Barb Dougan

  Best of Show Award, photo by Tim Duitsman The winners of DBC’s Fall 2024 photo contest have been finalized, adding to a growing library of stunning bird images taken by DBC members, and the Winter Contest is now open.  To view recent winning images or submit your own for the Winter ’24-‘25 Contest, go to Members Photo Gallery. 

Join fellow DBC members on Tuesday evening, March 11, to share insights from The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year. Written by Margaret Renkl, the book’s 52 chapters follow the creatures and plants in the author’s backyard over the course of a year. Reviewer’s call it “a luminous book” that celebrates the natural world. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated with original color artwork. For details on the meeting, contact Mike Warner at mwarner2543@gmail.com.

It’s a milestone year for the DuPage Birding Club! On January 14, the Club will have been in existence for 40 years! That’s pretty impressive longevity for an all-volunteer organization whose members belong simply (and renew their membership each year) because they love watching, hearing, and learning about birds! Kudos to the 21 founding members who saw a need and had a vision, and kudos to the 40 leadership teams who have created programs, field trips and other activities that have kept us interested.

It’s time to renew your dues for next year! Your annual membership dues for 2025 are due by December 31, 2025. Dues remain $20 for individuals, $30 for families and $10 for students. Please note that any new member joining on or after September 1 is automatically registered for the following year. Your dues fund our annual operations and support a broad range of activities, including field trips, interesting speakers, research grants, and proactive community outreach. Help us stay strong! Your 2025 dues may now be paid in any of the following ways: 1. On-line through our website using PayPal

Join us again for the annual Fermi Christmas Bird Count on December 16th. This is your chance to contribute to an important community science opportunity. Data collected provides invaluable insights into winter bird populations plus it’s a great opportunity to connect with fellow birders. If you participated last year, you’re already on the list and will be contacted in early December regarding your counting areas. If it’s been a few years, or you are new to the count and would like to participate, please contact the compiler, Jeff Chapman at jeffchapman948@gmail.com. Remember you’ll be grouped with a team so no

Attention, readers! The DBC Book Club will next be reading Life of the Skies by noted author Jonathan Rosen. Described as part birding history, part travelogue, and part exploration of man’s relationship to nature, this much-acclaimed book is sure to delight, stimulate your thinking, and give you much to ponder. Join fellow DBC members on Tuesday evening, December 3, to share some holiday cheer and talk about the book. For details on the meeting, contact Mike Warner at mwarner2543@gmail.com.

If you are one of the more than two dozen volunteers who have given of their time and talents to the DBC in the last year, please plan to celebrate your contribution at the DBC Volunteer Luncheon on November 16 at St. James Farm. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a short birding walk followed by a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. The event is for everyone who has volunteered in any capacity on behalf of the club in the last year. This includes Board Members, Committee members, field trip leaders, outreach volunteers, hospitality teams, newsletter and website contributors,

The proposed pedestrian bridge over Rt. 83 in Cricket Creek Forest Preserve is now in Phase 2 design with construction beginning the winter of 2025 and completion anticipated for 2026. This bridge will improve nonmotorized access across Rt. 83. It will be a 10-foot-wide path with 3-foot grass connecting residents to Berens Park and the Salt Creek Greenway. Funding sources included the City of Elmhurst with grant funding from state and federal sources.

DBC’s very own Jeff Reiter, columnist for the Daily Herald (and DBC past president), covers Chicagoland birding from many angles in his monthly column Words on Birds. This month’s column is especially helpful for any of you working on getting your birding chops up. From studying the birds in your backyard and connecting with DBC and other local birding organizations to tapping into the many digital and print resources, this column is packed with practical advice to improve your birding skills and appreciation for our avian friends. Read the full story here.  

It’s time to renew your dues for next year! Your annual membership dues for 2025 are due by December 31, 2025. Dues remain $20 for individuals, $30 for families and $10 for students. Please note that any new member joining on or after September 1 is automatically registered for the following year. Your dues fund our annual operations and support a broad range of activities, including field trips, interesting speakers, research grants, and proactive community outreach. Help us stay strong! Your 2025 dues may now be paid in any of the following ways: 1. On-line through our website using PayPal