Let’s go on an outing to Emiquon-hoping to see the Snow Goose Migration--thousands of geese gather there.
Due to bird migration seemingly being 2 to 3 weeks early, we've decided to do Emiquon on February 24.
Leadership has decided to do the February 24th outing to Emiquon for bird migration. Other areas we will explore and investigate will include Chautauqua hotspots. Depending on what we are seeing (or not seeing) we may take a look at Henry Allan Gleason Nature Preserve and Sand Ridge State Forest-both close to Chautauqua. On the Emiquon Side, other areas may include Dickson Mounds State Museum. If we decide to head north on the Illinois River, we can explore Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife area, Copperas Creek Management Area, and Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Our president will personally plan on doing this as a day trip, but those of you that want to find a hotel, feel free to do so. There is at least 1 option in Havana, and 1 in Lewistown NW of the preserve. Mary Cattell said the Big Horse Inn in Lewistown is nice.
There will be hiking involved, so be prepared with proper footwear and clothing. Hiking surfaces can vary from boardwalks to crushed gravel to dirt or mud. One location we might go to can involve standing on the edge of mud flats, weather permitting.
Our leader suggests bringing a picnic lunch and drinks. Depending on the situation, we may not end up near Havana to grab a bite to eat.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO MEET ME AT CIRCLE K AT CUNNINGHAM OR KENYON, OR AT EMIQUON PARKING LOT! IF NO ONE LETS ME KNOW, I MIGHT NOT GO TO FARM AND FLEET.
Now onto the good stuff--the itinerary:
430am: Leave Circle K at Cunningham and Kenyon, so anyone who wants to caravan can follow our leader.
700 am: Meet at the main parking lot for Emiquon Nature Preserve. This is on Rt 78 a mile 2 or N of US 136. It's also just north of the sign for Dickson Mounds museum turnoff. Go all the way back and park near the observation platform. There are typically a lot of waterfowl here. Bald Eagles can be around hunting the waterfowl. Depending on water levels, shorebirds may be seen. An expansive view of the large waterpool and marshes will be seen. There may be opportunities to hike levees and trails here too. Sunrise is about this time too. We may move quickly to the pools west of Rt 97 if the best action is there.
From here we plan on moving on to the north and south pools. These are just west of Rt 97 on the road to Dickson Mounds. There's a small parking lot on the left 200 yards or so after turning off Rt 97. That is the south pool. There are ample opportunities to hike the levees and possibly get close to some birds that maybe you haven't seen before.
We may then walk across the road to check out the north pool. More opportunities to see bird species we may not get locally. This is where I saw my first ever Black Necked Stilts, a fun bird to watch.
Next, we’ll go to Chautauqua National Wildlife refuge. There are several places we will stop at as time allows, including the main refuge center, with a wonderful nature trail. There's also the Beer Can Spot (this has the mud flat-maybe), Goofy Ridge, and a couple of spots where we can park and walk the levees. We will need to see if Chautauqua is still closed to let waterfowl rest. After Chautauqua, we can go into Havana for a few architecture photos if the group would like to.
We can then cross back over the Illinois river, head north past Emiqiuon, and check out Rice Lake, Copperas, and Banner Marsh if time permits.
Reserve this date on the calendar, this will be a wonderful guided tour of one of the premier nature areas in Illinois, and possibly the United States.
We may make adjustments during the day, so these spots are not guaranteed to all be seen.
Make sure to bring snacks and water for when we are away from the vehicles hiking. Please let the president know if you are wanting to come, and if so, do you want to meet at Emiquon or Farm and Fleet in Urbana.
Final note: as with any birding or nature outing, there's no guarantee what we will see. That being said, numerous chances will exist for great photography. Please RSVP if you're coming, and where you want to meet.