Field Trips

No restrictions on number of attendees. 

We will meet at the trailhead, which is located on Royce Rd., just off Rt.53. We will walk the 2.5 mile trail, that follows the East Branch of the DuPage River to Whalon Lake and back. We will look for winter residents and any migrants that happen to be passing through.
Leader: Mark Freeburg. Please call or text if you have any questions 630-661-1521

Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants.
Whalon Lake can have great diversity of waterfowl, so we will be looking for goldeneye, mergansers etc. Please meet in the parking lot off of Royce Road that is east of the dog park by the boat launch dock.
Leader: Henry Meade. Please register with henrymm21@icloud.com

Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 10 participants. 
This field trip will include winter birding in wooded areas as well as some open water sections. Join us to look for a good variety while walking about 2 miles on uneven trails. Prepare for possible snow and/or ice depending on current weather. Meet in the main parking lot on Spring Road.
Leader: Nancy Allured. Please register with  nallured@comcast.net

No limit to the number of participants, but please email us to let us know you are coming and for any updates.
Join us as we take a casual walk and look for winter birds and possibly some waterfowl on the lake. Danada is located at 3S507 Naperville Road, south of Butterfield Road and north of I-88 on the east side of Naperville Road. Meet in the parking lot by the horse corrals. This is an approximately a 1.5 – 2 mile walk mostly on limestone paths with some dirt paths.
Leaders: Karen and Mike Warner mwarner2543@gmail.com 630-640-2450

Cutoff for registration to assist in the count is Saturday, December 7.
Join us for The DuPage Birding Club sponsored Christmas Bird Count. This is your chance to contribute to an important community science opportunity. Data collected provides invaluable insights into winter bird populations. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with fellow birders. If you participated last year, you are already on the list and will be contacted in early December. If you are new to the Bird Count, please contact the compiler, Jeff Chapman, for details and to be assigned to a location and area captain. Remember you’ll be grouped with a team, so no need to be an expert.
Contact: Jeff Chapman, jeffchapman948@gmail.com

Annual DBC Christmas Bird Countdown dinner, in private room, at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, Naperville Deadline to register is December 7.  Space is limited to 40 members.  Cost per member $20. Following the DBC Christmas Bird Count we will be having our first in-person countdown dinner since before the pandemic. Come join us as we watch the totals from the day's bird count, and feast together on pizza, pasta, salad and drinks in a private room at Lou Malnati’s in Naperville. A cash bar will be available. Gluten free and vegetarian options are also available. If you have any questions, and to register, contact Sherry Courtney at sherrycourtney10@gmail.com 

Cutoff for registration to assist in the count is Saturday, December 7.
Join us for The DuPage Birding Club sponsored Christmas Bird Count. This is your chance to contribute to an important community science opportunity. Data collected provides invaluable insights into winter bird populations. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with fellow birders. If you participated last year, you are already on the list and will be contacted in early December. If you are new to the Bird Count, please contact the compiler, Jeff Chapman, for details and to be assigned to a location and area captain. Remember you’ll be grouped with a team, so no need to be an expert.
Contact: Jeff Chapman, jeffchapman948@gmail.com

Deadline to register is December 7. Space is limited to 40 members. Cost per member $20.
Following the DBC Christmas Bird Count we will be having our first in-person countdown dinner since before the pandemic. Come join us as we watch the totals from the day's bird count, and feast together on pizza, pasta, salad and drinks in a private room at Lou Malnati’s in Naperville. A cash bar will be available. Gluten free and vegetarian options are also available. If you have any questions, and to register, contact Sherry Courtney at sherrycourtney10@gmail.com

Cutoff for registration to assist in the count is Sunday, December 8.
Birders of all skill levels are welcome on the Lisle-Arboretum CBC. The Chicago Ornithological Society (www.chicagobirder.org) sponsors this count where sub-teams are assigned to various locations. Even if you cannot go out in the field, there is another way to contribute: DBC members who live in the count circle can participate as a feeder-watcher.
For details and signup:   https://www.chicagobirder.org/events/2024/12/15/lisle-christmas-bird-count

Registration not necessary. 
Join us for a morning walk around one of DuPage County’s premier birding hotspots. This trip will be about 3 miles long on limestone and earthen trials. This site often has a good selection of wintering species including the Northern Shrike, American Black Duck, and other waterfowl, various raptors, and other birds. Meet at the visitor parking lot located on the north side of Mack Road, east of Route 59, and west of Winfield Road.
Leader: Kyle Wiktor. 708-506-5186 (text or call if you have questions regarding weather cancellation)

Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants.
Join Joe Suchecki at Springbrook Prairie in Naperville to look for Short-eared Owls. Short-eared Owls frequently winter at Springbrook Prairie and can be seen as they come out to hunt over the preserve at dusk. Meet at the Model Aircraft Field Parking Lot on Plainfield-Naperville Rd., south of 75th St. in Naperville. We will walk a short distance off-trail to wait for the owls to appear. Dress very warmly since we will be standing in one place as the sun goes down. Note that the owls are generally pretty far away and often appear just as the light is failing, so this trip does not offer a photo-op. The trip will last about 30-40 min. Contact Joe if you plan on attending. The owls do not always winter at Springbrook and the trips will be canceled if they are not around or in the event of inclement weather. 
Leader: Joe Suchecki. Register via email:  dbcsec2020@gmail.com . Phone: 630-369-5570.

There is no limit to the number of participants, but please email us to let us know you are coming and for any updates.
The bird club has a tradition of New Year’s Day birding, so come one, come all to the Morton Arboretum to start the new year right! We will gather at parking lot P13, Big Rock on the east side, https://mortonarb.org/visit-the-arboretum/maps-guides/ . We will walk about 2 miles on mulched paths. Non-members (aka, guests) can’t enter the Arb until 9:00 am, so we will start gathering at 9:00 am and begin birding at about 9:15. Nonmembers will need to pay an entrance fee. If you want to follow us in and pay the guest fee of $5.00, please let us know when you email. Here is a link for reserving an entry pass: https://buy.acmeticketing.com/events/480/list
Leader: Karen and Mike Warner, mwarner2543@gmail.com

Joe Kubal and Sherry Courtney are organizing a Spring migration field trip to “The Biggest Week in American Birding.” https://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/

Magee Marsh is a 4 ½ hour drive from Naperville, and is one of the best locations in the country to see a wide variety of warblers. In the surrounding areas, we are also likely to see terns, eagles, swallows, waterfowl and shorebirds, and perhaps Lapland Longspurs, Black-necked Stilts, pipits, Orchard Oriole, titmouse, Carolina Wrens, and many more.

This trip will include 4 nights, each morning beginning on the Boardwalk at Magee Marsh, where we will be able to see a variety of birds up close, followed by day trips to nearby birding areas which will include: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Metzger Marsh, Howards Marsh, East Harbor State Park, along with some off the beaten path places and stops.

We are hoping to accommodate 2 groups of 10 members, dependent on whether we have enough leaders. We will let members know when registration opens up, as soon as the itinerary is formalized. Stay tuned! * Special thanks to Denis Kania for helping us plan this trip.