2014 Bird Tour

What a great day Saturday was for the bird tour that the Southeast Environmental Task Force sponsored. Perfect weather, great sightings!

Thank you to Walter Marcisz, local bird expert, for leading the group.
The amazing results of our day were logged below by Walter.

And YES!!!.....we did observe a bald eagle, who posed high in a tree before he treated us to a show by soaring overhead and circling above us for some time.
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(from Walter Marcisz)
We had a total of 52 bird species at Eggers Grove (our complete Eggers list is pasted at the end of this message). After Eggers, we added a few more species: 1 Illinois Endangered LITTLE BLUE HERON at 126th St. Marsh; 1 NORTHERN HARRIER & 2 RUDDY DUCKS at Harborside Golf Course; and 2 RED-TAILED HAWKS at the Stony Island landfills between 116th & 122nd Streets.

Therefore our total for the day was 56 species in all. Seventeen of these species were migrants which will continue north and breed to the north of us in the northern USA or Canada. The remaining species will stay for the summer (or year-round, in some cases).
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Eggers Grove Forest Preserve (Chicago), Cook, US-IL
May 3, 2014 8:55 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: "Not for Birders Only" Brown Bag Eco-Tour sponsored by Southeast Environmental Task Force.
52 species

Canada Goose 13 (total includes 1 adult incubating on nest)
Mallard 3
Blue-winged Teal 4
Northern Shoveler 3
Ring-necked Duck 3
Double-crested Cormorant 13 (flyovers)
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 2
Great Egret 1 (flyover)
Green Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1 (1 juvenile/1st-year bird being mobbed by crows)
American Coot 24
Solitary Sandpiper 6
Ring-billed Gull 20 (flyovers)
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 1 (flyover)
Chimney Swift 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1

SETF Granted Funds Through the Millennium Reserve Project

The Southeast Environmental Task Force proudly announces that their submission was among the initial projects selected to be funded through the Millennium Reserve Project that was announced by Senator Richard Durbin and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar on Thursday. 

The twelve model projects selected to be funded under the Millennium Reserve Project were:
Blue Island Rain Barrel Initiative, Burnham Prairie Restoration, Burnham Wildlife Corridor, Calumet Invasive Species Conservation Corps, Calumet Water Trails Brochure, Greencorps Chicago, Midlothian Creek Green Infrastructure Plan, Mighty Acorns Program: Calumet Partnership, Mighty Acorns Program: Calumet Partnership, Millennium Reserve Roots, Northerly Island Restoration, Off the Beaten Path Eco-Tours, and River Volunteer Stewardship Program: Kickapoo Woods Demonstration Site.

All twelve project will further the intent to transform the Calumet Region of Chicago into a one-of-a-kind public destination through the conservation, restoration and enhancement of our natural ecosystems; consequently supporting prosperous communities and stimulating economic growth.

Peggy Salazar explaining SETF's Calumet Vision

Just one of the 12 model projects on display.

Suzanne Malek-Mckenna points out a map of the Millennium Reserve to Secretary Salazar

Zhanna Yarmokov of the Chicago Park District with Board Member Tom Shepherd

Terry Mazany of the Chicago Community Trust with SETF members Peggy Salazar and Tom Shepherd

Mark Carroll of the Rowing Group poses with Tom and Peggy

Catching up with Judy Pollack, Director of Regional Audubon

Tom posing with Duane Ambrosz of IDNR

Tom chatting it up with Benjamin Cox, Director of Friends of the Forest Preserve

Explaining or Calumet Vision to Carolyn Marsh and Scott Harper

Salazar, Shepherd and Salazar

SETF member, William Balasas

Secretary Salazar with SETF Intern John Rossi

Walter Marcisz, Carolyn Marsh, Peggy Salazar