Join us for a tour of Winnebago County along the Rock River in the fall for sandhill cranes and waterfowl. We will begin the day with a hike of approximately 2.5 miles around Nygren Wetland for sandhill cranes, waterfowl, gulls and migrant raptors. Lunch and hike will take place at Sugar River Forest Preserve, a river bottom forest with pileated and red-headed woodpeckers, red-shouldered hawks and barred owls. Our last stop will be Colored Sands Forest Preserve a prairie/sand forest.
Pre-trip option: 5:00-8:00 p.m. Friday night trip to Ferguson Forest Preserve for northern shrike, northern harrier and rough-legged hawks. As dusk approaches, we will look for short-eared and barred owls (probably “heard only”) and possibly a chorus of coyotes.
Trip Leader: Dan Williams
Cost of trip includes lunch, water and snacks
Cost: $35
Maximum: 12
Sandhill crane photo by Joe Norton