All events

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FIELD TRIP: Air Station Prairie: Woodcocks

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Sunday—Air Station Prairie Woodcocks. Come out to see the spectacular aerial displays of the American Woodcock at dusk! The Air Station Prairie in Glenview is a great location for these displays and we may even spot a woodcock on the ground. Parking for the Air Station Prairie is available across the street (Compass Rd) from the ASP Interpretive center on the west side of the lot. Meet on the deck of the interpretive center at 6:45 p.m. Leader: John Leonard.

 

PROGRAM: "Birds' Eggs." Presented by John Bates

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Every single bird you have ever seen hatched from an egg.  Thus, eggs are an essential aspect of pediatrics in birds and therefore can provide important information about the health of birds at this critical stage in their life cycle.   John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum, will highlight the Field’s egg collections and how they have been and are being used in research ranging from the effects of pesticides to response to climate change.  There is so much we can learn and so much we do not yet know about the avian egg.

PROGRAM: "Everything You Wanted to Know about eBird," Presented by Jacob Drucker

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

eBird is a flagship community science effort that has not only redefined the recreational birding world, but has become a powerful tool for biologists looking to understand the relationship between birds and their environment. This talk will explore the plethora of applications for eBird’s standard data unit: the checklist. From enhancing models of changing distributions and mapping migratory flyways to scaling up behavioral studies on cooperative breeding and informing landscape management, there is no shortage of ways for biologists to tap into this unique, 21st century resource. Come learn what happens to your observations after you click ’submit’! 

 

PROGRAM: "Radar and Birding." Presented by Geoff Williamson

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Radar imagery is increasingly referenced in the birding community to help determine ‘good’ birding days.  Learn how radar can detect birds, where to find radar forecasts, how to interpret the patterns displayed, and how radar can be used to assess the strength of bird migration movements.  Geoff is active in local, state, and national birding organizations.  He is a recipient of the American Birding Association’s Ludlow Griscom Award, given for outstanding contributions in regional ornithology.  He founded Third Coast Birding to foster an appreciation for and connection to the birds of the Great Lakes region and beyond.

 

 

Christmas Bird Count_Waukegan

Friday, January 1, 2021

The Waukegan Christmas Count will be held, as usual, on January 1, 2021. Adam Sell is the organizer. adamwardsell@gmail.com

Christmas Bird Count_ ENSBC

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The ENSBC Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 26, 2020.  John Leonard is the organizer, jleonard5440@yahoo.com. The count-down party will be virtual.  Visit this space for details.

Christmas Bird Count_Chicago Lakefront Count

Friday, December 25, 2020

The Chicago Lakefront Count will be held on Friday, December 25.  Joel Greenberg is the organizer. joelgreenberg@gmail.com

Christmas Bird Count_Urban

Sunday, December 20, 2020

The Urban Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 20.  Jeff Sanders is the organizer. yellowstart5@yahoo.com

PROGRAM: “Honduras: Birding and its Relationship to Coffee, Climate & Economic Development.” Presented by Gustavo Ustariz

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Gustavo Ustariz has a BBA and an MBA in Tourism Management and has worked in tourism development for over 15 years, mainly with communities and local governments in Honduras, where he is from. His work includes promoting community-based tourism with a local NGO on the north coast of Honduras and developing tourism and guide-training projects there, including birding tourism.  He will discuss the importance of Honduras to the extraordinary diversity of birds there, including many migrants familiar to bird club members. In recognition of the important contribution of tourism to Honduras, ENSBC and Josh Engel of Red Hill Birding will be offering a birding trip to Honduras, March 11-20, 2021.  Circumstances permitting.

 

FIELD TRIP: Jeff Sanders’ Fall Specialty Trip

Sunday, November 22, 2020

North Shore lakefront. 50th Annual Jeff Sanders’ Fall Specialty Trip.  Gillson Park, Maple Park, Tower Road Park, Park Ave., Rose Beach in Highland Park, and other areas as time permits. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Gillson Park Beach.  Masks and social distancing required.  If you want to see way out onto the lake, bring your own scope. 

Preregister with Leader Jeff Sanders, yellowstart5@yahoo.com., 847-675-7172.

Carpool only with other members of the same household. (Watch for possible rule changes for Covid-19 prevention)

Hawk Talk with Live Raptors! on Zoom

Sunday, November 22, 2020

2 pm - 3:30

Hawk Talk with Live Raptors!  (on Zoom)

Did you know we have more than 20 kinds of raptors, or birds of prey, either living in our area or migrating through? Have you ever seen one up close? Would you like to know more about them? 

If so, join naturalist Ryan DePauw from the River Trail Nature Center and meet some of his friends. Ryan will talk about birds of prey, how they hunt and raise families, and which ones are found on the North Shore and in the nearby forest preserves in Cook County. You'll get to see some live raptors up close (but on Zoom) and look at a variety of specimens as Ryan tells you about the unique adaptations these animals use to survive.

This event is sponsored by ENSBC with the Evanston Public Library.  This program is great for kids and adults.

Here is the link to register:  

https://evanston.libnet.info/event/4639904

You do not need to hold an Evanston Public Library card in order to register.  No need to fill in your library card number and pin.  Just fill out your name, email address and phone number. Your registration will be confirmed.  The day before the event, you will receive the Zoom link so you can join in.

 

“How Monty and Rose took Chicago by Storm - Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes.” Presented by Tamima Itani and Louise Clemency

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

In the spring of 2019, a pair of endangered Piping Plovers nested on Montrose Beach, the first such event in Chicago since 1955.  They and their chicks weaved themselves into the hearts of birders and non-birders alike, becoming stellar ambassadors for their species.  Over a period of ten weeks, they were monitored by volunteers from sunrise to sunset, affording a unique opportunity for observation and learning.  To widespread joy, Monty and Rose returned to Montrose to nest again in 2020.  Tamima Itani, Volunteer Coordinator and Board Member, Illinois Ornithological Society, and Louise Clemency, Field Supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chicago Field Office, will describe Piping Plover life history and how the Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort is bringing these birds back. They will share anecdotes from their Chicago experiences.  

PROGRAM: "The Real James Bond" Presented by Jim Wright

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Co-sponsored with Lake-Cook Audubon

When Ian Fleming was looking for a name for his fictional British secret agent, he looked at the cover of his birding bible, Birds of the West Indies, saw the author's name, and simply stole it. The real-life James Bond was an ornithologist and noted naturalist/adventurer from Philadelphia who was an expert on the birds of the Caribbean. Jim Wright, the New Jersey-based author of the just-published The Real James Bond, will discuss Bond’s iconic field guide, his identity theft by Ian Fleming, and Bond’s solo expeditions to the Caribbean. Wright will also discuss the birds that Bond discovered or helped popularize, and the connection between Bond and ornithologists who became spies during World War II -- including two from the Field Museum. Wright's other books include The Nature of the Meadowlands, Jungle of the Maya, and Hawk Mountain. He is the birding columnist for The (Bergen) Record and a marsh warden at a nature preserve in northern New Jersey.  The Real James Bond is available at https://www.realjamesbond.net/2020/06/how-to-get-a-copy-.html  

 

FIELD TRIP: Perkins Woods

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Look for fall warblers, thrushes and other migrants.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St.  Leaders: Josh Engel and John Bates.  Limit: 12 participants. Masks and social distancing required. Preregistration required.  Register with

              info@ensbc.org

PROGRAM: “Wildlife Wonders of Brazil's Pantanal.” Presented by Josh Engel,

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Brazil’s Pantanal is home to both an enormous diversity of birds and one of the densest concentrations of large mammals anywhere in the Americas. Although it is often considered to be the world’s largest wetland, it is in reality a vast mosaic of wetlands, grassland, and lush forest. On his 2019 tour of the Pantanal and Iguaçu Falls with members of the Bird Club, Red Hill Birding’s Josh Engel and trip participants tallied 340 bird species (including top five favorites Hyacinth Macaw, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Agami Heron, Helmeted Manakin, and a tie between Sunbittern and Guira Cuckoo) and 22 mammals (including multiple views of Jaguar). Josh will share highlights of that magical experience and talk about the birds and wildlife of the Pantanal and surrounding areas.

Zoom instructions and an invitation will be sent out to members of ENSBC.

FIELD TRIP: Perkins Woods

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Look for fall warblers, thrushes and other migrants.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St.  Leaders: Josh Engel and John Bates.  Limit: 12 participants. Masks and social distancing required. Preregistration required.  Register with

              info@ensbc.org

FIELD TRIP: Perkins Woods

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Look for fall warblers, thrushes and other migrants.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St.  Leaders: Josh Engel and John Bates.  Limit: 12 participants. Masks and social distancing required. Preregistration required.  Register with

              info@ensbc.org

FIELD TRIP: Northwestern University Campus

Saturday, September 5, 2020

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 of Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach, at 8:30 a.m. Leaders: Libby Hill  and Sarah Flax.

Limit: 12 participants. Masks and social distancing required. Preregistration required.  Register with

    info@ensbc.org

FIELD TRIP: Perkins Woods FULL!

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Look for fall warblers, thrushes and other migrants.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St.  Leader: John Bates.  Limit: 6 participants. Masks and social distancing required. FULL

 

 

 

FIELD TRIP: Jackson Park and Lakefront – Wooded Isle CANCELLED

Sunday, May 10, 2020

We will be looking for migrating passerines at this park. Meet at 7:00 a.m. Park south of the Museum of Science and Industry after driving on the east side of the building. Leader: Dick Young. 

 

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