eBird Hotspot: Skokie Lagoons Forest Preserve--Willow Rd., Cook County, IL, US
Located on Willow Road, immediately east of the I-94 Edens Expressway, Winnetka.
Skokie Lagoons, an 894-acre site, is owned and maintained by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. All parts of it are worth a look for birds, depending on time of year. The section between Willow and Tower Roads, just west of the lagoons is known as Erickson Woods and is the most popular with birders.
Spring is considered the best time here, but birding is also good in fall. In early spring, scan the water for waterfowl; a variety of gulls can be seen overhead. Look for shorebirds along the banks. In April, look for sapsuckers, thrushes, kinglets, sparrows and flycatchers; swallows skim over the water. The lagoons are a hotspot for warblers in May; it's not uncommon to see 20 species in a day.
Parking in the lot off Willow Road is free. From there, walk east across the lawn to the footbridge over a little stream. There is a paved bike-path on the east side of this stream and an unpaved bridle path on the west. Birders generally go north on one of these, cross over to the other side just before reaching Tower Road, then walk south to complete the loop and return to the parking lot. But before heading north, be sure to stop in the picnic area just east of the footbridge. Birding the edges of this little meadow and at the water's edge can be spectacular. There are also rough foot trails throughout the wooded areas along the lagoon where birding can be exceptional, if the trails are not too muddy.