Expect fall passerine migrants, particularly warblers, vireos and thrushes, plus anything else we can find. The waterfall and McDonald Woods can be magnets for warbler migrants at this time of year.  Meet at 6:45 a.m. at the Garden Visitor Center Bldg. entrance near parking lot #1.  Please RSVP with Leader:  Dave Johnson: djohnsoda@comcast.net.

Saturday and Sunday. August 22 and 23. Central Illinois River Valley including the Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Area.  Our base will likely be the Peoria area.  Depending on the "draw-downs" for shorebirds we'll visit the most promising mudflats for shorebirds at different refuges.  Expect nearly 20 species of shorebirds including Black-necked Stilts, Red-necked Phalaropes and possibly Buff-breasted Sandpipers.  Local Eurasian Tree Sparrows should be present at Emiquon.  Reservation & $100 deposit required.  Limit 14 participants.  RSVP to leader David B Johnson: djohnsoda@comcast.net or 224-567-9650.

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the forest preserve parking lot on the east side of Burnham Rd., about 1 mile south of Sauk Trail.  We'll spend the morning at Josh's favorite local summer birding spot, looking especially for grassland and shrubland birds that are otherwise rare so close to Chicago – Henslow's and grasshopper sparrows, dickcissel, yellow-breasted chat, and white-eyed vireo all breed here.  Leader:  Josh Engel. 224-213-2280

NEW IMPROMPTU TRIP to Skokie Lagoons at 9 am to catch warblers. Meet at the parking lot north of Willow Rd. just east of the Edens Expressway.  Leader:  Lynne Carpenter  312 787 0093

May 16, 2015 - Saturday
Saturday Mornings at Northwestern University Campus.  Northwestern's campus is a stopover for migrants of all kinds heading north.  Park on the lake side of the upper deck of the south parking lot off of Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach, at 8:30 a.m. Leaders:  Libby Hill and John Bates. 847-475-2096

Expect warblers and other passerines.  Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the second parking lot, which leads to the Interpretive Center.  The entrance to the Grove is on east side of Milwaukee Ave., just south of Lake Ave.  Leader:  Nancy Halliday.

Illinois State Spring Bird Count.  Contact Joel Greenberg for Lake County assignments (630-725-6660).  Contact Alan Anderson for Cook County assignments (casresearch@comcast.net or 847-390-7437).

These Friday trips pack a great list of warbler species during spring migration.  Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Forest Preserve parking lot north of Willow Rd. just east of the Edens Expressway.  Leader: Lynne Carpenter.     

Check out the spring migrants and returning breeders at this beautiful Lake County forest preserve.  Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Brushwood Center parking lot.  The entrance to the Ryerson Conservation Area is on Riverwoods Rd., north of Deerfield Rd.  Leader:  Gary Hantsbarger. 224-628-6108