January 2023

Peoria Audubon joins the Peoria Park District to sponsor the professional storyteller and historian Brian "Fox" Ellis in a performance at Forest Park Nature Center.  "Fox" will be portraying Robert Ridgeway, an American ornithologist that helped create the scientific classification and study of birds. 

“Fox” Ellis becomes Robert Ridgway, telling the story of Ridgeway's transect of the western wilderness when he was still a teenager, his life-long work at the Smithsonian Institution, his birding trips into Central America and his journey across Alaska.

Plans are to stream the live performance.  Send email to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for a link to join the performance.     

February 2023

Popular, best selling, science Writer, Naturalist, and Educational Cartoonist Rosemary Mosco will be meeting with us virtually to share her thoughts and all the stories that go with nature and her work. 

Rosemary's Bird and Moon nature comics won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Best Online Short Form Comic and were the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit. She makes best-selling science books for kids and adults and gives keynotes at birding festivals. She’s written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, PBS kids’ Elinor Wonders Why, Ranger Rick, and more.  

Send email to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for a link to join the performance.     

Leave from Forest Park

With a goal of observing waterfowl along the Illinois River, in particular Snow Geese and swans, we plan to car pool from Forest Park Nature Center to the Emiquon Preserve and other waterfowl rich habitats along the way. 

The field trip is free, but donations are appreciated.  There should be opportunities to ride with fellow birders as we take in the richness of our home area.  Between FRS radios and cell phones we will take steps to keep our caravan of birders together and informed. 

Please RSVP with a phone number by email to treasurer@peoriaaudubon.org.  If there are any schedule changes we will contact you directly.  There is no fee, but donations are appreciated, and will go to the chapter. 

March 2023

Last year, just after dusk, a large group of birders showed up at for viewing woodcocks do their sky dance.  There was a huge flurry of woodcock activity at about 6:17 p.m.  Everyone got to see the woodcocks do their dance. 

Tawny Oaks Field Station will be open later than usual for this special event. Tawny Oaks on Facebook.  

April 2023

We will have help from a number of Illinois wetland experts that previously participated in a Zoom Conference regarding "Fluddles" and the upcoming release of a film of the same name. We will learn about just what is a Fluddle, why it is important, and about the film.

You may remember Bob Dolgan, a Chicago-based nature filmmaker, from a previous Peoria Audubon meeting, when he showed his earlier film "Monty and Rose," about nesting Piping Plovers on Montrose Beach in Chicago. Bob will moderate the zoom broadcast, with help from other experts. Then, Bob will show the trailer for the film "Fluddles", which is expected to be released in the Fall of 2023.

end email to peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for a link to join the performance.

We'll meet at the parking area in Moffitt Park in Chillicothe (Google Map to Parking Area) at 7:30 a.m. and hike the short distance to the adjacent 240-acre wetland nature preserve Folks should prepare for insects, potentially muddy and uneven trails and close to a mile of walking.  We should be done around 10:00 or 10:30 a.m.    

May 2023

Statewide survey of birds. This bird count is timed to be at the peak of spring migration. The Peoria Audubon Society organizes teams to participate in the Statewide count. Contact Mike Miller at (309) 681-2858, Peoria County compiler, for more information and to volunteer.

Please join us for an exciting evening at Forest Park Nature center and streamed live via Zoom with Colin Dobson. Colin is a frequent volunteer birding field guide for Illinois Ornithological Society and Champaign Audubon in addition to being a professional bird guide, author, and full time student & researcher at the University of Illinois.