The Prairie Pothole Region is found in the northern Great Plains of North America. The region consists of grass-covered wetland habitats covered with few-to-many shallow depressions called either potholes or sloughs, and they were made 10,000 years ago as glaciers retreated. Prairie potholes are usually filled with water and are included in many habitat restoration
Category: Bird Conservation
DeKalb Christmas Bird Count
Since the nearby DeKalb Christmas Bird Count was on the same day as the Rockford Christmas Bird Count, December 15th, it was one we had to miss. Mike Andrews, compiler for the count, let us know how their day went. They had 21 people out in the field and 4 feeder watchers this year. There
Deer Run Bird Survey #3
We were supposed to do our third Christmas Bird Count of the season [Dec 23], but blowing snow and zero visibility forced us to turn back. We are dedicated citizen scientists, but sometimes it is better to, as the saying goes, “be safe than sorry”. Especially right before Christmas. Christmas Eve day we decided to
Bird Conservation – Henslow’s Sparrow
The little Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is easy to identify by sound (the call is similar to a tiny hiccup), but hard to find in tall prairie grass. It has declined by more than 80% since 1966 and its habitat is all but gone. Sprawling cities, farms, and reforestation have all contributed to loss of
Deer Run Bird Survey #2
A recap of our second survey of the birds of Deer Run – December 19th, 2007 [read about the D.R.B.S.] Canada Geese As the other Deer Run Bird Surveyor, Birdfreak, slaved away at work, his sister Veery tromped around solo, doing one of the survey loops. Walking was mildly difficult in the snowmobile ruts. I
Rockford Christmas Bird Count
The Rockford Christmas Bird Count took place on Saturday, December 15th in our home town of Rockford, Illinois. This is our second of four counts this season. The Birdfreak Team was split into two groups so we were able to see a wide variety of birds. It snowed from the time we began (around 7
Lost Mound Christmas Bird Count
This is a recap of our first of four Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). This year marks the 108th year for Christmas Bird Counts. The Lost Mound is located in northwestern Illinois, bordering the Mississippi River near the town of Savanna. This area was once a bustling army depot and now is partially a portion of
Corridors For Tomorrow
Connecting habitat fragments are thought to be good for wildlife (as opposed to small disconnected pieces). One of the ways Illinois is trying to connect habitat is through a program called Corridors for Tomorrow, initiated in 1993. The Illinois Interstate highway system is the third largest in the nation, with about 1,900 miles of corridors,
