Field Trips

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 15 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
We will be looking for common woodland wintertime residents. Meet at the parking lot on 31st Street. We will conclude the trip with a brief search for the resident Great Horned Owls around and after sunset. Dress warmly as we may be stationary at times. A red flashlight or headlamp is recommended.

Note that DST kicks in on the day the trip - check your clocks!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vUbvGeMD7Kyb2mHq6
Leader: Matt Crisler, crislermj@gmail.com

Pre-registration is required. Limit 10 participants. Registration for members only.
In this first-of-its-kind event, DBC members will get a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Urban Stream Research Center. This 60-minute tour will help participants better understand the work done at the USRC and the importance that freshwater mussels provide to DuPage County's ecosystem. The USRC was opened in 2012 and is the cornerstone of the Forest Preserve District's commitment to preserving aquatic habitats. To this date, nearly 38,000 sub-adult mussels have been propagated, reared, and released into area waterways to boost declining populations.

After the tour, participants will go for a short birding walk around Mount Hoy in Blackwell Forest Preserve. Targets will include resident species and early spring migrants. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and will have the opportunity to change into warmer clothes after the tour. We will meet at the Urban Stream Research Center in Blackwell Forest Preserve, next to the archery range.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Urban+Stream+Research+Center
Leader: Robert Perez, robertperez787@gmail.com, (630) 724-7534

Registration with the leader is required.
Join a morning workday to restore a degraded shrubland at Fermilab and make a difference for birds. We will help clear invasives and restore habitat for Bell’s Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Brown Thrashers, and other shrubland birds. All that is required for Fermilab entry is a REAL ID or passport for each person in the vehicle. Further meet-up instructions will be provided at registration. All supplies will be provided as well as snacks. Bring your favorite work gloves and water. Activities will include using hand saws or loppers to cut down invasive shrubs with a maximum diameter of 3 inches, hauling brush, and stacking brush. No experience is necessary and there will be Fermilab wildlife specialists on hand to answer questions and advise us.
Let’s turn out in force and show how DBC members put their love of birds to work!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qq45tvw31Geoztq59
Leader: Denis Kania, djkan36@gmail.com

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 10 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
Get an early, birdy start to your Sunday. 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 of surfaces, and there could be mud. Bathrooms available. Meet at Seager Park at 1163 Plank Road, Naperville.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seager+Park/
Leader: Steve Constantelos, steve.constantelos@gmail.com

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 12 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
The first day of spring! A morning walk to the DuPage River confluence, where the east and west branches meet. We'll look for migrants and residents emerging from the doldrums of winter in the water, fields, and woods. Trails are a mix of surfaces, and it could be muddy, so wear boots. Meet at the parking lot on 336 Knoch Knolls Rd., Naperville. Bathrooms available at trail head.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Knoch+Knolls+Park/
Leader: Steve Constantelos, steve.constantelos@gmail.com

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 12 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
Waterfowl, cranes, eagles, and pelicans will be sought on this all-day trip exploring spots along the Mississippi, both in Illinois and Iowa. In addition to the river, Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge will be visited to search for Western Meadowlark and Northern Mockingbird. We will meet in Woodridge in the Jewel-Osco parking lot and caravan together.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dFzsVPsMrSN6XXee8
Leader: Jeff Chapman, jeffchapman948@gmail.com, (847) 456-2784

Registration with the leader is required.
We will meet at the DuPage River Greenway Trailhead parking lot. It is just off Royce Road, as soon as you make the turn west off Rt 53. It is a nice asphalt path and we will follow that along the DuPage River to Whalon Lake and back. We will look for returning migrants- both passing through and the ones sticking around. Just text me if your are interested in joining.   https://www.google.com/maps/place/DuPage+River+Greenway+Trail
Leader: Mark Freeburg, freebs59@sbcglobal.net, text (630) 661-1521

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 15 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
We will be looking for early migrants & woodland residents. Meet at the parking lot on 31st Street. We will conclude the trip with a search for the resident Great Horned Owls and/or migrating Woodcocks around and after sunset. Dress warmly as we may be stationary at times. A red flashlight or headlamp is recommended. Lyman's trails are almost always muddy regardless of weather. If rain occurs ahead of the trip, expect areas with standing water. Be prepared with appropriate footwear.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vUbvGeMD7Kyb2mHq6
Leader: Matt Crisler, crislermj@gmail.com

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 8 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
Van Patten Woods is a Lake County Forest Preserve off I-94 just below the Wisconsin border and features Sterling Lake and the Des Plaines River. Grab your cameras and we'll stroll a couple miles on crushed gravel trails around the lake to see Common Loons, Horned Grebes and other migrating waterfowl. There will also be plenty of other returning migrants like Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds establishing their territories. If you just want to relax and enjoy the view there is also a wheelchair accessible floating dock with benches.

It's an easy, hour-long drive up the tollway. Let me know if you want to meet at the Sterling Lake parking lot or carpool.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ULnk9kqBmx5fvWR7
Leader: Elena Nelson, ladylena76@gmail.com

Registration with the leader is required. Limit 12 participants. Registration for nonmembers opens on March 1.
We will walk along the canal looking for waterfowl and returning songbirds. 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. Feel free to ask questions on how to get there after you RSVP.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/CCXDNzB5SbTQjdKY6
Leader: Karen and Michael Warner, mwarner2543@gmail.com, (630) 640-2450

Registration with the leader is required.
Magee is known around the world as one of the best places to experience the spring warbler migration, but is also notable for the variety of other habitats in close proximity that allow you to see far more than just warblers. This trip is part of our “Special Trips” program, and since space is limited, all potential registrants must have a current membership with the club.

This trip will be less scheduled than last year, with more options to choose your interest and activity level. Matt’s plan is to “Bird ‘til we drop,” which means birding from sunrise-ish to sunset, and maybe beyond if there’s reason to. There will be a club group going throughout each day, and participants will have the option to drop in and out as desired. While we’re able to run the trip with one leader, if someone else is willing to volunteer, that’ll expand our options and variety of activities (plus volunteers are guaranteed entry!).

Potential hotspots we’ll visit include the world-famous Magee Boardwalk, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Metzger Marsh, Howards Marsh, Oak Openings Preserve, East Harbor State Park, and other places nearby (exact itinerary dependent on the birds!). This trip also coincides with the first week of the “Biggest Week in American Birding” Festival, so members who would like to register to attend any part of those events can do so. Here’s the link: https://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/

Additional Logistical Information:
- There is no club fee for this trip. However, travel costs are at the participant's expense. We are currently checking into discounted group rates for lodging, feel free to ask if you want to know what to budget for.
- The first club event is expected to be the Magee Boardwalk around 7ish on the morning of 5/8. Plan to arrive in the Toledo area on the 7th. Note that the local area is in Eastern Time, so you lose an hour on the way out.
- The last club event is expected to be Oak Openings Preserve in the early afternoon on 5/10. From there, it is approximately a 4 hour drive back to the DuPage area.
- Last year’s ebird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/369379. While we cannot guarantee any particular sighting, this is generally representative of what we’ll be aiming to do this year.

In the interest of fairness to all members, registration for this trip will operate on a lottery system. Here’s the lottery information:
- You may register yourself and one additional person.
    - Entries submitted as pairs will be kept together in the drawing.
    - Exceptions to the pair rule can be made for families traveling with children.
- Each registration should include name, email address, phone number for each participant.
    - You may also include your ebird information if you wish to be included on trip checklists
- All entrants must be current members of DBC with dues paid for 2026.
- The lottery is open until March 8th. The drawing will be conducted on March 9th and all entrants will be informed of status then.
- Lottery entries should be sent to Matt Crisler. You will receive a confirmation of entry.

Any questions, feel free to contact Sherry Courtney, Special Trip Coordinator at the email below.

Leader: Matt Crisler crislermj@gmail.com
Special Trips Coordinator: Sherry Courtney sherrycourtney10@gmail.com