The Big Year: Birding Chicagoland 2013

January 1st, 2013 - with Jack.
20 degrees, sunny, cold, light wind
North Park Spillway

That's how I started 2013. A little notepad and pen, binoculars, Sibley's Eastern Birds, Chicago Audubon Society's Chicagoland Bird Checklist, Nikon camera, boots, hat, tissue, and a little 6yo boy. (Did I mention it was 20 degrees outside?)

My son and I have been birding together since he was three, not because he wanted to bird, but because he was in preschool for only a couple of hours a week. During bird migration season I can't ignore the Chicago River that's only yards from my house...so he had to come along.

By the time he was five he could identify most of the common local birds by sight and sound. By the time he was six he could identify birds he hadn't seen before, but read about in his bird book or watched on his bird call DVD.

We decided that 2013 would be our 'Big Chicago Year.' We can't do a traditional 'Big Year' - counting as many birds around the U.S. from Jan 1 to Dec 31, for one my son has to finish 1st grade, and for two I am not independently wealthy - but we are happy to keep it local and enjoy the challenge.

Male House Sparrow: #7. Magic Hedge Montrose/Lake M.

As I wrote in a previous article, Chicago is for the Birds, Chicagoans have the wonderful opportunity to see hundreds of different species right in the city due to its ideal location in the midst of a major migratory route, also known as the Mississippi Flyway.

This is the excitement of our 'Big Year.' Without leaving the Chicagoland area we can possibly see over 300 different species throughout the year.

I have my favorite spots like The Magic Hedge and some prime locations along the North Branch of the Chicago River, but in order to maximize our sightings we will be stepping it up a notch this year. I signed up with the Illinois Birders Forum so I can check for rare and unusual sightings. Local birders will post their sightings almost immediately increasing the chances of finding a species significantly.

Male Northern Cardinal: #6. N. Branch Chic. River Spillway

There are many things I like about the 'Big Year.' My son has become a bird snob and when we see a common bird he often poo poos it. But now every bird counts (at least once), even the exotics. I'm not one to check a bird off the list and run to the next. I enjoy the whole experience of being in nature including watching and listening to birds. I'd like him to enjoy it too.

Our first day reaped 16 different species and my son got to add a new species to his life list. I will occasionally write a blog about our progress. Even if you aren't a birder I hope you enjoy it.

Day 1.
North Branch Chicago River Spillway
#1 Mallard
#2 Ring-billed gull
#3 Yellow-rumped warbler
#4 Common goldeneye
#5 Dark-eyed junco
#6 Northern cardinal

Magic Hedge - Montrose/Lake M.
#7 House sparrow
#8 Downy woodpecker
#9 Black-capped chickadee
#10 Song sparrow
#11 American tree sparrow
#12 Canada goose

Montrose Harbor
#13 Rock dove
#14 Common Merganser
#15 American coot
#16 American crow

Will you bird this year? Spring migration is only a few months away!

Alexandra Gnoske is a nature lover, writer, and environmental expert.

Whose Coming to Town? Thousands of Love Sick Birds

March 11th marked the beginning of early spring migration for the birds (it goes through April 20, followed by late spring in migration).

Yellow rumped warbler

That's my favorite time of year. It's also the best time to bird watch because the trees don't have leaves yet to block your view, and the birds are all excited, singing, looking for mates, chasing each other out of territories, and mating. Lots of activity which is helpful in finding them.

During this time millions of birds will fly through Chicagoland as we are lucky enough to be in the middle of a major migratory route. This includes over 300 different species. Some will stop and nest, filling the air with love-sick songs and causing great delight for many birders young and wise.

There are many places around Chicago where you can see birds - just look and listen, they are almost that easy to find. If you want to make a special trip, you can visit the Chicago Audubon Society for detailed information.

A few of my favorite places (in Chicago) are the spillway at Argyle and Troy by North Park University, The Magic Hedge at Montrose and the Lake, Jackson Park south of downtown, and the North Park Nature Center. You don't need anything to enjoy the birds, but you may want to take binoculars, a field guide book, and a notepad. My 6 year old son, who has birded with me in the past, identified many birds without the binoculars - sometimes much easier for kids to just use their eyes.

If you find any injured birds please contact the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors - as they are a birds best chance to survive an unhappy collision with a building.

Finally, when you are out birding, remember the birds are nesting and it is best to keep a respectful distance and you don't want to distress the birds and have them abandon their nests.

I will be taking many trips around the city this spring. Let me know if you want to come!

Alexandra Gnoske is a nature lover, writer, author and blogger.

The Lazy Summer

It's been a rather lazy summer for me. Instead of signing up for dozens of events and focusing on work, I took the family to the Grand Canyon and that started a downward spiral of doing as little as possible and enjoying myself, my family, and my house.

When we were at the Grand Canyon there was no wifi and my phone died so I was totally disconnected for a week. No Face, no updates, no twitter, no texting. Instead we had camping, cooking outdoors, hiking, birdwatching, amazing vistas, and serious road tripping. It brought me back to a time that seems like forever ago, before children, before the pressure to work, make deadlines, pay bills. A time when I lived off little and enjoyed life at my own pace.

But who am I kidding? It is all about perspective. At each stage of life you find pressure - things that seem so overwhelming and important at that time, that later look so insignificant. (Remember that pimple just before your High School year book picture? Thought you were going to die!).

BALANCE
A challenge many parents face is finding that elusive balance. Isn't working or pursuing your business goals - isn't that for the good of the family? Isn't it for you? So when people say you need to take time for yourself, isn't going off to events, networking, speaking, etc. for you?

I'm not going to pretend I have the answer. But I've decided this is the lazy summer. I've been playing with my kids, 'working' in my garden (one of my greatest joys), riding my bike to work and ditching my car, reading the 'Harry Potter' series with my kids, taking Zumba and getting back to running, visiting friends and going on dates with my husband.

My 3 kids aren't in camp. I like them to get bored because that's where imagination blossoms (as well as learning to get along, having time to do chores, and I really don't like the pressure of driving them around to meet camp schedules). Right now they are working on a Littlest Pet Shop video. I don't know if they'll pull it off, but they are having fun setting it up and they are happily working together.

Here's to having a wonderful, lazy summer - as lazy as you can be, anyway!

Birdwatching in Chicago

We are in peak birdwatching season in Chicago. Spring is here, migration is in full swing, and over 300 species are flying in, around, and through our town.

Today I went over to the spillway with my five year old son and we saw 30 different species. The black crowned night heron is listed as endangered in Illinois, but a few make this spot their nesting place. They sit on the spillway intensely hunting for fish and eventually their chicks do too.

We also caught a brief glimpse of the belted king fisher, one of my personal favorites, along with black and white warblers, yellow warblers, brown creepers, blue gray gnatcatchers and northern water thrushes.

We kept hearing a woodpecker pecking and by the sound of it we were sure it was something big. So my son and I hunted it down. We found a tiny downy woodpecker on a dead branch. He was making a great racket.

This great spot starts at Albany and Carmen, by the North Park College track, and goes to Lawrence Ave. and the river.

Don't delay! Spring migration doesn't last forever.

Fall in Chicago

It's been a great Autumn in Chicago. Lots of birdwatching, gardening and biking.

Today I raked the leaves with the kids and made a huge pile, that they jumped in and then decided to make into a nest. Needless to say, I didn't get all the leaves raked up. But I did manage to crush up a bunch of leaves and throw them in the garden. Never again will I put them in a bag and leave them in the alley. I even have my husband saving the leaves so we can compost them or cover the garden for the winter.

The last few years I've thrown our pumpkins in the front garden after Halloween and they've really helped fertilize the soil. This particular patch was not very fertile as it had old, unkempt bushes there for decades. Now every spring it blooms with tulips and I'm thrilled to receive many compliments. Nothing brings such beauty and pleasure as nature. Still trying to make this garden flourish beyond spring. Once the leaves come there's a lot of shade and that's challenged me. Plus the front side garden is on a slant and the soil is always getting runoff.

I'm fortunate to live by the north branch of the Chicago River so it's easy to get in some bird watching at a moments notice. The spillway by the North Park track is a great spot. The black crowned night herons have left for the winter, but other ducks are on their way.

I hope you enjoy your Halloween and have a safe and fun time! Remember to compost those pumpkins!

Alexandra Gnoske is a local author and illustrator of childrens books, including "Loui Saves the Earth." She is an environmental expert and writes the Mindful Business Matters Blog for Mindful Metropolis. You can get monthly eco tips for your family and find out about local eco events and sales by joining CLUB LOUl. Email alix@louisavestheearth.com.

Bird Watching: Things to do on and around Earth Day

On March 11th, Spring Bird Migration started and Chicago is in the path of a major migratory route. This presents Chicagoans with a great opportunity to see many different birds right here in the city, along the lakefront and the Chicago River.

You can include birding as a part of your Earth Day Celerbration any time over the next several weeks. Birdwatching can be enjoyed by anyone, including children, and is a great way to get kids outside and involved in nature.

Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

1. Bird Field Guide. You will need a field guide reference to help you identify the birds in your area. To start out you can borrow a book, get a used book or purchase one for around $12.00 to $20.00. There are several guides including North American, Eastern versus Western U.S., as well as beginners guides. I prefer the National Geographic North American Field Guide and my kids use the Peterson First Guide to Birds of N.A. Check out the beginning of these books for valuable tips on identifiying birds.

2. Binoculars. These come in all shapes and sizes and costs. See if you can borrow a pair to test out before buying your own. For city birding you won't need as powerful a pair as you would for other excursions. For me using binoculars is the trickiest part of birding. If takes some practice not only to train your eyes to look through them, but also to adjust them properly and fast enough.

3. Local Checklist. This can be the most helpful tool. A local checklist will tell you what birds you can find at what time of year in a local region. I always contact The Audubon Society when traveling for a local checklist. It helps narrow things down. Visit www.audubon.org/chapter for a listing of local Audubon chapters.

4. Notebook. This is to help you keep track of what birds you saw, where, and when. You can also include the weather conditions. I started off with a regular little notebook, but recently bought a beautiful birder's journal at Norton's USA. This information helps you become a better birder and learn about the birds in your area. It is also useful for bird counts. Organizations like the Audubon Society conduct regular bird counts to help them determine a number of things about bird populations.

Birding Etiquette. There are some simple rules for birding. Tread lightly and quitely. Have respect for Nature and fellow birders. Leave no trace.

Places to go around Chicago:

Almost anywhere along the Chicago River is great for birdwatching during Spring and Fall migration. Many migrating birds stay right within the river corridor.

The lakefront is another great spot. Try the Bird Sanctuary at Montrose Beach or by the Totem Pole at Addison. Another great location is Jackson Park or the Paul Douglas Nature Sanctuary.

For more information on bird watching and great birding spots visit www.audubon.org
Have Fun! And let me know what you find!