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IOS 23rd Annual Gull Frolic

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Illinois Ornithological Society presents the Annual Gull Frolic. 9:30 am, at the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club, 301 North Point Drive Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096. ENSBC has been a supporter since its inception and will have a display booth.  The featured speaker will be Amar Ayyash, author of the brand new "The Gulld Guide:  North America." For more information and tickets, click here:  23rd IOS Gull Frolic - 2025 Tickets, Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite SOLD OUT!

 

PROGRAM: Chris Whelan: Foraging for Food - How Do Birds Do It?

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Chris Whelan, in the Biology Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is back by popular demand.  He will share his knowledge of Foraging Ecology.

How do birds, or any organisms for that matter, make their living? Every living thing need safety from enemies, and resources (food) to grow, sustain life, and reproduce. Given the extraordinary diversity of birds, how do birds exemplify an extraordinary diversity in feeding behavior -- how do they obtain food? This question is the domain of what ecologists call "Foraging Ecology". Every detective wanna-be is told to answer these questions: Who? When? Where? Why? and How? We'll look into answers to those questions with respect to bird Foraging Ecology, though not necessarily in that order. Foraging Ecology influences many aspects of bird life -- who lives where (habitat selection), with whom (community ecology), and ecological impacts (pest control). The 11,000 some species of birds exhibit fascinating examples of Foraging Ecology, so this review will have to be selective and, unfortunately (fortunately?), limited by the time available. We could go on for years....  On Zoom  7:30 pm.

Waukegan Christmas Count January 1 2025

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

The Waukegan Count circle is centered at Routes 120 and 41. For more information and to participate, contact Adam Sell, Adamwardsell@gmail.com

ENSBC Christmas Bird Count and Dinner

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Counters are always needed for the Christmas Bird Count.  Counters are invited to enjoy a pizza and salad dinner after they brave the winter weather. Arrive at Libby Hill's house any time 4 pm on.  Bring food to share if you are so inclined.  The evening's program" will be counting up all of the species recorded by the teams that day, comparing them to the highs, lows and averages for those species over the years of the count.  For more information, details and to participate, contact John Leonard, jleonard5440@gmail.com.

Joel Greenberg will again coordinte the feeder count.  Sign-up sheets are available at Wild Birds Unlimited, Glenview, or by emailing Joel at joelrgreenberg@gmail.com.

PROGRAM: CRANES IN ILLINOIS: LEARN ABOUT THEM FROM THE EXPERTS!

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

 

We all look forward to looking to the skies when we hear the rattling sound of Sandhill Cranes migrating over Northeastern Illinois in spring in fall.  Here's an opportunity to learn more about them. Stephanie M. Schmidt, Lead Outreach Biologist of the International Crane Foundation will provide an interactive presentation on Cranes in Illinois: how to identify the two species of cranes, their history, the threats they face, the habitats they use, and the Whooping Crane reintroduction program going on in our own backyard.

 

Virtual Program at 7:30 p.m.

 

Program: Adventures with Raptors

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

 

Join us for an evening with Vic Berardi, the founder of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch that is celebrating its 25th anniversary of full-time raptor migration monitoring. The Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch began in the year 2000. Vic is also a co-founder of the Fort Sheridan Hawkwatch that began in 2013. He is also well respected for his photography, especially his photographs of raptors.

 

Vic will share his experiences from when he first got interested in the natural world, his early interests in photography and when he first got captivated by raptor migration. He will share many of his photos and the stories behind them taken during migration, the breeding season and also during winter.

 

Program at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Robert Crown Community Center, Room B, 1801 Main St, Evanston

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: ILLINOIS BEACH STATE PARK HAWKWATCH

Saturday, October 19, 2024

 

Join the crew of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch in their raptor migration monitoring efforts and celebrate their 25th consecutive year of full time coverage. The timing of this trip is at or near the peak for several species including Merlin and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Other raptor species such as Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle and even an early Rough-legged Hawk are possible. This trip and what is seen will be dependent on the weather.

 

Meeting time: 9 a.m.

Directions: Take I-94 to Route 173, exit and head east to Sheridan Road (approx 8 miles). Go north on Sheridan Road to 17th Street and then go east. Take the park road into the park and turn right at the sign for the Sand Prairie Day Use Area. The count site is located at the first pavilion on the right.

 

Leader: Vic Berardi

 

 

FIELD TRIP: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (NORTH CAMPUS)

Saturday, October 12, 2024

 

 

We’ll start at the North End of Campus looking for migrants.  We may explore the wooded area and the dunes near Lincoln Street, and then head south on campus.  

Meet 7:30 a.m. at the end of Campus Drive.  Turn east off of Sheridan Road at Lincoln Street and follow Campus Drive around the athletic building all the way to the end. Park at the farthest parking lot.

 

Leaders: Libby Hill and Sarah Flax

 

FIELD TRIP: HAWKWATCH AT FORT SHERIDAN

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

 

Meet at 9 a.m. at Hawkwatch picnic tables.  Bring a chair & snacks.

Located in Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve; 117 Sheridan Road, Lake Forest.  The main entrance is on Sheridan Road at Old Elm Road and Simonds Way. Enter on Simonds Way, left on Leonard Wood Drive North, left on Gilgare Lane to parking area.

 

Leader: David Johnson

 

 

FIELD TRIP: CANAL SHORES GOLF COURSE (NORTH LOOP)

Sunday, September 29, 2024

 

Join us to walk the golf course’s north birding loop. Everyone should bring binoculars and a field guide if they have one. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on Maple Ave. in Wilmette, just west of the canal. There is free parking on the south side of the street.  

 

Leader: Matthew Rooney 

Participation limited to 15 people. register with Matt Rooney at matthewarooney@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: BIRDS & COFFEE AT JARVIS BIRD SANCTUARY

Friday, September 27, 2024

 

Friday mornings at Jarvis Bird Sanctuary from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m.

Park in the metered Waveland Parking Lot  (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ovFmu2P21ewTXiAF7) and meet on the viewing platform on the east side of the fenced-in bird sanctuary (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/fgSgGEx75wEP3X7M6). 

 

Leaders: from Red Hill Birding, will be on the platform from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m., so you can come any time.

Coffee and fixings are provided.

 

 

FIELD TRIP: PERKINS WOODS

Thursday, September 26, 2024

 

Look for fall warblers, thrushes, and other migrants. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St. 

Leader: John Bates

 

 

PROGRAM: MALAWI

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

 

Malawi calls itself "the warm heart of Africa."  John Bates will present on decade long collaborations with colleagues from the National Museums of Malawi to study the population structure of Malawian birds, and what has been learned to help with conservation there.

John is the Rowe Family Curator of Evolutionary Biology, Birds, at the Nagaunee Integrative Research Center of the Field Museum of Natural History.

Program at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Robert Crown Community Center, Room B, 1801 Main St, Evanston

 

 

FIELD TRIP: HAWKWATCH AT FORT SHERIDAN

Monday, September 23, 2024

 

Meet at 9 a.m. at Hawkwatch picnic tables.  Bring a chair & snacks.

Located in Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve; 117 Sheridan Road, Lake Forest.  The main entrance is on Sheridan Road at Old Elm Road and Simonds Way. Enter on Simonds Way, left on Leonard Wood Drive North, left on Gilgare Lane to parking area.

 

Leader: David Johnson

 

 

FIELD TRIP: CANAL SHORES GOLF COURSE (NORTH LOOP)

Sunday, September 22, 2024

 

Join us to walk the golf course’s north birding loop. Everyone should bring binoculars and a field guide if they have one. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on Maple Ave. in Wilmette, just west of the canal. There is free parking on the south side of the street.  

 

Leader: Matthew Rooney 

Participation limited to 15 people. register with Matt Rooney at matthewarooney@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (SOUTH CAMPUS)

Saturday, September 21, 2024

 

The NU campus has long been a stopover for migrants of all kinds headed south.

Park on the lakeside of the upper deck of the south parking lot off Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach.

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on the upper deck, lakeside.

 

Leaders: Libby Hill

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: BIRDS & COFFEE AT JARVIS BIRD SANCTUARY

Friday, September 20, 2024

 

Friday mornings at Jarvis Bird Sanctuary from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m.

Park in the metered Waveland Parking Lot  (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ovFmu2P21ewTXiAF7) and meet on the viewing platform on the east side of the fenced-in bird sanctuary (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/fgSgGEx75wEP3X7M6). 

 

Leaders: from Red Hill Birding, will be on the platform from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m., so you can come any time.

Coffee and fixings are provided.

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: PERKINS WOODS

Thursday, September 19, 2024

 

Look for fall warblers, thrushes, and other migrants. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St. 

Leader: John Bates

 

 

Field Trip: West Ridge Nature Park

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

 

We will look for fall warblers, other migrants, local raptors along the trails through this nearly 22 acres of restored woodlands, wetlands, and a pond.

Meet 7:30 A.M. at the main park gate on the east side of Western Ave. (5801 N. Western Ave, where Ardmore dead-ends into Western). Free street parking on both sides of Western Avenue.

Leader: Scott Judd

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: CANAL SHORES GOLF COURSE (NORTH LOOP)

Sunday, September 15, 2024

 

Join us to walk the golf course’s north birding loop. Everyone should bring binoculars and a field guide if they have one. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on Maple Ave. in Wilmette, just west of the canal. There is free parking on the south side of the street.  

 

Leader: Matthew Rooney 

Participation limited to 15 people. register with Matt Rooney at matthewarooney@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

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