird that will bury nuts and seeds in the ground and come back to them later. I knew jays were clever but I didn’t know that.
Then last month I went online to check out Laura Erickson’s monthly birding column in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She wrote that cedar waxwings, when building their nests, sometimes steal building materials from the nests of their neighbors. This information took my opinion of waxwings down a notch, but I still think they are the best-dressed birds on the block.
We can all enjoy birds just by looking at them, and sometimes that’s enough. But learning about their habits and lifestyles can help us appreciate them even more. As birders, it’s always rewarding when we take the time to be curious.
Copyright 2004 by Jeff Reiter. All Rights Reserved.
(published 9-16-04)
It happened again. On August 20, a bird made my day.
When I least expected it, smack in the dog days of summer, a Carolina wren visited my yard. A first! And like it so often does in birding, luck played a big role.
The lucky part is that I happened to be outside. It was one of those unseasonably cool days last month so I took my coffee and newspaper out on the patio. I was keeping an eye on our bird feeders, of course, but not expecting anything unusual. Then I heard it—a strikingly loud and distinctive song. I knew instantly that I’d never heard it before, at least not in the backyard.
I really should have recognized that sound. I’ve seen and heard Carolina wrens many times while vacationing in South Carolina, where it’s the state bird. But on my patio that morning I guess I was too surprised to think. I needed to see the singer. Fortunately, after an agonizing minute or two, the wren popped into view.
When the bird moved on—it never went near my feeders—I went inside and grabbed my “Birding by Ear” CDs. I wanted to hear that song again. That’s when I learned something interesting. The narrator said that the Carolina wren is one of the few birds that sing year-round. Come to think of it, it did seem odd to hear a bird singing like that in mid-August. Later I looked in a few books to find out more. Carolina wrens are not migratory, which I didn’t know, and the Chicago area is about as far north as they ever go. Like mockingbirds, another “southern” species, they are said to be turning up in DuPage County with increasing regularity.
Seeing the wren was a great surprise, and learning some facts about it made the experience even better.
Lately I’ve been reminded how much more there is to learn about birds, even the common ones. A few weeks ago I was reading “Two Blue Jays” to my 3-year-old son. From that children’s book I discovered that the blue jay is the only bird that will bury nuts and seeds in the ground and come back to them later. I knew jays were clever but I didn’t know that.
Then last month I went online to check out Laura Erickson’s monthly birding column in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She wrote that cedar waxwings, when building their nests, sometimes steal building materials from the nests of their neighbors. This information took my opinion of waxwings down a notch, but I still think they are the best-dressed birds on the block.
We can all enjoy birds just by looking at them, and sometimes that’s enough. But learning about their habits and lifestyles can help us appreciate them even more. As birders, it’s always rewarding when we take the time to be curious.
Copyright 2004 by Jeff Reiter. All Rights Reserved.
Online network spreads the joy of birding
(published 9-2-04)
One of my goals for this column is to share resources that can make birdwatching even more enjoyable. I’ve written about our local birding clubs, for example, and I’ve recommended some good books and useful Web sites. This time I’d like to tell you about an online community known as IBET, which stands for Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts.
The name is a little misleading—IBET is not some sort of intellectual think tank for birders. Yes, thoughts are exchanged, but the network is mostly used for reporting local bird sightings. The “what, when and where” is valuable information for birders who want to see more species, including the truly rare ones that occasionally visit the Chicago area.
As of mid-August, IBET had 588 registered members according to Sue Friscia, a birder from Alsip who founded the list-serve in 1985. Her motivation? “I was obsessed with knowing what everyone else was seeing and didn’t want to miss anything,” she says.
Devoted IBET users don’t miss much, that’s for sure. News travels quickly on the network, often leading to spur-of-the-moment birding opportunities that are too good to pass up. A few years ago I was in my downtown Chicago office when I noticed a fresh IBET posting about a least bittern at North Pond in Lincoln Park. The secretive marsh-dwelling species had been spotted about an hour earlier. What the heck, I decided, it’s Friday afternoon. So I grabbed my binoculars and dashed out the door to catch a northbound bus. I was on the scene 20 minutes later and, fortunately, so was the bird—in plain view, perched on a low branch just above the water. It was the first least bittern I’d ever seen, and IBET made it possible.
The network is valuable in other ways, too. It’s a place to ask questions and get answers, and a place to share birding stories that might otherwise go untold. Plus, at any given time, there’s usually a spirited discussion going on about some aspect of the hobby. For example, a recent exchange focused on the merits of field guides with illustrations versus those with actual photographs of birds. (For the record, most participants seemed to prefer illustrated books.)
The number of daily messages posted to IBET varies greatly by season. During the peak of spring and fall migration, when waves of non-resident birds are moving through the region, the network may receive 40 or 50 postings a day. That’s information overload for many of us. But if you read just a fraction of the messages you’ll get a good sense of what birds to watch for at different times throughout the year—and even what to expect in your backyard tomorrow.
So, if you’re a computer user and you want the latest local birding news, give IBET a try. Membership is free. To join the network, send a blank e-mail to ILbirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, wait for the response, and then follow the instructions. (Note: “ILbirds” is the group’s formal name for registration purposes but users still call it IBET.)
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
(published 9-2-04)
One of my goals for this column is to share resources that can make birdwatching even more enjoyable. I’ve written about our local birding clubs, for example, and I’ve recommended some good books and useful Web sites. This time I’d like to tell you about an online community known as IBET, which stands for Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts.
The name is a little misleading—IBET is not some sort of intellectual think tank for birders. Yes, thoughts are exchanged, but the network is mostly used for reporting local bird sightings. The “what, when and where” is valuable information for birders who want to see more species, including the truly rare ones that occasionally visit the Chicago area.
As of mid-August, IBET had 588 registered members according to Sue Friscia, a birder from Alsip who founded the list-serve in 1985. Her motivation? “I was obsessed with knowing what everyone else was seeing and didn’t want to miss anything,” she says.
Devoted IBET users don’t miss much, that’s for sure. News travels quickly on the network, often leading to spur-of-the-moment birding opportunities that are too good to pass up. A few years ago I was in my downtown Chicago office when I noticed a fresh IBET posting about a least bittern at North Pond in Lincoln Park. The secretive marsh-dwelling species had been spotted about an hour earlier. What the heck, I decided, it’s Friday afternoon. So I grabbed my binoculars and dashed out the door to catch a northbound bus. I was on the scene 20 minutes later and, fortunately, so was the bird—in plain view, perched on a low branch just above the water. It was the first least bittern I’d ever seen, and IBET made it possible.
The network is valuable in other ways, too. It’s a place to ask questions and get answers, and a place to share birding stories that might otherwise go untold. Plus, at any given time, there’s usually a spirited discussion going on about some aspect of the hobby. For example, a recent exchange focused on the merits of field guides with illustrations versus those with actual photographs of birds. (For the record, most participants seemed to prefer illustrated books.)
The number of daily messages posted to IBET varies greatly by season. During the peak of spring and fall migration, when waves of non-resident birds are moving through the region, the network may receive 40 or 50 postings a day. That’s information overload for many of us. But if you read just a fraction of the messages you’ll get a good sense of what birds to watch for at different times throughout the year—and even what to expect in your backyard tomorrow.
So, if you’re a computer user and you want the latest local birding news, give IBET a try. Membership is free. To join the network, send a blank e-mail to ILbirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, wait for the response, and then follow the instructions. (Note: “ILbirds” is the group’s formal name for registration purposes but users still call it IBET.)
Reiter is a Glen Ellyn, Illinois, resident who became hooked on birding about 10 years ago. He can be reached at jreiter@wordsonbirds.com.
Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Migrating nighthawks mark last weeks of summer
(published 8-19-04)
(published 8-19-04)
Like most birders, I get a little impatient during the summer. Birds are out and about, but nothing like the variety of species we enjoy during the spring and fall migration seasons, when every day seems to bring a new surprise.
Fortunately, on the birding calendar, fall comes early. In fact, migrating shorebirds--sandpipers, plovers and dowitchers, among others -- began arriving here in mid-July!
But as summer winds down, it's the nighthawks I look forward to most -- common nighthawks, to be precise. And there is no better time than late August and early September to observe them, when large flocks are moving south. If you've never seen a nighthawk, or if you admire this birds as I do, now is your chance.
The common nighthawk is a fun bird to watch, and most often you'll hear the bird before you see it. It has a loud, buzzy one-syllable flight call that's unmistakable. Learn that sound, and then it's just a matter of looking up to find the bird.
I highly recommend a visit to www.allaboutbirds.org, where you can listen to nighthawks and other birds. Take time to explore the rest of the site, too. It's loaded with great information about birds and birding, courtesy of Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology.
The common nighthawk is easy to identify by sight as well. It's a dark, medium-sized bird with long pointy wings that have white patches near the tips. Watch also for the nighthawk's floppy, erratic flight pattern as it catches flying insects -- its only food source. With that kind of diet it should be no surprise that nighthawks are not really "hawks" at all. They belong to the goatsucker family, which includes the whip-poor-will. (Seriously, you could look it up!)
Nighthawks are most active around dusk or at daybreak, but every now and then you'll see on in broad daylight. Last year I spotted one during an afternoon ballgame at Wrigley Field. That bird landed at the base of one of the light towers and it's the only time I've ever seen a nighthawk sitting still. Common nighthawks breed in this area so they can be observed throughout the spring and summer, though not as often as their name implies.
Nighthawk populations are said to be declining, especially in urban areas where they used to be abundant. One problem is their preference for nesting on flat, gravely rooftops. Only older buildings have them and many are being replaced. The birds you'll see in the coming weeks nested farther north and are heading toward their wintering grounds in South America.
To see them on their way, start watching the skies around 6 p.m. You'll likely see some solitary birds flying quite low, and maybe some swirling flocks up higher. Evenings are best for spotting these charismatic birds.
Copyright 2004 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.
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