I have encountered Barred Owls at various places – in Washington, DC when I led bird walks in Rock Creek Park; in
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* All images captured by local wildlife photographer, Stephen Barten. Most owls are nocturnal creatures. They sleep by day and are active
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On an August walk in Cook County’s newest forest preserve, Horizon Farm on Sutton Road, I was surprised to see a large
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* Above photo courtesy of Ronald Ziegler via Macaulay Library It’s getting late for the passage of falcons through our latitude. Peregrines,
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Often when I’m weeding or harvesting in the garden, I hear mewing notes coming from nearby thickets. There is no mistake about
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Images by Citizens for Conservation volunteer & wildlife photographer, Steve Barten. I heard a Red-winged Blackbird for the first time this year
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One of the unexpected pleasures of the COVID year has been the opportunity to pay more attention to the birds around our
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Often on restoration workdays with Citizens for Conservation, participants share sightings of mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, plants they have seen recently. We
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* Featured photo by Barrington wildlife photographer, Stephen Barten When you are trying to get a handle on bird identifications, it’s useful
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When the World Trade Center towers were struck on Sept. 11, 2001, I was in New York’s Central Park birding with a
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I wrote last month’s column on the eve of the annual Barrington Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Thirty-one intrepid counters participated in the
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For many if not most local birders, watching birds is a pastime largely of spring, summer, and fall. But for the most
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On classic early and mid-October days, when the sky reigns brilliant blue over a golden landscape, I love to go looking for
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It’s interesting how many birds carry the epithet “common” – for example, common nighthawk, common merganser, common goldeneye, common grackle. It is
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It’s snipe season! Yes, for those still thinking that “hunting for snipe” means looking for an imaginary bird, you can be assured
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