This past Saturday I was the trip leader for North Central Illinois Ornithological Society (NCIOS) and led a group of 15 birders through one of my favorite natural places, Deer Run Forest Preserve.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we trekked the prairie and edge trails for over three hours. Some highlights included a fly-over Bald Eagle, numerous sparrows (Vesper, Song, Swamp, White-crowned, White-throated, Chipping, Field), a Hermit Thrush, and Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
A big plus was a small flock of about 10 Rusty Blackbirds. These birds are in a steep decline and it was nice to find them in their usual habitat (wet woods).
Learn more about Rusty Blackbirds from Cornell’s All About Birds
Overall we found 43 species of birds and had an excellent time hiking, conversing, and enjoying the wonderful mid-October weather.
