This presentation will highlight the challenges and successes of the field Museum's Bird Division. The current Field Museum collaborations in the highlands of the Albertine Rift--a lush, densely populated region that extends from southern Sudan to northeast Zambia and includes some of the world's largest lakes--go back more than twenty years and have included fieldwork in Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, and Burundi. The region's forests are best known for their populations of gorillas and chimpanzees, but they also contain more than forty species of birds that are found nowhere else in the world. Field Museum curator John Bates will share his recent field experiences in eastern Congo, which includes finding a bird that hadn't been seen in nearly fifty years and having to flee the forest because of rebel activity.

Rick Remington will share photos of the diverse bird populations that inhabit this amazing area tucked into NW Illinois. This beautiful land untouched by glaciers in the last ice age, borders 3 different states including Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The big avian attraction here is the mighty Mississippi River which is largely responsible for the many different species migrating through the area each year. Rick will share photos of birds from all seasons with a primary focus on Bald Eagles, White Pelicans and Trumpeter Swans. He will share his favorite locations based on countless hours of exploring the area with his wife Jennifer. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about this incredible resource located just 2.5 hours from the city of Chicago!

Friday travel date, Saturday and Sunday trip dates Central Illinois River Valley Shorebird trip: Emiquon, Globe tract, Thompson Lake, Chautauqua NWR, and elsewhere near Havana, IL. Trip departs Saturday morning 6:00 a.m. from McLean, just south of Bloomington, Illinois off I-55 at 6:00 a.m. Our base will be McLean, Illinois near the Dixie Truck stop. Recommended Friday and Saturday overnight stays at Super 8 Motel. Approx. cost $80-100. including lodging based on double occupancy. Breakfast and lunch included, dinners on your own. Target species: shorebirds inc. Red-necked Phalarope, Black-necked Stilt, avocet and others--hopefully we'll tally 20 species of shorebirds, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and other migrants. Some moderate walking involved. Limit 15 participants. We'll be carpooling and driving to shorebird locations. If you've never seen the Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Nature Preserve--this trip is for you! Reservations required by contacting leader: David B. Johnson, 224-567-9650 or by email at djohnsoda@comcast.net.

Saturday. This unique trip will allow you a great chance to see Whip-poor-wills, a bird in serious decline, after hours in the South Unit of the State Park. Meet at 7:00 pm at the Nature Center parking lot to bird the area for local nesters prior to looking for the Whip-poor-wills. The Nature Center entrance is just west of the Illinois Beach Resort in the South Unit. Leader: Sulli Gibson and Joel Greenberg.

Check out the spring migrants and returning breeders at this beautiful Lake County forest preserve. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Brushwood parking lot. Ryerson Woods is on Riverwoods Rd, northwest of Deerfield. Leader: Gary Hantsbarger

We will be looking for migrating passerines at this park. Meet at 7:00 a.m. Park south of the Museum of Science and Industry after driving on the east side of the building. Leader: Dick Young.

These Friday trips pack a great list of warbler species during spring migration. Meet at 8:a.m. at the Forest Preserve parking lot north of Willow Rd. just east of the Edens Expressway Leader will be there at 7:30 but the trip will begin at 8 am. Leader: Joel Greenberg.

This area has long been a stopover for migrants of all kinds headed north. Park on the lakeside of the upper deck of the south parking lots off of Sheridan Rd. and Clark St., north of Clark St. beach, at 8:30 a.m Leaders: Sue Robert and Libby Hill

Check out the spring migrants and returning breeders at this beautiful Lake County forest preserve. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Brushwood parking lot. Ryerson Woods is on Riverwoods Rd, northwest of Deerfield. Leader: Gary Hantsbarger.