Birders must concentrate on bird sounds, colors, and behavior, and it is often important to make identifications quickly before the bird passes out of sight. There is a comraderie in group birding, but, on the other hand, birding alone away from the distractions of the world is nice, too. Finally, birding can supply both physical and mental good health with no frantic activity, little chance to break a leg, and time in the fresh air. And then the fun can begin, for right now the spring migration is on-going. Red headed woodpeckers, white crowned sparrows, and bluebirds are appearing.
Flickers tap out their messages on dead trees or a metal chimney.
On the lake one can see a variety of waterfowl from terns to buffleheads and, on the beach, a great blue heron or bunches of nervous sandpipers. Farther afield there are the Ryerson Conservation Area, the Skokie Lagoons, and the Botanic Garden. Patience, quiet, and perseverance will help make a birding junket a success. The Lake Cook Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society, the Illinois Ornithological Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, and Heller Nature Center run bird walks usually in the spring and the fall. There s plenty of help close by, and anyone is invited to participate.