Will County Audubon Society

06/16/2026

My Spark Bird
By Janet Schleeter

I consider my having grown up on a farm one of the best things that ever happened to me. The family farm was established by my German great-grandparents in the 1880’s and was located a couple of miles west of Manhattan. I became familiar with all kinds of animals, wild and domestic. During my years there we had bantam chickens, guinea fowl, mallard ducks, dogs, and lots of cats. Chasing all the feathered critters into the chicken house in the evening kept me fit. If I didn’t get the guineas chased indoors at night they would be squawking under my window in the wee hours of the morning. One year my dad brought home a hat full of pheasant eggs from a nest he had found in the field. We stuck the eggs under a broody hen, and I raised pheasants!

As far as the wild bird population, there wasn’t a big variety. House sparrows were the most common, and there were robins, mourning doves, the occasional cardinal, and red-winged blackbirds down by the creek. But there was one bird that I always looked forward to arriving around the first week of May—the barn swallow!
The other birds were just there; they didn’t do much, but the barn swallows were fun to watch. They were entertaining. There were plenty of old buildings for the barn swallows to nest in. One year they even nested in the chicken house, requiring me to adapt to their presence and be sure they had access to their nest at any time of day. They would sit on the power lines and chatter at each other, taking advantage of rain to take a shower. They swooped behind the riding lawn mower, eating the bugs that were stirred up. The most fun was watching them harassing the cats. They would swoop down at any cat innocently strolling across the yard. I swear they were playing.

I live by the woods now with a much larger variety of birds that visit my feeders regularly, but there are still a few farms nearby, and occasionally I hear that chatter that tells me a barn swallow is near. They remain a favorite bird of mine, bring back many happy memories.

06/16/2026

Birds and Brews

On June 12th, the WCAS, led by Kara Morales, planned a walk in Hammel Woods. The weather had been dicey all week, with Severe Thunderstorms and Tornado Warnings. Luckily, there was a break between the storms. We were able to go ahead as planned, armed with boots for the muddy paths and plenty of bug spray. Evidence of the recent storms was everywhere. There were trees and branches littering the woods, including a very large tree that had fallen across the path, completely blocking the way. Our determined hikers had to take a detour around the tree, through the mud, to continue their adventure.

Hammel Woods is one of the oldest forests in Will County. It has a diverse bird population and is a great spot for birding. We started counting birds immediately, standing on the banks of the swollen DuPage River. Shorebirds were scarce as the river was moving very rapidly, but we were able to spot several varieties of swallows. We were greeted by a very noisy Eastern Phoebe and a beautiful Song Sparrow.

We identified 30 species including: Wood Duck, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern House Wren, Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Northern Yellow Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, and Indigo Bunting.

After the hike, we gathered at Mad Hatchett Brewing in Shorewood, where we watched the USA versus Paraguay Soccer game. It was early enough in the World Cup that everyone’s favorite teams were still in contention.

Birds, Brew, and World Cup Soccer; a nearly perfect Friday night. If you have any suggestions for a future Birds and Brews outing, we’d love to hear them.

06/13/2026

Join us at the Forest Preserve District of Will County Pollinator Party! Buy native plants, craft, learn about birds, bats, and butterflies and support nature and habitat!

The Nature Foundation of Will County

06/09/2026

Nashville on the Hill is an outdoor summer concert series hosted at Bishops Hill Winery here in Joliet, Illinois, which brings acclaimed singer-songwriters from Nashville, Tennessee, to the historic 1892 limestone "castle" overlooking the city! On June 14th, social media birding influencer and folk singer Bonner Black will be there!

Prior to the main show, at 1:00 PM, Bonner will present a bird talk, live performance and meet-and-greet in Bishops Hill's "Vault" room. The talk is a separate ticket from the main concert and can be purchased either separately or in addition to staying for the full "Nashville On The Hill" show. Tickets for the bird talk are $10 and can be arranged and paid for by contacting the winery's music coordinator Tim Placher, via text/call at 815-342-2135 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Tickets for Bonner's bird talk are limited.

06/09/2026

BLISSFUL BOOKS FOR BIRDERS
by Diane Sniegowski

Rereading a book that I was curious about as a teenager, and then reading a new book with a similar message made me pause to think about the future of our avian friends across the globe. These are not “blissful books,” but rather informative studies about what has happened decades ago to bird populations and what is happening with their numbers in recent years.

In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. Her many years working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raised questions concerning the safety of chemicals that were appearing in the environment. The pesticide DDT caused numerous health problems in people who applied it to agriculture as part of their daily job. But beyond those ill human effects, Carson noticed that birds who lived near agricultural areas with DDT were also becoming ill and not producing offspring due to the thin shelled eggs that could not stay intact during incubation. The soil, water, and air were polluted with these dangerous chemicals, and Carson brought this problem to light by writing about her wildlife observations and scientific findings. The environmental movement was beginning to take hold because of this publication. The subsequent banning of DDT helped many bird and animal populations to rebound. This excellent book is a history lesson in the epic fight over removing hazardous chemicals in our environment. The fight continues.

In 2023, Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal wrote A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds. In addition to reading their book, I also participated in a Zoom presentation with the authors. Like Rachel Carson, the Gyllenhaal’s were alarmed by what was happening to the avian population. North American bird numbers declined by three billion in the past fifty years. But DDT is not the concern. Climate change is one of the biggest factors that affect species survival. Man-made hazards that include glass-covered buildings, wind turbines, habitat destruction, and neonicotinoids in agriculture are also some of today's threats. In 2021, the authors set out on a one-year quest to observe what actions were being taken to slow this alarming decline in avian population. They ventured over 25,000 miles (mostly in their Airstream) to meet with conservationists, ranchers, biologists, and others who are protecting birds and their habitats. Some of these dedicated people are finding ways to help birds survive and thrive. The authors met people who are using new technology to track bird migration, perform genome research, construct man-made bird nests, don Whooping Crane-like costumes to study the species, experiment with artificial intelligence, and clone endangered species. Full-color photos reveal the extent to which the authors traveled to support their narrative. They also include a chapter referencing the simple measures we can take to help keep birds alive. The hope of successful support from Congress, the military, and wealthy conservationists may aid in this quest to save the birds. Please check out this compelling book from your local library.

Send a message to learn more

06/06/2026

Happy National Trails Day and 30th anniversary to U.S. Forest Service - Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie! Several of our members volunteer at Midewin throughout the year. Grassland habitat is important for many birds, including the Dickcissel.

What we learned at the Open House today is that the USDA Forest Service chose the name "Midewin" to honor the original Native American stewards of the land and to acknowledge the restorative efforts underway to heal the ecosystem. Happy Anniversary and thanks to all the people and organizations that help care for this special place.

06/05/2026