Southeast DuPage and Southwest Cook Waterfowl Search
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. We’ll look for waterfowl, gulls, and others at the Centennial Trail Borrow Pit and ponds, Lemont Quarries, and Saganashkee Slough. Depending on conditions and sightings, other stops may include Sag Quarries, Long John Slough, and Maple Lake.Meet at the Lemont Rd. parking lot of Waterfall Glen (at the portable toilet). We will then caravan to the Borrow Pit. The trip will be canceled if waterfowl are scarce or the weather is poor. Directions to Waterfall Glen: drive south on Lemont Rd., past I-55 to 101st St., and turn left at the […]
Elsen’s Hill/ West DuPage Woods, Winfield
Pre-registration with the leader is required by email or text, limit 15 participants. After meeting in the parking lot, we will explore the varied habitats. We will be looking for fall/winter birds; cardinals, blue jays, juncos & whatever decides to hang around for our colder weather. Take Winfield Rd. to Garys Mill Rd. west to the preserve parking lot entrance on the north side of the road (245 Garys Mill Road). If it rains or snows prior to trip please wear appropriate footwear for it could be muddy & layer-up for the cold temperatures.Leader: Lisa Gaylord, lisarae59@yahoo.com, 630-740-0911
McKee Marsh, Warrenville
This site remains one of DuPage County’s premier birding spots. Walk around the marsh with us to check out winter birds, as well as possible late migrants. Northern Shrike and American Black Duck are among the several species of birds known to regularly winter here. Meet at the visitor parking lot on the north side of Mack Rd. (Mack is south of Roosevelt and north of Butterfield), located between Winfield Rd. and Rt. 59 in Warrenville. Be sure to dress for the weather.Leader: Kyle Wiktor, 708-506-5186
Fullersburg Woods, Oak Brook
Pre-registration with the leader is required. This field trip will include some good 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, nallured@comcast.net
St. James Farm, Warrenville
Pre-registration is not required for this walk. Come out for a Birding/Nature Walk at a local forest preserve. St. James Forest Preserve is a 595-acre preserve that contains more than 100 acres of woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. We will be looking for winter birds and enjoying the pristine winter landscape. Paths are gravel. Dress for the cold. The main entrance is on Winfield Rd. just north of Butterfield Road. Meet at the Horse Statue in the parking lot.Leader: Pat Sterbling, 630-235-5001
Centennial Trail, Lemont
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. On this field trip we will meet in the gravel parking lot at the end of Canal Bank Road. Coming off of Lemont Road this turnoff is called Old Lemont Road, and is unmarked, so turn at this pin: 41,683840, -88.003541. Google Map link. Feel free to ask questions on how to get there after you RSVP. On this field trip our main targets will be waterfowl. Common Goldeneye and American Coots, along with Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Canvasback, and Northern Pintail are all possible. Centennial Trail in the past has been […]
Springbrook Prairie, Naperville
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 […]
Christmas Bird Count, Fermilab Circle
The DuPage Birding Club sponsors this Christmas Bird Count. Thousands of birds and over 100 species have been logged in previous Bird Counts. This opportunity to join almost 100 other birders is open to all skill levels. If you did not count last year, please contact the compiler, Jeff Chapman, for details or to volunteer and to be assigned to a location and area captain. DEADLINE FOR PARTICIPATION: December 9.Contact: Jeff Chapman, jeffchapman948@gmail.com
Christmas Bird Count, Lisle-Arboretum Circle
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 feederwatcher. For details and signup: Contact: Carl Giometti, chicagiometti@gmail.com
Springbrook Prairie, Naperville
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 […]
Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Naperville
Pre-registration suggested so you can be contacted if the trip is canceled due to bad weather. Enjoy the winter quiet as we explore the fields and woods along the Thunderbird Trail. The walk will be on grass, gravel, and mulch paths. We’ll look and listen for woodpeckers and whoever else has decided to spend the holidays in our area. As always, new birders are welcome as we’ll take our time to spot the birds and to answer questions. The entrance is located on the south side of 79th Street, about 0.5 miles west of Greene Road. Meet in the parking […]
Southeast DuPage and Southwest Cook Waterfowl Search
We’ll look for waterfowl, gulls and others at the Centennial Trail Borrow Pit and ponds, Lemont Quarries, and Saganashkee Slough. Depending on conditions and sightings, other stops may include Sag Quarries, Long John Slough, and Maple Lake. Meet at the Lemont Rd. parking lot of Waterfall Glen (at the portable toilet). We will then caravan to the Borrow Pit. The trip will be canceled if waterfowl are scarce or the weather is poor. Directions to Waterfall Glen: drive south on Lemont Rd. past I55 to 101st St. and turn left at the stoplight into the parking lot. For questions ahead […]
Whalon Lake, Naperville
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. The goal of this trip will be to help participants get last minute additions to their year lists. 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.Leader: Henry Meade. Please register with kathleenreeves22@yahoo.com
New Year’s Day Birding at the Morton Arboretum, Lisle
A reservation with the Morton Arboretum is required (see below).There is no limit to the number of participants.You do not need to register with the DBC Organizers listed below, but they are available to answer questions. Come one, come all to Morton Arboretum to start the new year right! Gather at the north end of the Visitor’s Center parking lot, P1. We will split into several groups to look for birds across the Arboretum. There will be several Organizers that will give a hand with the various groups. We can rendezvous back at the parking lot to compare our sightings.● […]
Centennial Trail, Lemont
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. On this field trip we’ll be exploring Centennial Trail in hopes of finding waterfowl and any other wintering birds that might be around. Please meet at the end of Canal Bank Road at 8 am. The coordinates for the parking area are (41.6874173, -87.9825162).Feel free to ask questions about parking after you RSVP. Leader: Henry Meade. Please register with kathleenreeves22@yahoo.com
McKee Marsh, Warrenville
Pre-registration is not required for this walk. This site remains one of DuPage County’s premier birding spots. Walk around the marsh with us to check out winter birds. Northern Shrike and American Black Duck are among the several species of birds known to regularly winter here. Meet at the visitor parking lot on the north side of Mack Rd. (Mack is south of Roosevelt and north of Butterfield), located between Winfield Rd. and Rt. 59 in Warrenville. Be sure to dress for theweather.Leader: Kyle Wiktor, 708-506-5186
Danada East/Rice Lake, Wheaton
Pre-registration is requested for this walk so that participants can be contacted in event of cancellation due to weather or unsafe walking conditions. Come out for a Birding/Nature Walk at a local forest preserve. We will be looking for winter birds and enjoying the pristine winter landscape. Paths are gravel. Dress for the cold. Danada East on the east side of Naperville Rd, 3S507 Naperville Rd. Meet in the parking lot by the horse corrals.Leader: Pat Sterbling, pesterbling@gmail.com
Centennial Trail, Lemont
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. On this field trip we’ll be exploring Centennial Trail in hopes of finding waterfowl and any other wintering birds that might be around. Please meet at the end of Canal Bank Road at 8 am. The coordinates for the parking area area (41.6874173, -87.9825162). Feel free to ask questions about parking after you RSVP. Leader: Mark Freeburg, freebs59@sbcglobal.net or call or text 630-661-1521
Des Plaines River Tour
Pre-registration suggested so you can be contacted if the trip is canceled due to bad weather. Meet at the Bolingbrook Park & Ride lot, 120 E. Old Chicago Drive, Bolingbrook, IL 60440 (Behind Ramada Inn). We can carpool from there. We will travel downstream along the Des Plaines River looking for waterfowl. The trip will end in the Channahon area. We can stop for lunch along the way. A scope would be helpful, but not necessary. Hope to be back late afternoon. Trip may be canceled if roads become hazardous.Leader: Jeff Smith, 331-481-3362, mrqmagoo13@gmail.com
Fullersburg Woods, Oak Brook
Pre-registration suggested so you can be contacted if the trip is canceled due to bad weather. Beginning birders welcome. We’ll explore the woodlands along Salt Creek on pretty easy, level trails, as well as the feeders around the visitor’s center and other buildings. Meet in the main parking lot at 3609 Spring Road. If conditions are good, we might do a quick side-trip at the end to nearby Dean Nature Sanctuary or Graue Mill. More info here.Leader: Steve Constantelos, steve.constantelos@gmail.com, 630-890-8956
McKee Marsh, Warrenville
Registration not required. This site remains one of DuPage County’s premier birding spots. Walk around the marsh with us to check out winter birds. Most of our walk will be on preserve limestone and earthen trails; wear appropriate shoes and clothing. Meet at the visitor parking lot on the north side of Mack Rd., located between Winfield Rd. and Rt. 59 in Warrenville.Leader: Kyle Wiktor, cell: 708-506-5186
Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Woodridge/Naperville
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants. This morning trip will be oriented toward winter birds, sparrows, finches, raptors. We will be at a leisurely pace to provide as much time as desired to look at each bird and to answer questions for any new birders. Please dress for the weather. Meet at the Thunderbird Youth Camp Parking Lot. Go west on 79th about 1/2 mile, the entrance is on the south side of 79th Street, west of Greene Road in Naperville/Woodridge.Leader: Bonnie Graham, 630-204-8750, Coye72112@gmail.com
Knoch Knolls Park, Naperville
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 12 participants. A winter afternoon walk to the DuPage River confluence, where the east and west branches meet. We’ll look for birds in the woods, fields, and on the water. New birders welcome. Trails are basically level and are grass/dirt, with some paved. Meet at the parking lot on 336 Knoch Knolls Rd., Naperville. Google Maps link.Leader: Steve Constantelos, 630-890-8956, steve.constantelos@gmail.com
The Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard bird count is an opportunity to contribute from the comfort of your own home. Check out their website at: www.birdcount.org
Centennial Trail, Lemont
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 12 participants. On this field trip we will meet in the gravel parking lot at the end of Canal Bank Road. Coming off of Lemont Road this turnoff is called Old Lemont Road, and is unmarked, so turn at this pin: 41,683840, -88.003541. Google Map link. Feel free to ask questions on how to get there after you RSVP. On this field trip our main targets will be waterfowl. Common Goldeneye and Redhead, along with many others are all possible. We will also be on the lookout for songbirds on the wooded side […]
Elsen’s Hill/West DuPage Woods, Winfield
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 20 participants.New birders welcome! This trip will focus on resident birds and early migrants, as well as waterfowl. Bring appropriate footwear, as trails could be muddy or flooded. Take Winfield Road to Gary’s Mill Road west to the preserve parking lot entrance on the north side of the road.Leader: Robert Perez, 630-724-7534, robertperez787@gmail.com
Centennial Trail, Lemont
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 12 participants.On this field trip our main targets will be early returning spring migrants. Northern Shovelers and Redheads, along with a large array of waterfowl are all possible. We will also be on the lookout for songbirds such as Rusty Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, and many more, on the wooded side of the trail. We will meet in the gravel parking lot at the end of Canal Bank Road. Coming off of Lemont Road this turnoff is called Old Lemont Road, and is unmarked, so turn at this pin: 41,683840, -88.003541. Google Map link. […]
The DuPage Greenway Trail, Bolingbrook
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 15 participants.We’ll explore riverside habitat looking for resident birds and early spring migrants. New birders welcome. The DuPage Greenway Trail is a paved trail in Bolingbrook that runs alongside the East Branch of the DuPage River. The trailhead is on Royce Rd just west of Rt. 53. It is about a mile and a half walk to Whalon Lake.Leader: Mark Freeburg, freebs59@sbcglobal.net or call or text 630-661-1521
Seager Park, Naperville
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 12 participants.New birders welcome! We’ll be looking for some of our “basic” resident birds (and hopefully a few spring surprises) in this 30-acre patch of woods, ephemeral wetland, and grass, with lots of edge habitat. Trails are a mix and we have an option to descend into the beautiful ravine down a somewhat steep slope. Meet at Seager Park at 1163 Plank Road, Naperville 60563. Leader: Steve Constantelos, 630-890-8956, steve.constantelos@gmail.com
Seager Park, Naperville
Pre-registration with the leader is required, limit 12 participants.New birders welcome! We’ll be looking for some of our “basic” resident birds (and hopefully a few spring surprises) in this 30-acre patch of woods, ephemeral wetland, and grass, with lots of edge habitat. Trails are a mix and we have an option to descend into the beautiful ravine down a somewhat steep slope. Meet at Seager Park at 1163 Plank Road, Naperville 60563. .Leader: Steve Constantelos, 630-890-8956, steve.constantelos@gmail.com