Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

Guest Speaker: Amar Ayyash, author of “The Gull Guide: North America”

Purchase Tickets

The Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot, North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope and cold weather gear, and join birders outside of the yacht club to enjoy a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter species, including Iceland (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls! A variety of waterfowl typically make an appearance too (scoters and other diving ducks), along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. Birders wearing bright orange hats will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

To learn more, click here.

Join the Waitlist

The post 23rd Annual IOS Gull Frolic – SOLD OUT, Join the Waitlist Now appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

The post IOS Annual Shorebirding Weekend appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Every Thursday in June and July in locations around Lake County, IL

Join expert Lake County field trip leader Beau Schaefer for weekly bird walks in fantastic locations, followed by a stop for a fresh cup of coffee at local coffee houses around the county this summer.

Beau will meet people at the birding locations and times indicated on the schedule. 
Bird Walk and Coffee Shop Schedule

No registration necessary. Just show up at the time and location indicated for the Birding Location and join Beau and the group. 

If you have questions, please email  beauschaefer@yahoo.com.

Please provide your own water, sunscreen, and insect repellant.

We look forward to seeing you in the field!

The post Birds and Baristas in Lake County appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

IOS is excited to partner with field trip leaders all around Illinois to offer field trips at birding hotspots during the peak of spring migration. Most are day trips in locations with great birding opportunities for everyone from those who know the area well to those hoping to explore a new place. One field trip is an overnight experience in the southernmost part of Illinois!

These trips are a chance to meet new birding friends, plan an adventure somewhere in Illinois that’s new to you, or re-visit a favorite place for birding. 

Registration is limited for each event, so register early to reserve your spot!

Click each link to get more info about each bird walk

• May 7 @ 7am – Rollins Savanna Bird Walk (Grayslake, IL in Lake County)
• May 13 @ 7:30am – Middle Fork River FP Bird Walk (near Champaign in Champaign County)
• May 13 @ 7am – Hickory Grove Highlands Hike (Cary, IL in McHenry County)
• May 13 @ 7:30am – Jubilee Farm Bird Walk (near Springfield in Sangamon County)

May 19-21 – Southern Illinois Birding Hotspots

Spring Migration Weekend in Southernmost Illinois

(around Shawnee National Forest near Carbondale, IL. All meeting locations will be shared with registered participants.)

Leaders Ronda Rothrock and Vicki Lang will guide participants around many prime birding hotspots of Southern Illinois in search of neotropical migrants and specialties of the far southern counties of the state. Don’t miss this unique birding experience!

• Friday, May 19 @ evening – Ferne Clyffe State Park for nightjars 
• Saturday, May 20 @ 6am – Western counties of the Shawnee National Forest 
• Sunday, May 21 @ 7:30am – Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge 

Register for the Southern IL Birding Weekend here.

Plan your adventure and sign up for a field trip now!

The post Migration Madness in Illinois appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Click on each event to learn more and to register

Virtual Speaker
Piping Plovers on the Wintering Grounds with Melissa Chaplin & Kristen Vale
Thursday, March 30th at 7 pm via Zoom

******JUST ADDED
Woodcocks and Roosting Birds at Dusk @ Rollins Savanna in Grayslake, IL
Monday, April 3rd at 6:45 pm
Field Trip Leader: Beau Schaefer

******JUST ADDED
The Hunt for Smith’s Longspurs in Central Illinois
Sunday, April 9th at 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Field Trip Leader: Matt Fraker

Travel Opportunities

IOS Kirtland’s Warbler Weekend with Sanctuary Birding
May 26-29 in Iosco County, Michigan
Guide: Sam Burckhardt

IOS Mexico: Veracruz River of Raptors with Red Hill Birding
September 25 – October 4, 2023
Guides: Adam Sell + Local Guides, Jorge Montejo, and Amy McAndrews

The post Upcoming Field Trips, Speaker Series, and Travel Opportunities appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot, North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope, and cold weather gear to join birders outside the yacht club for a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter gull species, including Iceland (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls!  An assortment of waterfowl are also typically in attendance, such scoters, goldeneye, and other diving ducks, along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. IOS volunteers will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

Whenever you need a break from the cold, retreat indoors to the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club that’s just a few feet away from the shore. Birders from all corners of our state come to mingle, relax, and drive away the winter doldrums. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate will be available all day to help us warm up. There will be a presentation in the conference room that’s offered twice (Session A & Session B).

Speaker: Josh Engel, Red Hill Birding

Global Birding… Stepping Away from “Home”

The $35 registration fee ($25 for IOS members) includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and more. Any surplus money raised will go to the IOS Grant Program, which provides money to local researchers and projects that benefit Illinois birds and birding.

COVID Policy

Anyone experiencing symptoms on the day of the event should not attend, notify us and we will give you a full refund. We want this to be a safe event and comfortable for everyone attending.

REGISTRATION:

Click here to register on Eventbrite

SPONSORS:  The Gull Frolic is hosted by the Illinois Ornithological Society, with sponsorship help from many local bird clubs, organizations and individuals.  If your organization or club is interested in sponsoring, please contact Amar.  There are a limited number of information tables for sponsoring organizations.

If you would like to help IOS keep the Gull Frolic, and other events and programs running, please consider adding a donation to your registration:

DIRECTIONS:  To reach the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club take the I-94 toll road north toward Milwaukee. Exit east (turn right) at Route 173. Continue east and turn left on Sheridan Road (Rt. 137). Proceed north and turn right on 7th Street. Follow the North Point Marina signs to the yacht club. There is plenty of parking and parking is always free!
Registration fills fast so don’t delay. All are invited. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and enjoyable annual event!

The post 21st Annual Gull Frolic appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

Back in 2022! The Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot, North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope, and cold weather gear to join birders outside the yacht club for a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter gull species, including Iceland (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls!  An assortment of waterfowl are also typically in attendance, such scoters, goldeneye, and other diving ducks, along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. IOS volunteers will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

Whenever you need a break from the cold, retreat indoors to the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club that’s just a few feet away from the shore. Birders from all corners of our state come to mingle, relax, and drive away the winter doldrums. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate will be available all day to help us warm up. There will be a presentation in the conference room that’s offered twice (Session A & Session B).

Speaker: DR. GEOFFREY HILL, Curator of Birds at Auburn University

The Search for the Genes that Underlie Bird Coloration

Dr. Hill is professor and Curator of Birds at Auburn University. He is the author of 300 research articles and six books including National Geographic’s Bird Coloration and Ivorybill Hunters.  For the past ten years he has been working with a research team to find the genes that determine the colors of birds.

The $35 registration fee ($25 for IOS members) includes a continental breakfast, lunch (including “Sea Gull” stew), vegetarian chili, and more. *Updated 1/20/2022: Instead of the normal food options this year, we are planning to provide a box lunch. We feel this will be a safer alternative and we will encourage people to eat outside to mitigate potential exposure to COVID. The registration fee also helps defray facility expenses. Any surplus raised will go to the IOS Grant Program, which provides money to local researchers and projects that benefit Illinois birds and birding.

COVID Policy – Updated 1/20/2022

With the surge in cases we WILL BE REQUIRING EVERYONE TO WEAR A MASK INDOORS at the event regardless of vaccine status. We will also be encouraging everyone to stay outside as much as possible. Anyone experiencing symptoms on the day of the event should not attend, notify us and we will give you a full refund. We want this to be a safe event and comfortable for everyone attending.

REGISTRATION:

SOLD OUT

SPONSORS:  The Gull Frolic is hosted by the Illinois Ornithological Society, with sponsorship help from many local bird clubs, organizations and individuals.  If your organization or club is interested in sponsoring, please contact Amar.  There are a limited number of information tables for sponsoring organizations.

If you would like to help IOS keep the Gull Frolic, and other events and programs running, please consider adding a donation to your registration:

DIRECTIONS:  To reach the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club take the I-94 toll road north toward Milwaukee. Exit east (turn right) at Route 173. Continue east and turn left on Sheridan Road (Rt. 137). Proceed north and turn right on 7th Street. Follow the North Point Marina signs to the yacht club. There is plenty of parking and parking is always free!
Registration fills fast so don’t delay. All are invited. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and enjoyable annual event!

The post 20th Annual Gull Frolic appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

The Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot: North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope and cold weather gear, and join birders outside of the yacht club to enjoy close study of some of our harder-to-find winter species such as Iceland (Thayer’s Iceland and Kumlien’s Iceland) and Glaucous Gulls!  A variety of waterfowl typically make an appearance too (scoters and other diving ducks), along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. Birders wearing bright orange hats will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

Whenever you need a break from the cold, retreat indoors to the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club that’s just a few feet away from the shore. Birders from all corners of our state come to mingle, relax and drive away the winter doldrums. Coffee, tea and hot-chocolate will be available all day to help us warm up. There will be a presentation in the conference room that’s offered twice (Session A & Session B).

Talk/Speaker: JUSTIN PETER, Director, Programs and Tour Leader at Quest Nature Tours

Birds of the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are often touted as a laboratory of evolution by natural selection, and some of the archipelago’s birds are among the best-studied organisms anywhere. In this talk illustrated with photographs from his three expeditions there, Justin will help us get acquainted with some of these birds. We’ll see what they look like, how they behave and interact with fellow Galapagos denizens, as well as gain insights into their origins through some of the latest research findings stemming from decades of research.

The $35 registration fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch (including “Sea Gull” stew,) vegetarian chili and more. The registration fee helps defray facility expenses. Any surplus raised will go to the IOS Grant Program which provides money to local researchers and projects that benefit Illinois birds and birding.

REGISTRATION:

SPONSORS:  The Gull Frolic is hosted by the Illinois Ornithological Society, with sponsorship help from many local bird clubs, organizations and individuals.  If your organization or club is interested in sponsoring, please contact Amar.  There are a limited number of information tables for sponsoring organizations.

If you would like to help IOS keep the Gull Frolic, and other events and programs running, please consider adding a donation to your registration:

DIRECTIONS:  To reach the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club take the I-94 toll road north toward Milwaukee. Exit east (turn right) at Route 173. Continue east and turn left on Sheridan Road (Rt. 137). Proceed north and turn right on 7th Street. Follow the North Point Marina signs to the yacht club. There is plenty of parking and parking is always free!
Registration fills fast so don’t delay. All are invited. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and enjoyable annual event!

The post 19th Annual Gull Frolic appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

As in past years, we’ll meet at McDonald’s off IL 127 in Carlyle at 6:30 AM. This is a full-day field trip, ending around 7:30 PM. We’ll begin with a scan of the lake from Dam West Beach before heading to Eldon Hazlet State Park to search for migrant songbirds. We’ll bird the Hazlet area all morning before breaking for lunch. Lunch will be fast food or bring your own. We’ll gather at the Dam West picnic area where we’ll be able to search for more birds from the excellent shade provided.

After lunch, depending on water levels, we’ll search for shorebirds and waders,  likely visiting Whitetail and James Hawn Access areas.

The boat trip begins at 3:30 PM from Dam West Marina. The late afternoon/early evening hours can be excellent for feeding gulls, terns and others. We hope to find SABINE’S GULL which has eluded us on the past three field trips! It’s also possible to tally RED and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, EARED and PIED-BILLED GREBES, five or six Gull species and potentially any of the three JAEGER species!

Bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, mud boots and your hat.

Those planning on staying Saturday night may wish to join us for a group dinner at a nearby restaurant. Recommended hotels are available in Carlyle, Greenville, Salem and Vandalia.

There is a fee associated with this field trip to cover the costs of pontoon rental, gasoline, and other expenses. The fee is $30 for existing IOS members and $50 for non-IOS members. The $50 fee for non-members includes the field trip registration and a one-year IOS membership and benefits, including four issues of the Meadowlark, A Journal of Illinois Birds, a quarterly publication of IOS.

This field trip is limited to 32 participants with IOS members receiving first priority. Trip registration and payment shall be made through the Pay Pal using the form below (credit cards accepted). This trip is very popular and will fill up fast. IOS will not make refunds but will allow substitutes if you sign up for the trip and cannot attend. It will be your responsibility to notify the trip leader of your substitute. If you cannot provide a substitute, the trip leader will take the 1st name on the waiting list.

If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to contact the trip leader, Keith McMullen or by phone +1-618-560-9450.
[Form id=”24″]

The post Carlyle Lake Pelagic, September 22 appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.

Sax-Zim Bog is about 300 square miles of not only bog, but aspen uplands, rivers, lakes, meadows, farms and even a couple towns! It is not just a giant bog, but rather a “magic mix” of habitats that boreal birds love. The Sax-Zim Bog is prime habitat for bog specialists such as Great Gray Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Connecticut Warbler. Bobcat, Lynx, Pine Marten, Fisher also use this habitat. Mature bogs are also important wintering habitat for Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to explore this amazing habitat with a two-day guided trip from a local birding expert. Finding the many wonderful birds of this area can, at times, be difficult due to weather or a lack of area knowledge. Acquiring a local guide will provide you with your best opportunity to capture a glimpse of these magnificent creatures.

You will be responsible for your own hotel and travel arrangements. Carpooling is encouraged, and a roster will be made available later to assist you in this process. I have lodging recommendations below which are limited to 15 people. We will be meeting the guide on Friday and Saturday morning at the Alesches’ Accommodations. These lodges can only accommodate 15 people. Later registrations will need to book elsewhere (Recommendations below).

Alesches’ Accommodations: Phone number 218-591-9630. Web site: http://www.alesches.com

These lodges have a common bathroom, kitchen and living area. Muffins, Cereal, Coffee and Juice are made available for breakfast, and refrigerators may be used for lunch and/or dinner. The lodges are located 8 miles from the Sax-Zim Bog Visitor Center and also 8 miles from Meadowlands where the Trailside Restaurant is located for a dinner out if preferred. These lodges are not like hotel rooms. They have common areas and private bedrooms.

** We are unable to block these rooms, so register early and make your arrangements with Alesches’ to hold your rooms!

West Lodge
1 room with two twin beds $89.00 per night ($45 per person)
1 small room with one twin bed $69.00 per night
1 room with 1 queen bed and private bath $129.00 per night

East Lodge
first floor features two bedrooms, each with a queen bed.  All linens and bedding are furnished. The East Lodge features a full bath, complete kitchen with all dishes, cookware, fridge, range and oven, Keurig, drip coffee maker, toaster, microwave and dishwasher. A laundry room is available plus ironing board and iron. Complimentary wi-fi is available throughout the unit.

2 bedrooms, each bedroom has 1 queen bed. $150.00 per night

North Lodge
is the newest addition to Alesches’. The first floor contains TV area, half bath and a breakfast/snack bar equipped with microwave, toaster, Keurig and drip coffeemakers, electric skillet, and refrigerator/freezer. On the second floor, the North Lodge has three bedrooms: Room 1 has a queen with private bath, Room 2 has two doubles, and Room 5 has two twins.  All linens and bedding are furnished. There is also a full bath and lounge area on the 2nd floor. Complimentary wi-fi is available throughout the unit.

1 room with 2 twins for $89.00 per night
1 room with 2 double beds $109.00 per night
1 room with Queen bed and bath $129.00 per night

Rent entire units or individual rooms. 2-night minimum for entire unit.

Should you register late and find that the Alesche’s Accommodations are full, there is of course additional accommodations in Duluth, MN which is 40-50 miles away from rendezvous point. In addition, you may be able to find accommodations north along US-53 (20-30 miles). I am told that the Days Inn in Duluth has special rates for bird watchers.

Registration for this memorable field trip is $40 for IOS members and $30 for ILYB members. IOS members will be given three weeks to register prior to opening this field trip to the general birding community. Non-IOS members will pay the $40 registration fee plus $25 for IOS membership.

**Registration for this event is limited to 20 people!

REGISTER HERE:

[Form id=”25″]

The post Winter Birds at Sax-Zim Bog Field Trip – Feb. 2 & 3 2018 appeared first on Illinois Audubon Society.