ILYB Winter 2015 eNewsletter

The Snowy Owl Edition

"Where's the snow?" I've heard that comment from several people lately - from my kids to strangers in the grocery store. After last winter, honestly, I think a little snow might be nice to look at, but I say leave the bulk of the powdery white stuff to the ski resorts. I don't know about you, but snow makes me think of ice skating, building a snowman with my kids, and that majestic wanderer of the arctic, the Snowy Owl. (Only a birder, right?)

Snowy Owls have again irrupted south into the eastern half of the United States. Maybe you've seen one already this winter. If not, you can increase your chances of finding a Snowy Owl by knowing what habitat they prefer. Snowy Owls gravitate to open areas that remind them of their treeless arctic home - agriculture fields, beaches, and even airports. In fact this month, Snowy Owls have been seen at both O'Hare and Midway Airports. Now, I wouldn't recommend driving around an airport with your binoculars and camera. That's asking for trouble from airport security. But, if you're headed to Vail or Park City for vacation, you might want to keep one eye on the runway during takeoff. Near Chicago, birders should check the piers and breakwaters of Lake Michigan for Snowy Owls. In the rural parts of the state, agriculture fields are a good bet.

After a successful breeding season, young Snowy Owls often wander south.

Snowy Owls can be found on beaches, at airports, or in agriculture fields.

In 2015, Illinois Young Birders will offer another full slate of unique educational opportunities and exciting field trips with a chance to see owls and much more. Last year, our young birders recorded 200 species of birds on club sponsored field trips. Maybe this year, we'll add Snowy Owl to that list.

Read our winter ILYB eNewsletter to find out more and I hope to see you in the field!

Matthew Cvetas - Adult Coordinator, Illinois Young Birders

FIELD TRIP
Drawing and Painting Birds
Field Museum, Chicago, IL
Sunday, Jan 11th - 9:30 A.M.

We have a very special January trip planned--a drawing and painting class at the Field Museum with renowned artist, Peggy McNamara.

Peggy is the museum's artist-in-residence, a professor at the School of the Art Institute, and the illustrator of several natural history-related books.

Art supplies will be provided, and young birders will receive a sketchbook, so that they can continue learning and practicing sketching in the field. The class will take place in the museum's bird collection, where we'll use mounted specimens as models. And if that's not tempting enough, when we are done illustrating, a pizza lunch will be provided. For those who want to get out birding, we can chum for gulls in Monroe Harbor after lunch. So, bring your binoculars.

Free parking information will be provided when you RSVP.

RSVP for Field Trip

Blazing a Trail
Ten trailside interpretive panels were installed at Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve in Grayslake this summer, highlighting the site's history, restoration efforts and unique features. From the native seed nursery to the natural resource techniques used to improve habitat for grassland-dependent species, visitors can learn more about this popular preserve. One panel even highlights artwork by young birder, Nandu Dubey, a neighbor of Rollins. Nandu is a local artist and birder that has frequented this site since his early childhood.

FIELD TRIP (SOLD OUT)
IOS Gull Frolic
Winthrop Harbor, IL
Saturday, Feb 14th - 9:30 A.M.

Join us for one of the premier annual winter birding events in the midwest - the 2015 IOS Gull Frolic.

The annual Gull Frolic is produced by the Illinois Ornithological Society (IOS) and is held at the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club on Lake Michigan at the Illinois/Wisconsin border. There is a $15 participation fee to attend. Your participation fee includes plenty of goodies such as:

All you can eat buffet (coffee and pastry in the AM, lunch in the PM)
Displays from local environmental organizations and sponsors
Educational seminars
Access to the Yacht Club for warmth and bathroom breaks
Birding experts to help with gull identification

Young birders will get a chance to meet the broader birding community as well as hone their gull identification skills.

This year's Gull Frolic is sold out. If you'd like to be put on a waiting list, send us an email.

Put Me on the Waiting List

(Bird) Wherever You Rome
It's been a few months since we last checked in with our world traveler, Isoo O'Brien. In his latest blog, we find Isoo in Rome, Italy, visiting the Colosseum and birding in Villa Doria Pamphili Park. See what new avian wonders Isoo has discovered at http://www.traveltobird.com.

FIELD TRIP
Owls, Hunters of the Night
Bartel Grassland, Matteson, IL
Sunday, Mar 1st - 1:00 P.M.

You won't want to miss this. Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation will present one of their most exciting education programs, Hunters of the Night.

In this program, we'll learn all about owls that are indigenous to Illinois, including some less common species that pass through the area. We'll even get an up close look at live birds of prey.

Afterwards, we'll search nearby Bartel Grasslands for Short-eared Owl, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and other daytime roosting owls.

Flint Creek is dedicated to the care of injured and orphaned wildlife and to educating the public about wildlife and wildlife-related issues.

Make a Difference - Give to ILYB
This past year exceeded even our lofty expectations. Through the support of our parent organization - Illinois Ornithological Society (IOS), our young birder families, and you, we were able to offer exciting field trips and education programs that engaged young birders not just from Illinois, but Indiana and Iowa as well. 2014 was also a year of growth for ILYB. We dramatically increased both our membership and our field trip participation.

To find out more about how our organization impacts the lives of young birders, click the image below to read our 2014 End of the Year Impact Statement.

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You can make a difference in the quality of programs that ILYB has to offer by offering your time or by making a donation to our organization. Consider giving to ILYB today. Your generous gift will help us foster young birders in Illinois and enable us to support the future growth of tomorrow’s birding community leaders, scientists, and environmental stewards.

Make a Donation to ILYB

IOWA YOUNG BIRDERS
FIELD TRIP
Crane Weekend
Kearney, NE
Mar 28-29th

Iowa Young Birders offers this amazing opportunity to all young birders. On March 28-29, board a chartered bus for a field trip to central Nebraska to witness the spectacle of thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes. To find out more information, visit the Iowa Young Birders Web Site.

Click Here for More Information

ABA Young Birder Camps
The American Birding Association (ABA) again offers two exciting camps for young birders aged 13 to 18: Camp Avocet and Camp Colorado. Registration is now open on the ABA Web site.

http://events.aba.org/aba-young-birder-camps/

2015 ILYB Field Trips

Drawing and Painting Birds - Chicago, IL
Sunday, Jan 11th - 9:30 A.M.

IOS Gull Frolic - Winthrop Harbor, IL (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, Feb 14th - 9:30 A.M.

Owls, Hunters of the Night - Matteson, IL
Sunday, Mar 1st - 1:00 P.M.

Early Spring Migrants - Hoffman Estates, IL
Sunday, Apr 26th - 7:00 A.M.

Woodland Birds - Palos Park, IL
Sunday, May 17th - 7:00 A.M.

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