Sunday, June 25. Plum Creek Forest Preserve,  11th Annual trip!. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the forest preserve parking lot on the east side of Burnham Rd., about 1 mile south of Sauk Trail. We'll spend the morning at Josh's favorite local summer birding spot, looking especially for grassland and woodland birds that are otherwise uncommon so close to Chicago. This includes birds like Henslow's and Grasshopper Sparrows and Dickcissel in the prairie and Acadian Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, and Tufted Titmouse in the forest. We’ve also found some interesting snakes, butterflies, and other creatures on this walk. Return before lunch. Leader: Josh Engel. Limit of 10, Register with libbyhill@comcast.net

Emily Oaks has wonderful established trails and a pond. We will be looking for warblers and other late spring migrants.

Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Emily Oaks Nature Center parking lot, 4650 Brummel Street, Skokie.  We will bird outside the nature center until it opens at 8 a.m.  Leader:  John Bates.

Harbert Payne Park, Evanston (pin HERE)

Look for late spring warblers and other migrants in one of Evanston's newest ecologically managed sites along the North Shore Channel. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the parking lot at the intersection of Bradley Place and McDaniel Avenue, enter from Main Street.  Leader: Judy Pollock.

Sunday – May 21, 6:00 a.m.- all day

The Kankakee Sands trip is back!.  Near Morocco, Indiana, this 8,000-acre prairie and wetland restoration was originally part of the 500,000-acre Grand Marsh of the Kankakee River.  The site is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, which describes it as a “birders paradise” with over 200 species recorded since restoration began in 2001. The destination is a two-hour drive from Evanston and carpooling is recommended and may be arranged through the trip leader. 

Plan on an all-day trip. Meet at the Old Orchard Parking lot at 6:a.m. for carpooling and return no later than dinner hour, depending upon the birding. We will enjoy a bountiful continental breakfast, courtesy of leader Mark Vaughan, at the picnic shelter at the 10,000 acre Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area adjacent to Kankakee Sands. (The last trip in 2019 was a 2-hour breakfast because of the abundance of Red-headed woodpeckers, flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, bluebirds and warblers.)  Lunch will be in a nearby local restaurant in Morocco. Leader: Mark Vaughan.

Register with libbyhill@comcast.net.

The NU campus has long been a stopover for migrants of all kinds headed north. Park on the lakeside of the upper deck of the south parking lot off Sheridan Road and Clark Street, north of Clark Street beach, at 8:00 a.m.  Leaders: Libby Hill and Sarah Flax.

Look for warblers and other migrants (and a great display of spring wildflowers). 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Ewing Avenue and Grant Street.  Park along Ewing Avenue.  Leader: John Bates.

Join us for morning migration at Montrose. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at handicapped parking. Leader: Libby Hill 

Canal Shores Golf Course is a great place to see spring migrants. For Canal Shores North Birding Loop, meet on Maple Avenue in Wilmette just west of the Canal and walk the golf course’s birding loop. Free street parking. Participation limited to 15 people. Register with Matt Rooney at matthewarooney@gmail.com.

World Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated on May 13. 

8 - 10: 30 a.m. ENSBC Bird Walk at Northwestern University Campus. Park and meet in the Visitor Center Parking lot on South Campus.  Leaders: Sarah Flax and Libby Hill. Free.

9 -11 a.m.  - Program at the Ecology Center.   5 years and up.  Fee: $7.00 for members, $9.00 for non-members

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Program at the Ecology Center. Mayor Biss presents Evanston's World Migratory Bird Day Proclamation; John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum presents a talk on "Birds and Water."  All ages. Free.