December 2011

Wed. Dec. 14 7:00 PM

Travis Wilcoxen, Assistant Professor of Biology at Millikin University, will share plenty of information and new data on his recent research into bird feeding.  Travis will present, "Are your feeder birds healthy?" 

Peoria Audubon society conducts three annual Christmas Bird Counts.  Contact Thad Edmonds at 309-243-1854 for details and to participate in the Peoria Bird Count

Peoria Audubon society conducts three annual Christmas Bird Counts.  Contact Dick BJorklund at 309-968-6502 for details and to participate in the Chautauqua Bird Count

Peoria Audubon society conducts three annual Christmas Bird Counts: Contact Tracy Fox (309-369-5331) for details and to participate in the Chillicothe Bird Count. 

Bring your CD of jpgs, videos, or slide carousel, table service and a covered dish to share. Members present photo/video highlights from the year. Christmas Bird Count results will be presented. Note the earlier 6:30 starting time. As always, guests are welcome!

Peoria Audubon Society annually conducts a census of the eagle population along the Illinois river from Henry, IL to Havana, IL Five teams will be needed to complete the census. This usually takes half of a day.  Contact Mike Miller (309-681-2858) to volunteer for one of the teams. Last year, more than 600 eagles were identified and counted. 

Tom Hintz, Site Superintendent at Jubilee College State Park, 10 miles west of Peoria, will speak on prairie restoration, birding, and other recreational opportunities at the State Park.  Tom promised to bring a large number of slides to showcase the wonders at the park.   

Annual 4-day event that engages bird watchers to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.  Click the Video to learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count.  

This trip will take in some of the migratory hotspots along the Illinois River Valley. The areas we visit depend on where scouting reports show the birds to be, but will probably include Spring Lake, Chautauqua, Emiquon and Rice Lake. Timing of this trip should be good for spring migration of waterfowl.  Registration will include transportation in a Peoria Park District van, lunch and snacks. Trip Leaders; Mike Miller and Maury Brucker

Pre-registration required Call Forest Park Nature Center @ 309-686-3360 for info and to register Fee; $35/person, Nature Center and Peoria Audubon Members discount price $30/person. Meet at FPNC @ 7:00 AM, Return by 4:00 PM

Jason Beverlin, Site Supervisor at Emiquon, will speak about the new amenities and recreational opportunities at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Restoration near Havana along the Illinois River.  The Grand Opening of the 7000 acre lake was in June 2011

Verne Kleen, one of only two people in Illinois licensed to band hummingbirds, will be sharing The Hummingbird Story with us.  Verne will tell stories and sharing all types of information about these tiny feathered powerhouses.  

Peoria Audubon participates in the statewide Illinois Spring Bird Count. This annual event is held on the Saturday between May 4 and May 11 at the peak of the Spring migration.  Multiple teams will go out into the field to take a census of migrating birds in our area.  Contact Count Coordinator Mike Miller at 309-681-2858 for  more details and to volunteer for this event. 

Don Chamberlain, from DEC Mind Meld Photography Decatur, IL, will be speak on bird photography and share photography tips gleaned during several in-the-field photography workshops taken during the 2009 and 2010 Space Coast Birding Festival in Titusville, Florida. 

Maury Brucker will lead a trip northward to the lakes at Hennepin-Hopper, where a 2600-acre refuge was created with a complex of restored lakes, wetlands, and prairie.  On the return leg, everyone will stop at a Oak Bluff Savanna near Chillicothe.  Maury indicated that the group may also stop for sandwiches on the return trip. 

Be at the Forest Park Nature Center at 9:00 AM to go on the trip.  No need to call ahead, but be there promptly at 9:00 AM to go.  Contact Maury at 309-691-5213 for more information.