Sunday mornings at Gillson Park.  Sponsored by our partner Go Green Wilmette, Meet at 8 a.m.at the beach by the dog park. Parking is available for non-residents of Wilmette through May. For more information, contact kglennemeier@gmail.com 

Pre-Registration Not Necessary.

“’Our’ Migrating Birds in Winter:” Steven Albert and Lauren Helton. What are our migrating birds up to while they're down south?  Who is finding out, and how? What is the effect of winter habitats on summer breeding? Learn how the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) is partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a new initiative to connect conservation organizations in the Upper Midwest with groups protecting and studying migratory birds on their wintering grounds in Latin America. The goal is to help under-resourced conservationists in some 100 groups from Mexico to Argentina achieve their goals, while providing tangible benefits to North American partners. Steve Albert and Lauren Helton are biologists with the IBP.

Every single bird you have ever seen hatched from an egg.  Thus, eggs are an essential aspect of pediatrics in birds and therefore can provide important information about the health of birds at this critical stage in their life cycle.   John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum, will highlight the Field’s egg collections and how they have been and are being used in research ranging from the effects of pesticides to response to climate change.  There is so much we can learn and so much we do not yet know about the avian egg.

Radar imagery is increasingly referenced in the birding community to help determine ‘good’ birding days.  Learn how radar can detect birds, where to find radar forecasts, how to interpret the patterns displayed, and how radar can be used to assess the strength of bird migration movements.  Geoff is active in local, state, and national birding organizations.  He is a recipient of the American Birding Association’s Ludlow Griscom Award, given for outstanding contributions in regional ornithology.  He founded Third Coast Birding to foster an appreciation for and connection to the birds of the Great Lakes region and beyond.

The ENSBC Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 26, 2020.  John Leonard is the organizer, jleonard5440@yahoo.com. The count-down party will be virtual.  Visit this space for details.

The Urban Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 20.  Jeff Sanders is the organizer. yellowstart5@yahoo.com

2 pm - 3:30

Hawk Talk with Live Raptors!  (on Zoom)

Did you know we have more than 20 kinds of raptors, or birds of prey, either living in our area or migrating through? Have you ever seen one up close? Would you like to know more about them? 

If so, join naturalist Ryan DePauw from the River Trail Nature Center and meet some of his friends. Ryan will talk about birds of prey, how they hunt and raise families, and which ones are found on the North Shore and in the nearby forest preserves in Cook County. You'll get to see some live raptors up close (but on Zoom) and look at a variety of specimens as Ryan tells you about the unique adaptations these animals use to survive.

This event is sponsored by ENSBC with the Evanston Public Library.  This program is great for kids and adults.

Here is the link to register:  

https://evanston.libnet.info/event/4639904

You do not need to hold an Evanston Public Library card in order to register.  No need to fill in your library card number and pin.  Just fill out your name, email address and phone number. Your registration will be confirmed.  The day before the event, you will receive the Zoom link so you can join in.

In the spring of 2019, a pair of endangered Piping Plovers nested on Montrose Beach, the first such event in Chicago since 1955.  They and their chicks weaved themselves into the hearts of birders and non-birders alike, becoming stellar ambassadors for their species.  Over a period of ten weeks, they were monitored by volunteers from sunrise to sunset, affording a unique opportunity for observation and learning.  To widespread joy, Monty and Rose returned to Montrose to nest again in 2020.  Tamima Itani, Volunteer Coordinator and Board Member, Illinois Ornithological Society, and Louise Clemency, Field Supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chicago Field Office, will describe Piping Plover life history and how the Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort is bringing these birds back. They will share anecdotes from their Chicago experiences.  

Look for fall warblers, thrushes and other migrants.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. corner of Ewing Ave. and Grant St.  Leaders: Josh Engel and John Bates.  Limit: 12 participants. Masks and social distancing required. Preregistration required.  Register with

              info@ensbc.org