Miller Meadow Guided Tour
Miller Meadow Forest Preserve, IL
Thursday 25 June 2020
73 °F
Early this morning I led a guided tour to Miller Meadow Forest Preserve to search for Yellow- and Black-billed Cuckoos, Sedge Wrens, and Dickcissels among other things with Kim H and Susie N.
Basically upon stepping out of the car I had a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO in the trees above the parking lot which was awesome to get one of our target birds right off the bat:
A male EASTERN BLUEBIRD in the area was also nice:
We had BARN, TREE, and these NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS:
Upon arriving to the meadow, there was a good number of singing DICKCISSELS which is always nice to get in the little overgrown, weedy prairie that Miller has to offer. If they did some restoration, I’m sure the place could hold a lot more grassland birds. We also had a single each BOBOLINK & EASTERN MEADOWLARK.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER was also nice:
Male INDIGO BUNTING:
We checked for Sedge Wren and Black-billed Cuckoo out by the marshy pond (thanks to Jill A for the tip!) on the east side of the North Meadow but came up empty, instead finding a GREAT BLUE HERON and this single WOOD DUCK. Next time!
It was still a nice outing and great to be guiding. I had my doubts about guiding at first but since I have had years of experience through Oak Park Bird Walks I am happy to begin doing this. To reserve a guided birding trip with me, please email me at: [email protected]
Bird-of-the-day to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo with runners-up to the Dickcissels.
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1120 Species
There are super obnoxious invasive alien teasel plants in this location. You're right- the people who run the place need to do some serious eradication of alien species and restoration grassland projects. There are all too many degraded sites like this. Maybe you could contact Prairie Enthusiasts or another such group. These projects depend on volunteer labor. Birders arise!
by liz cifani