not quite a big year, but pretty close

Birding 101 was a success!.....I think :)    It took a while to see some birds....after first admiring the snails and frogs on the trail, but I think we caught the birding-bug.  The post-game stats:

Animal	Count
Robin	1
Bluejay	1
American Goldfinch	1
Tree Swallow	17
Black Throated Blue Warbler	1
Black Capped Chicakdee	1
Indigo Bunting	1
Eastern Bluebird	2
Goose	4
Vulcher	1
Sparrow	1
Snails	26
Frogs	18

We hear them.....but can't see them!  

Exploring the prairie

Only photo with an iPhone....tree swallow

ID the eastern bluebird

These are happy faces....but we were hot!  Very warm day!  

With the birding bug firmly in place....our family decided to watch a super-funny movie the next day....called The Big Year, which chronicles the birding adventures of 3 gentlemen who are trying to set the world record for most species sighted in a calendar year.

I think the next read in my non-stop-non-fiction (NSNF) personal book club will be: 

Check it out!  

A bit of birding

OK!  I think the plan should work for this Saturday, May 18!  Looking forward to it!

PLAN:
When?  9:00 AM Saturday May 18....end latest by 12:00 PM 
Where?  Park at the Buck Schroth Trail parking area (#3 on the map)
Why? Bird Watching
What?  Binoculars, Bird Book, Snacks, Tick/Bug repellent
Who?  Anybody!  Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters! 

At this point, I think we'll start along the north part of the red trail, then walk along the big loop that is made by the combined red and blue trails.  That'll be about 4 miles total.  If we decide to move into the green trail, we can do so...I intend to be back at the parking area no later than 12:00 PM.  Certainly, anyone is welcome to cut it short, head back, or go longer!

SOME BIRDS THAT HAVE ALL BEEN SIGHTED RECENTLY AT ALLERTON!!

Put a Bird On It!

Well, I happened to go onto eBird and view some of the bird sightings at Allerton (a hyperlink from the last post).  Lo and behold, one of the most active birders at Allerton works in my building!  So, I just walked down one flight of stairs, and got some great tips and hints for birding at the park!   But first, take a look at this map of Allerton below.....here is a link for the same map online, which is interactive!

My colleague was very helpful, and he/she suggested a couple of trails (he/she indicated that each is about 2 miles).  The RED TRAIL traverses largely through the prairie habitats.  The BLUE and GREEN trails are forest trails, which host different habitats and different birds.  Then we can use any of the trails to make our way down toward the Sangamon River, which hosts more aquatic habitats.  

PLAN:
My initial plan is to park at the Buck Schroth Trail parking area (#3 on the map) at 9:00 AM on Saturday, May 18th.  At this point, I think we'll start along the north part of the red trail, then walk along the big loop that is made by the combined red and blue trails.  That'll be about 4 miles total.  If we decide to move into the green trail, we can do so...I intend to be back at the parking area no later than 12:00 PM.  Certainly, anyone is welcome to cut it short, head back, or go longer!

STUFF:
If you have them, bring binoculars!  or a camera!  or a bird field book!  or a tree ID book!  or a  lunch!  Bring one of these.....bring all of these!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
eBird seems to be the most accessible resource for birds specific to Allerton.  A big "THANK YOU" to the birders that post on the website!  I encourage you to go to the Allerton eBird website and check out some of the sightings.  It seems that someone is posting every day!  One of the most rigorous posters on the site works at Allerton, so it's likely a trustworthy resource.  We should be able to have a good knowledge of some birds to view!!

WHAT NEXT:
If you think you may join, I encourage you to post in the comments on this website.  That will help a bit with planning and waiting for stragglers, but if you want to just show up, that's ok too.  Look forward to it!

Shall we do a Big Year? Birding 101 MAY 18, 2019

OK!  Some details about our upcoming trip to Allerton Park! At this point, I haven't resolved parking details, trails, and all that stuff, but I'm anticipating about a 3-hour visit in the park.  Anyone is welcome to leave early or try to meet up with us.  I'll post an anticipated trail-route and more details in a few days.

First, my intention is to observe those beautiful creatures we call BIRDS!  Second, I know VERY LITTLE about them.  So, we may just have to wing it!  I know.....I'm sorry.   However, hopefully some of the resources below can help us get a start!! 



Regardless, you can start to research which birds we may see at the eBird website.  It seems fantastic, and it was strongly recommended by a birding friend.


A global map of eBird entries can be viewed here.  You can zoom into North America.....all the way to Allerton or anywhere else. 

Recent sighting at Allerton can be viewed here.

Apparently 6 of these Scarlet Tanagers were sighted in Allerton on May 8!!!!  I want to see one!  Some of the birders that enter data on eBird have recorded dozens of species every day from Allerton.  So we are bound to see some of them!!