Lake County Audubon Society

06/17/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible team at Lincoln Park Zoo for their rapid response and compassionate care following the loss of our Great Lakes Piping Plover nest at Waukegan Beach. 🧡

When four eggs were recovered from the shoreline after last week's storm, the future looked uncertain. Lincoln Park Zoo immediately stepped in, providing critical care and stabilization before the eggs were transferred to the Detroit Zoo as part of the Great Lakes Piping Plover recovery effort.

Because of the dedication, expertise, and teamwork of so many partners, all four eggs successfully hatched and are now part of the captive-rearing program at the University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston.

We are deeply grateful for Lincoln Park Zoo's role in this remarkable conservation success story and for their continued commitment to protecting endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers.

Thank you for helping keep our little plovers safe. 🧡🏖️🥚🐣

06/17/2026

Last Thursday night, a violent storm swept across Waukegan Beach and washed away our Great Lakes Piping Plover nest.

By sunrise, all hope seemed lost.

But then something remarkable happened.

A small group of volunteers returned to the beach and, against all expectations, located all four eggs that had washed down the shoreline. The eggs were carefully recovered and rushed into the care of the incredible staff at Lincoln Park Zoo before being transferred to the Detroit Zoo.

On Tuesday, June 16, we learned that ALL FOUR EGGS HAVE HATCHED. 🎉

The chicks are now at the University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, where they have joined the Great Lakes Piping Plover captive-rearing program.

And the surprises didn’t end there.

After the loss of the nest, Blaze reunited with Pepper, her mate from the previous two seasons. The pair has already resumed courtship activities, and we are hopeful another nesting attempt may soon be underway.

If you’ve followed the Waukegan plovers this season, you know this story has had more twists and turns than anyone could have imagined.

Pippin’s return on one foot.

Blaze choosing a new mate.

The loss of the nest.

The rescue of the eggs.

Four chicks hatching against the odds.

Once again, these tiny shorebirds have reminded us of something important:

Resilience comes in the smallest of packages.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A PIPING PLOVER 🧡

Thank you to the volunteers, biologists, zoo staff, and conservation partners who made this outcome possible.

Read the full press release on our website or by clicking this link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15oB716borO8LAtylSJHVqIp4gheQwIti/mobilebasic?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Photos: Cynthia Barr, Nat Carmichael, Dr. Francesca Cuthbert, Steve Jessmore, Carolyn Lueck, Keith Pflieger, Oliver Slater, Lincoln Park Zoo

06/15/2026

Tremendous news from the overall endangered Great Lakes piping plover program!!!

Stay tuned for lots of exciting news coming out Illinois over the next few days!

We have done it again, we reached another record pair count! We currently have a total of 90 pairs and 91 nests (80 active pairs) which is the most pairs since ESA listing! Surpassing our 2025 record pair count by 2 and there are still at least 4 potential pairs out there! Currently, there are 46 nests being incubated and 34 broods have hatched in the wild. So far we have lost 11 nests. There are 26 eggs from 10 clutches being incubated at the Captive Rearing Center at the University of Michigan Biological Station. The first wild eggs hatched on May 29th at Cat Island Green Bay, WI and Sleeping Bear Dunes NL. The first captive chicks are due to hatch at UMBS any day! Thirty captive-reared plovers have been observed on the breeding grounds; 17 of which are nesting. A hug thank you to everyone who helps protect; monitor; and support the recovery work of the Great Lakes Piping Plovers!

Photo by John Doskoch.

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

https://johnwasik.substack.com/p/cutting-down-trees-is-not-progress

My friend and neighbor Tony loved planes so much he decided to build one in his garage.

06/11/2026

Fun facts about Monarchs!

🐛 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿.

After hatching on a milkweed leaf, a young monarch’s appetizer is its own eggshell. Then it munches on the leaf’s fine hairs before digging into the main course. Maybe we should call it a buffet—the caterpillar will eat 20–30 large leaves and gain 2,700 times its original weight.

When its skin can stretch no more, the caterpillar splits it open, wriggles out and eats it, recycling useful nutrients. It molts repeatedly, and the stages in between are called instars. Think of them as five distinct caterpillars, each larger and more boldly striped than the last. 🦋

Happy .
📸 Larry Reis

06/10/2026

Middlefork Savanna is one of Lake County’s premier birding destinations and offers a wonderful opportunity to experience a large-scale prairie, savanna, and wetland restoration in the heart of Lake Forest. June is an especially exciting time to visit, as breeding birds are actively singing, nesting, and feeding young throughout the preserve.

During our walk, we’ll be looking and listening for a variety of grassland, wetland, and woodland species, including Eastern Bluebirds, Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Meadowlarks, Sandhill Cranes, Baltimore Orioles, and a variety of warblers, flycatchers, and swallows. The preserve’s diverse habitats and extensive trail system make it one of the best locations in the region for observing birds and other wildlife.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced birder, this walk is a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of one of Lake County’s most successful conservation areas while learning more about the birds that call it home.

Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
Time: 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Activity Level: Moderate, Walk 3-4 miles (crushed-gravel/dirt trails)

Trip Leaders: Brad Stein and Matt Tobin

Location: Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve
Middlefork Dr
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Register for the Middlefork Savanna walk here.
https://forms.gle/aaneHvNRHytboJJG6

This trip is limited to 20 participants. The registration will close if we reach that number. If you register and realize ahead of time you will not be able to make the walk, please send a text to the trip leader so your spot can be re-opened.

The walk will begin in the main parking lot adjacent to the Elawa Farm Foundation buildings.

Photo: Orchard Orioles, Nat Carmichael

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06/08/2026

🎬 We are proud to have Sharing Our Shore and the Return of the Piping Plover to Waukegan Shores selected for the 2026 Little Fort Film Festival!

This UPDATED VERSION of the film tells the remarkable story of the Great Lakes Piping Plover’s return to Illinois and the community effort helping protect these endangered shorebirds and their habitat along the Waukegan lakefront.

Join us as we celebrate an epic migration, a conservation success story, and the people who have come together to protect these charismatic shorebirds.

We hope to see lots of familiar faces in the audience and at the Saturday evening soirée as we show festival attendees what hometown support means!

📍 Waukegan Public Library
📅 June 20, 2026

Film festival details and ticket prices are available by scanning the QR code on the second flyer in this post or by visiting

www.littlefortfilmfestival.org

Lake County, Illinoisival

06/07/2026

Native gardening with intention and heart 🦋