Can there be a sweeter or more convincing herald of spring than the song sparrow? Certainly the

January through April are prime months for ducks in the greater Chicago area and Barrington is no

With the approach of the Christmas season, thoughts turn to traditional holiday music. Among the

Several recent appearances of an uncommon visitor to the Barrington area prompt me to add it to the

Several years ago – actually, it may have been twenty! – there was a message on our voicemail from a

There are not a lot of birds singing this time of year. Most species have nested, raised their

For many migrant birds that nest in the Barrington area, it’s easy to predict where and when they’ll

Barrington hosts a fair number of large birds, ones that exceed four feet in length or six feet in

A bird that I’ve come to associate with early spring is the blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila

When I first became a serious birder while living in northern Virginia, I heard friends talk about

One of the pleasures of winter birding is the search for wintering waterfowl. Ducks that have bred

The early birds have been singing again and that can only mean one thing. It's about time for the

Recent spells of arctic weather have left many of our natural areas seemingly bereft of birdlife.

Twice during the first week in October I received messages and photos from friends about little

On a recent bird walk at Beverly Lake in Spring Creek Forest Preserve, our group stood for several

For most birds that spend the summer in our area, August is a relatively quiet month. Courtship,

One of our local summer bird residents, despite its dazzling appearance, is so small it often goes

I probably would not have chosen the black-billed cuckoo (Coccyrus erythropthalmus) to profile in

This time of year I eagerly await the arrival of local nesting birds which have wintered elsewhere.

Spring has sprung and it's time to explore nature and discover wildlife with naturalist Wendy

Even with this relatively mild winter, local ponds and lakes have retained ice cover during January

For the month of Valentine’s Day, it seems fitting to focus on a bird that incorporates the color

For many people in northern temperate zones, the primary place they watch birds in winter is at

Should you be out at dusk these brisk December days, especially near a woodland, you might well hear

October brings to local ponds, lakes, and rivers large numbers of waterfowl, most of which have bred

Get out and enjoy the fall migration with Barrington area naturalist and author of our Birds of

A bird you might miss in the Barrington area unless you know something of its habits and movements

If there were a prize offered for the most elegant among songbirds, the cedar waxwing (Bombycilla

A month into summer, birdsong has diminished considerably. But a few species still vocalize

One of the more stunning species that nests in the Barrington area is the scarlet tanager (Piranga

Update: On the morning of June 9, 2015, Jim Bodkin and George Pierce of Citizens for Conservation

A frequently overlooked bird that returns to the Barrington area each spring, sometimes as early as

If you have been the least bit attentive to bird activity or song these days, no doubt you have

As I write this profile near the end of a frigid February, there is little indication that migrants

It's that time of year again! A new season of eleven upcoming Spring Bird Walks & Hikes with

Recently a friend emailed me about a scene he observed outside the window of his kitchen in the

Citizens for Conservation, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the Village of Barrington

If you've always wanted to pitch in and help Citizens for Conservation refurbish the rookery island

The migrant birds mostly departed the Barrington area a couple months ago. A few may linger – some

Is there any sound more attention-catching than the bugle of the sandhill crane? Loud, deliberate,

Most of the neo-tropical migrants, long-distance fliers that spend the non-breeding season in

Thinking of the Midwest and its birds, one does not readily envision shorebirds, those species

As an English major, I had favorite poems. At the top of the list was John Keats’ “To Autumn.” I

Tyrannus tyrannus is the Latin name for the eastern kingbird. The bird lives up to its name. It

Many friends have told me this spring of seeing a neon orange bird flying from tree to tree in their

Editors Note: Wendy Paulson's next Barrington bird hike is coming up on Friday, May 23rd. See below

Editors Note:  Wendy Paulson's first Barrington bird hike of this spring is coming up at Ron Beese

If there is any songbird that consistently arrests attention, especially in a winter landscape, it

A true harbinger of spring arrived in my email inbox today when Citizens for Conservation sent this

Cross-country skiing on the first day of February in a local forest preserve, I brightened at the

December's Christmas trees serve an important purpose for birds in Barrington once the new year

A fair number of Barringtonians head south for winter months, joining other northern “snowbirds” in

Lots of people ask me what my favorite bird is. I don’t hesitate to answer. It has been and, I

If you've enjoyed our recent Birds of Barrington series about area birds profiled by Barrington

The bobolink, a bird of large grasslands, is one of Barrington’s most cosmopolitan summer residents.

Have you caught yourself staring at a largish, elegant, pure white bird flying above town in

A woodpecker on the ground?? If you see what you think might be a woodpecker on terra firma, it is

Because it's Earth Day and it's beautiful outside (thank you, Mother Nature), we decided it's a

Grab your waterproof boots and binoculars and get to know nearby nature with a series of spring bird