Field Trips

Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 20 participants.
On this trip to the Wood Dale Reservoir complex, we will be searching for shorebirds along with birds that breed at this site, including Savannah Sparrows and Dickcissel. The leader will go into depth about the basics of shorebird identification in the field, in hopes that participants will feel confident identifying shorebirds. Meet in the parking lot at the end of School Street at 8am. 
Leader: Henry Meade, henrymm21@icloud.com

Registration is not required, but please email the trip leader if you plan to attend so you can receive any trip updates.
A more casual evening trip, perfect for anyone hoping to beat the summer heat and who cannot get out in the mornings. This trip is planned with the after-work crowd in mind, but anyone interested is welcome! This trip may be cancelled due to weather and will not be rescheduled. Danada East is located at 3S501 Naperville Road, on the east side of the road, south of Butterfield Road and north of I-88. Those using GPS can set navigation to the Danada House. Plan to meet at the north end of the parking lot near the entry kiosk and area with benches and bike racks. 
Leader: William Pixler,  pillwixler@gmail.com

Pre-registration required, limit 12 participants.
We’ll be looking for summer residents (including youngsters!) as we explore the fields and wetlands of this compact preserve along Salt Creek. New birders are welcome as we will take a fairly leisurely pace to see (and listen to) the birds and to answer questions. Meet in the parking lot at 115 Canterberry Lane, Oak Brook.
Leader: Steve Constantelos, 630-890-8956,  steve.constantelos@gmail.com

No registration required. If you would like an email if the trip should be canceled email me and let me know you are planning to come.
This is a field trip for anyone who finds the long walks of our regular field trips too difficult or who would just like a less vigorous birding experience, but still share the camaraderie of fellow birders. Bring your folding lawn chairs, binoculars, and field guides. McDowell Grove has mature woodlands and the West Branch of the DuPage river runs through the park. We will be looking for any birds that come our way! McDowell Grove is on the east side of Raymond Drive, south of Interstate 88. The main entrance is south of Diehl Road, approximately 1 mile north of Ogden Avenue (Route 34). Meet in the parking lot near the Information Kiosk. Dress for the weather and bring bug spray (sitting, we are easy targets for mosquitoes!) and drinking water.
Leader: Natalie McFaul, natcatcher7@gmail.com

Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants.
We will meet at Big Rock parking lot and explore this area. We are looking for summer resident birds including summer tanagers and possibly some grassland birds. If you don’t have an arboretum membership, let us know and if you can follow someone in. It will cost $5.00.
Leader: Mark Freeburg, freebs59@sbcglobal.net or call or text 630-661-1521

No pre-registration required.
We’ll be looking for summer residents (including youngsters!) as we explore the fields and woods along the Thunderbird Trail. New birders are welcome as we will take a fairly leisurely pace to see (and listen to) the birds and to answer questions. If conditions are good, we’ll do a little bonus walk at the end. Meet at the Thunderbird Youth Camp Parking Lot at the south end of Thunderbird Road. The entrance is located on 79th Street, about 0.5 miles west of Greene Road.
Leader: Steve Constantelos, 630-890-8956,  steve.constantelos@gmail.com

Pre-registration is required (please email), limit 10 participants.
Please note that Fermilab is a government research facility and has strict access requirements: All participants aged 18 and over must have a REAL-ID compliant state ID or passport to enter the site. When on site, must remain in public areas at all times, have a visitor’s tag visible, and leave the same way they came in. When arriving at Fermilab, present your ID and let the security guard know you are
here for bird watching, they will provide a visitors tag for you to wear. Full details on public access to Fermilab can be found  HERE .
We will cover a variety of habitats while looking for summer residents but will focus on birds that favor shrubland and grassland. We will cover about 2 miles - mostly on wide, but occasionally uneven mown grass trails – as we walk a loop around the AE Sea Nature Area. Depending on time and interest, we may drive elsewhere within Fermilab. We will meet at the ‘Red Barn Area’ located at the end of Sauk Circle  Google Map Link . If needed, Fermilab security can provide a site map and directions to this area when you arrive.
Leader: William Pixler,  pillwixler@gmail.com

Led by Dan Williams. Organized by Lenny Edgin and Sherry Courtney.
Nygren is a beautiful wildlife refuge located in Rockton, Illinois, owned by the Natural Land Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust which was created in 1958 by George Fell, one of the founders and first executive director of The Nature Conservancy. It covers over 700 acres of pristine wetlands, woodlands, and prairies, making it a diverse and important ecosystem in the area. It is a waystation for Sandhill Cranes as they migrate south for the winter.

On this field trip, between the evening and daytime walks, we hope to see a variety of waterfowl and raptors, including Northern Harrier and Rough-legged Hawks and early migrants like Lapland Longspurs and late sparrows. We will also look for Northern Shrike, and Barred and Short-eared Owls. We may also be visiting Ferguson Forest Preserve and Sugar River Forest Preserve during this trip.

This trip will be led by Dan Williams, who has lived in Winnebago County for over 50 years and has been birding for more than 45 years. He is currently a member of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee. He has been the President and past board member of the Natural Land Institute, the owner of the Nygren Wetland Preserve, and a former member and past chair of the Land Advisory Council, a citizens advisory committee of the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District. The purpose of the LAC was to advise the Forest Preserve Commission regarding land acquisition opportunities.