Barb Dougan

Best of Show, photo by Henry Meade The DBC’s Winter ‘24 photo contest was a great success! We had many excellent photos submitted.  The entries were judged by Andie Duffy, Steve Constantelos, Natalie McFaul, and Mike Warner (we’re looking for another judge so contact Mike at mwarner2543@gmail.com if interested). Because of the variety and quality of the submissions, the committee had a very tough time deciding on which pictures to recognize; the committee would like to thank all the photographers for their entries. Go to Winter ’24 Photo Contest Winners to see all the winning images and the stories behind […]

The DBC is looking for pictures of birds taken between March 1, 2024, and May 31, 2024, for the Spring 2024 Photo Contest. All photos are welcome: amateur, funny, imperfect, high-quality. The “story behind the shot” is also taken into account when judging. The judges want this to be a fun contest; no categories have been predefined for award-winners so every entry has a chance to win! NOTE: The judges usually do not give out more than one award to the same author if they submit multiple images. If you would like to look at past DBC Photo Contest winners

Butterfly, Dragonfly and Fungus Monitoring Opportunities. Though DBC is “all about the birds,” DBC member Kathy Lech of DuPage Forest Preserve is looking for volunteers to monitor for Dragonfly and Butterfly Monitoring plus Fungus Monitoring. Required training classes will prepare you for the field work. Contact Kathy at klech@dupageforest.org. Health Status of Local Aquatic Species Now Available. The Urban Stream Research Center (USRC), the only one of its kind in Illinois, gave a well-received presentation at a recent DuPage Forest Preserve Board meeting on the status of aquatic wildlife in the county. Six different species of mussels totaling nearly 29,000

The DBC Book Club’s next read is Kenn Kaufman’s fascinating account of the science and magic of spring migration and its many perils as it is experienced at one key location familiar to many of us—the shores of Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio at the famed Magee Marsh and environs. This site attracts birders from all over the globe to witness close encounters with a stunning variety of colorful spring migrants. It also has become the site of one of the biggest birding festivals in the world. This is a timely read as spring migration approaches. The next book club

On February 20, Natalie McFaul and Andie Duffy presented a children’s program at the Lemont Library called Birds Can Fly, Why Can’t I? The focus was “5 Reasons Why Birds Can Fly.” After an interactive lesson with Andie accompanied by great slides from Natalie, the 10 participants, first- through third-graders and one four-year-old, made a paper bird that could flap its wings. Afterwards there were other activities: observing feathers with magnifiers, matching their “wingspan” to various birds’ spans, playing bird sounds on an Identiflier device, and finding familiar birds among picture cards. Natalie and Andie report that the group size

Forest Preserves Considered a Good Value by Residents Responses on a county-wide survey for the Forest Preserve District were collected from nearly 1,000 household residents in DuPage. Among these, 82% were favorable of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County with only 4% containing negative viewpoints. The remaining percent were neutral. The ratings for DuPage FP District came out much higher than the average state rating and were comparable to the nearby Lake County scores on a similar survey. Given that only 2% of a household’s property taxes contribute to the district, general opinion was that the preserves are a

On Valentine’s Day 2024, the board of the Chicago Park District approved a new name for the 3.1-acre expansion of the natural areas at Montrose Point, commonly known to date as “the old volleyball area,” adjacent to the Cliff Swallow nesting colony. In 2021, thanks to efforts led by Leslie Borns, this area was removed from recreational use and added to the natural areas. Moving forward, it will be officially known as The Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat and signs will go up this year with the new name. This is a fitting tribute to Piping Plovers Monty and Rose

The annual Gull Frolic at North Point Marina was a sold-out success in its 22nd year. Sponsored by Illinois Ornithological Society (IOS), the event featured lots of camaraderie with birding friends old and new, delicious food, and birds! Highlights included Iceland Gull, Ring-billed and Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Horned Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Merganser.   DBC sponsored this event and hosted a table staffed by President Robert Perez and Board member Pamela Martyn-Nemeth. DBC members were well represented at this event, with a dozen or more people, including Urs Geiser, Jane Barnett, and Bob Fisher

Spring is almost here and it’s time to plan your participation in the 2024 Spring Bird Count in DuPage County on Saturday, May 4. The Spring Bird Count is held annually throughout Illinois around the first weekend in May and is intended to provide some information and data on early spring bird migration throughout Illinois. The Spring Bird Count also is a great opportunity for birders of all skill levels to get out in the field and look for all those great and colorful spring migrants moving through northeastern Illinois. The DuPage Birding Club coordinates the spring count efforts in

The annual Gull Frolic will be held February 17 at North Point Marina at the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club. This popular event is a great way to hone your gull identification skills with experts on hand to teach you the subtle differences among these hard-to-identify birds. Once again, DBC is a sponsor of this event. Managed by the Illinois Ornithological Society (IOS), the event often features specialties such as Iceland, Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, plus an assortment of other waterfowl. Tickets are $35 but sell out quickly. For more information and registration information, click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/22nd-ios-gull-frolic-2024-tickets-692685459857