The great migration
Millions of birds travel north each spring — here’s how to see the action within a couple of hours of Chicago while you hike, bike, kayak or picnic
Nothing signals spring more majestically than the mass northern migration of millions of birds from their southern wintering grounds.
Illinois sits along what’s known as the Mississippi Flyway, an avian migration thoroughfare that generally follows the route of the Mississippi River, but stretches to Canada from the Gulf of Mexico. For committed bird-watchers, this annual phenomenon is cause for celebration, an opportunity to spot the vibrantly hued plumage of numerous winged species, and hear their fervent songs, as they visit a variety of local habitats on their way northward.
These seven destinations — all within about two hours of Chicago — will instill joy in the hearts of birders and also tantalize those who simply want to throw out a fishing line or picnic in the forest.
Dorothy and Sam Dean Nature Sanctuary (Oak Brook)
Whether you’re a birder, bicyclist, garden lover or kayaker, this sanctuary is ideally suited for an array of nature-based activities. For this, you can thank the Deans, the couple who helped found Oak Brook and who owned this land for decades, with Dorothy determined that it remain in its natural state.
The pond is one nexus for bird activity, with great blue herons waiting for small fish along the shore. You’ll be able to identify male purple martins by their deep hue and croaky vocalizations. The nearby twin limestone trails meander to a variety of interpretive gardens, including one planted with native herbs. Cyclists can easily jump on the Salt Creek Greenway Trail, pedaling 3 miles to Possum Hollow Woods, hoping to spy whitebreasted nuthatches. Others may prefer to canoe or kayak 9 miles on the Salt Creek River Trail from the sanctuary to the Plank Road Meadow boat ramp, spotting beavers and deer along the way. www.obparks.org/facilities/ dean-nature-sanctuary
Sand Ridge Nature Center (South Holland)
Geology geeks will be thrilled to learn that this 255-acre expanse owes its name to the prehistoric beach it sits atop, which emerged after glacial waters receded. This land formation (Toleston Beach Ridge) played a historic role in the Underground Railroad, allowing enslaved people who were seeking freedom to travel north toward Canada on the “high road” rather than negotiating wetlands.
The center’s network of short trails offer numerous opportunities to traverse different ecosystems, from prairie to wetlands. Walk the oak-lined Redwing Trail that parallels the same-named pond and you’ll likely hear the tapping of yellow-shafted flickers or other woodpeckers. Common loons emit their haunting call as they glide above the water. Along the Dogwood Trail, stand on the boardwalk overlooking the marsh to observe pied-billed grebes as well as dragonflies hunting for small insects. fpdcc.com/places/ locations/sand-ridge-naturecenter
Illinois Beach State Park (Zion)
Stretching 6.5 miles along Lake Michigan, this park occupies the state’s last remaining large swath of undeveloped shoreline. Bird-watchers and hikers alike will enjoy the Dunes and Dead River trails, two connected loops that wend through black oak woodland, dunes, wetland and prairie.
Both routes (the latter named for the often sandbar-choked Dead River) are brimming with bird life. You’ll likely hear the boisterous calls of sandhill cranes as they cruise overhead. Great egrets and other wading birds often perch on the river’s edge. Blackburnian warblers and other migrant songbirds can be found on the branches of black oaks. When trekking on the Dunes Trail, Brewer’s blackbirds can be seen on your way to the beach, where you may notice Caspian terns and ring-billed gulls.
The dunes themselves are delightful for hundreds of plant species, including prickly pear cactus. www2.illinois.gov/dnr/ parks/pages/adelinejaygeo-karisillinoisbeach.aspx
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area (near Morris)
Gone are the days when Illinois was covered in prairie, which makes this park all the more special: It’s home to the state’s largest remaining such ecosystem.
Stroll past big bluestem and Indian grass along the 1-mile Tall Grass Nature Trail, where history buffs will learn that settlers drained Goose Lake for farmland, only to end up with unfarmable marshes. You’ll pass a replica of the Cragg Cabin that was relocated here beside a pond where you may find gray tree frogs. (One of Grundy County’s first two-story homes also welcomed teamsters hauling cargo between Chicago and Bloomington in the 1800s.)
The property’s marshes are excellent habitats for bluewinged teals, wood ducks and other waterfowl. Keep your eyes peeled in the prairie’s wet areas for the male Wilson’s snipe that performs an elaborate courtship display. www2.illinois.gov/dnr/ Parks/Pages/GooseLakePrairie. aspx
Rock Cut State Park (Loves Park)
With its duo of placid lakes and swaths of forestland, this 3,000-some-acre state park is a welcome destination for numerous bird species. Settle into the Red Oak or Bay View picnic area on Pierce Lake’s south shore, where you’ll spot redheads and other species of ducks diving for clams. This lake also attracts belted kingfishers and doublecrested cormorants. Anglers enjoy both Pierce and Olson lakes, hoping to snag largemouth bass or bluegill. Among the more than 40 miles of trails — mostly for hiking and mountain biking — the paved Willow Creek Trail is especially lovely in the early morning, when hooded warblers may be spotted plucking insects from the surface of the water. Mountain bikers who want more of a workout can tackle the short, hilly route from West Lake to an old limestone shelter. www2. illinois.gov/dnr/parks/pages/ rockcut.aspx
Starved Rock State Park (Oglesby)
The gushing glacial meltwaters that came after the last ice age carved the grand sandstone canyons that are the signature features of this park (whose name reflects the 18th-century legend of a band of Native Americans who were trapped and died atop a soaring bluff after fleeing a rival group.) You can hike into any of the eight accessible canyons, where seasonal waterfalls cascade, by either navigating a short path from a nearby parking lot or trekking longer distances from the visitors center. As you amble through dense woodlands to Kaskaskia Canyon, listen for the flutelike song of the hermit thrush. On the floor of the popular Wildcat Canyon, you’ll likely eye male Northern rough-winged swallows catching insects in the air and taking them back to their nests in the canyon wall. www2. illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/ StarvedRock.aspx
Mississippi Palisades State Park (Savanna)
A millennia of water erosion contributed to this park’s dramatic topography of deep ravines and towering bluffs that Native Americans once traversed in lieu of negotiating the rugged lowlands. Drive and stop often along the north-south blacktop road with access to small parking spots, picnic tables and paths to four observation decks that reveal the park’s grandeur. (The bluff-top wooden decks especially captivate photographers with their commanding views of the lazy Mississippi River.) As you wander toward one of these, Lookout Point, listen for the loud, tea-kettle-like whistling of the Carolina wren. Also, a yellowbellied sapsucker may be drumming on a tree trunk. Although the park’s terrain is hardly gentle, it’s rewarding for hikers, hobby botanists and birders alike. On the Sentinel Trail, for example, you’ll find 3-foot-tall ferns, carpets of brilliant wildflowers, including the rare ill-scented Trillium, and Acadian flycatchers with their distinctive two-note song. www2. illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/ MississippiPalisades.aspx