The Illinois
Ornithological Society

Field Trip Schedule

Upcoming Field Trips

For more information, look for announcements in Wings Over the Prairie and e-mail flashes to the IOS membership. The current IOS Field Trip Co-Chairmen are Dan Williams and Travis Mahan.

Participation on field trips is limited to Illinois Ornithological Society and Illinois Young BIrders members only.  Registration should be made with the trip leader listed in the descriptions below.

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Upper Mississippi River Field Trip, March 30, 7:30 am

Join us on Saturday, March 30 as we search the Mississippi River in Whiteside and Carroll County for migrating waterfowl, late gulls and early migrants.  We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Spring Lake parking lot, which is just south of Savanna, IL on the west side of IL 84.  We will organize a car pool.  Planned stops include Lock and Dam 13 near Fulton, in Whiteside County, Thomson-Fulton Prairie, also in Whiteside County, where we will look for Loggerhead Shrikes, Thomson Causeway (Pileated Woodpeckers, Barred Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, White Pelican and more waterfowl) and Spring Lake itself for more waterfowl, early shorebirds, late gulls and, perhaps, Yellow-headed Blackbirds if they are early.

Lunch is likely to be at Poopy's, a roadhouse on IL 84 on the south side of Savanna. Leaders are Dan Williams and Anne Straight.  Please contact one of the leaders to sign up.

Smith's Longspur, April 13 -- Joint IOS/Illinois Young Birders Field Trip

On Saturday, April 13, Matt Fraker will be leading a field trip through Central Illinois. Participants will meet at 8:30am at the McDonald's Restaurant located at the Chenoa exit off of I-55.   The first stop will be south of Chenoa to look for Smith's Longspurs. Following this exercise, participants will have a choice of exploring Woodford County (Gridley Lagoons, El Paso Lagoons, Fraker Farm, Chinquapin Preserve) or exploring Clinton Lake. Fraker will be scouting both areas prior and will discuss with participants what birds are where.

Target birds for all locations will include shorebirds, waterfowl, and Le Conte's Sparrows. The decision to go into Woodford County or to Clinton Lake will be based on a combination of participant desires and what birds are being found where.   April can be an exciting time in both areas, so it should be fun either way.  Contact field trip leader Matt Fraker to register for this trip.

Yellow Rail Walk, April 20, Yellow Rail Walk

This trip will be led by Travis Mahan and Tyler Funk.  Starting from Salem, we will drive to Stephen A. Forbes State Park (Marion County) where we should encounter a number of migratory songbirds, and species like Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, and Northern Parula should be setting up territories.  Adjacent field habitat may hold a number of interesting species such as Greater Prairie-Chicken, Northern Harrier, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Mockingbird, American Pipit, and Blue Grosbeak.  The next focus will be slogging through the marshy prairie at the Karl Bartel Sanctuary in search of bitterns, sparrows, and hopefully our main target, a Yellow Rail.  We will make our way back to Salem for lunch where there are a variety of restaurants.

Other sites visited in the afternoon will be dependent upon habitat and activity, but will likely include Carlyle Lake for shorebirds and other water birds.  If there is enough interest, we may make an evening stop at Stephen A. Forbes State Park to try for an early Chuck-will’s-widow - a reliable species at this location.

Please contact Travis Mahan for trip details and to register.

2013 Spring Birding Weekend, May 31 to June 2, Siloam Springs and Illinois River Hotspots

Activities and field trips will include visiting various sites: Siloam Springs State Park near Clayton, Illinois, where our target birds include Bewick’s Wren and local breeding warblers, wetland birds along the Illinois River and other local hotspots.  Banquet to be held at the Ridge View Winery, southwest of Mt. Sterling, Illinois.  Final plans are not complete but will be posted on the website and in email or mailings. Questions? contact Bob Montgomery.   Conference lodgings at Irish House Hotel, Rt. 99 south of Mt. Sterling, Illinois 62353, phone 217.773.4100 or email.

Download registration form here (.pdf)

Carlyle Lake Pelagic, September 14

Keith McMullen has agreed to lead this field trip.  Save the date.  Details to follow.

 

Clinton Lake (DeWitt Co) October 19

Matt Fraker has agreed to lead this field trip.  Save the date.  Details to follow.