New location
Let the Rut Begin Postscript
Ironically, early yesterday morning I received a call regarding a buck that had just been hit and was trying to drag itself out of the road. I was already in the car and only about five minutes away, so I decided to check on him right away. I found him on the grassy shoulder. He…
Horned Grebe, Cold Waters
This Horned Grebe, a small migratory water bird, hit a window in our great city and descended to the walkway below. Like Loons, Grebes are meant for diving not for walking on or taking off from dry land. Grounded, he sat waiting for help. A passerby picked him up and phoned our Northerly Island bird…
Bye Bye Birdie – Flying South for the Winter
Well, migration is coming to an end for the fall. Birds of prey, which migrate during the day, are still coming through…so are Sandhill Cranes. For the most part, however, the small migratory birds have already passed through our area. Some birds migrated to southern Illinois while others went to places like the southern United…
Let the Rut Begin
Warning to all drivers – watch out for those White-tailed Deer. You see, White-tailed Deer are now in rut. Rut, which is triggered by shorter photoperiod days, is mating season and that means that bucks only have one thing on their minds! They aren’t watching for your car headlights, but rather they are in pursuit…
The Beauty of Silent Flight
She flew silently into the night without much deliberation. She landed in a nearby tree and disappeared. We hoped that she would reveal her location by a soft trill or whinney, two Eastern Screech Owl vocalizations, but we heard nothing except the rustle of leaves.