Off Highway 70 in Winnebago County, Illinois there is place to pull off and view a rather large natural area. Since it was on the way to Four Lakes Forest Preserve, we decided to stop there and have a look. Can you spot the Bald Eagle? An exciting find. We also saw plenty of Canada
Month: June 2007
Four Lakes Forest Preserve
A perk to attending full-time summer school is that I (Veery) get Fridays off and I have been using this day to take my son and oldest neice birding. Today we went to Four Lakes Forest Preserve here in Winnebago County, Illinois. Four Lakes Forest Preserve is 168-acres of four small man-made lakes. The biggest
Who Was John Latham?
Born on June 27, 1740 in England, John Latham was the first to scientifically name and identify many Australian birds earning him the title of “Grandfather” of Australian ornithology. John Latham was one of the creators of the Linnean Society of London, a society of those who studied taxonomy. He wrote A General History of
Where Are All the Birds?
What would the world be like without the hauntingly beautiful song of the Wood Thrush? The decline of birds has been a hot topic of late with numerous newspapers and blogs posting opinions about Audubon’s report. Birds have been declining overall ever since settlers first came to America. The wildlife and natural resources were so
Henslow’s and Grasshopper Sparrows
The following videos were taken at Deer Run Forest Preserve in our home county, Winnebago, in northern Illinois. This preserve has many sparrow species – Henslow’s, Grasshopper, Savannah, Vesper, Field, Lark, Chipping, and Song, along with Dickcissels. The cicada invasion is finally winding down, so it is easier to hear the birds songs. The video
Farms to Prairies – Why Isn’t Illinois Really the Prairie State?
Prairies are one of the most under-conserved land areas in Illinois and elsewhere in the Midwest. Wetlands, forests, and riparian areas have all gotten extensive attention. So why not the prairies? Illinois at one time consisted of 22 million acres of prairie compared to 14 million acres of forest. These 22 million acres were part
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Colbert Roots for a National Bald Eagle Day
Not counting cool Kenn Kaufman and other great birders and authors, we tried finding a well-known celebrity bird-lover to feature on a post. We were looking for someone who is well known among the non-birders. We found exactly one, and his specialty is the Bald Eagle. I know, there are many features done on the
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Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Brown-headed Cowbird?
Why do we hate the Brown-headed Cowbird so much? Is the hatred deserved? After all, cowbirds don’t fragment habitat. The Brown-headed Cowbird is known to use the nests of more than 200 other bird species. Cowbirds used to follow the large herds of Bison and as nomads, didn’t have time for nest building and incubating.
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