One for the Birds - Kane County Audubon Society

Growing up on the “East Side” of Chicago.. (103rd & Ewing) I didn’t see a lot of birds growing up. Well, I did see a lot of birds, but they were mostly sparrows. Little brown birds… and they all looked the same to me at the time anyway. We had a very small yard, and not much in the way of trees. In fact, between the sidewalk and the street was Chicago’s infamous “Green cement”.

When my family moved to the south suburbs, to a house with a big yard and trees, I started to notice a much wider variety of birds (They aren’t all just brown after all!). Once I put up my first feeder I was hooked!

I’d say for the last five years or so, I’d say I consider myself a “birdwatcher” or “birder”. I have a bunch of feeders up at my house, and in the summer I get up to around a dozen feeders. I do my best to keep them all full while, all while waging a (losing) battle against the squirrels.

My official life-list is at 51 birds. I’ve seen far more than that, but this list is strictly the birds I have positively identified.

Since I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not really seeing many new “back yard birds” I said this year I was going to get out looking more often. There’s a couple nature & birding clubs in the area I wanted to check out, and last night I went to my first meeting of the Kane County Audubon Society at Peck Farm Park in Geneva.

Joined by about forty or so other birders and nature enthusiasts, everyone reported on first sightings of spring birds they’ve seen, and where the action was at some local hotspots.

We also got an update on the Great Horned Owls at the Third Street Courthouse in Geneva. This is the fourth year they have nested there. Unfortunately, just over a week ago the one owlet in the nest fell into a window well at the courthouse.

Through great effort by members of the Kane County Audubon Society, they were able to get animal control and someone from the courthouse to help (no easy task on a Saturday!). The little guy (or gal, too young to tell) was rescued, and moved safely to the roof of the courthouse building by animal control.

The latest reports are that the owl has been spotted in nearby trees and appears to be doing just fine!

It’ll be nice to get out with some more experienced birders to see some new birdies this year. The club does official planned outings as well as some impromptu get-togethers to go out walking and watching.