Category Archives: Wildlife

I left the house at 6:30 and headed west to Winnebago County. By the time I got out of the car at Sugar River Forest Preserve, I had 17 birds on my list: American Robin; Red-winged Blackbird; Common Grackle; Canada … Continue reading →

I stayed local today, starting at Baker’s Lake in Barrington at 7:15. Baker’s Lake isn’t a great place to bird, but it has the advantage of being open at dawn while Cook County forest preserves don’t open until 8:00 am. … Continue reading →

I started the day at Wadsworth Wetlands in northern Lake County, a narrow strip of forest preserve along the Des Plaines River. It is often a good place for shorebirds and a variety of other stuff. Today it was just … Continue reading →

rana catesbeiana Monday, May 5, 2008 — 8:35 am Cary, Illinois — Fel-Pro Conservation Area I’ve seen Bullfrogs many times before but, for some reason, never got around to positively identifying one. I was walking around the west pond at … Continue reading →

Thing #25: Photograph a Monk Parakeet nesting colony. We drove southwest from Norwood Park to Elmhurst. We missed a couple more turns on the way, and traffic was lousy, but we arrived eventually. The huge stick nests were still there. … Continue reading →