Great Blue Heron by Lorraine Minns/Audubon Photography Awards
About the Blitz
The Blitz is an attempt to thoroughly document bird life along the Upper Des Plaines River. Rivers are critical habitats for birds. The survey area extends along the river from Miller Meadow to the Lake County line at Potawatomi Woods in the Forest Preserves. This expanse is divided into sections which you can view on a map. Individuals or teams are encouraged to adopt a section or two and make a visit once every two weeks from March through early July, and another few visits in November and December. Individuals who would like to make less frequent visits are also encouraged to participate, and can skip ahead to the appropriate section of these instructions.
Des Plaines River by Kmusser (CC BY-SA3.0)
Current Status of all the Sites in the Blitz
Individuals or Teams That Want to Adopt a Site
Selecting your location
The preserves have been divided into 37 named sections of roughly 200 acres. For example, the northernmost location has been divided into three sections named Portwine, Potowatomi Woods and Camp Dan Beard. In most cases, an eBird hotspots covers the location, although some locations have no hotspot and others include more than one of our divisions. For example, Potawatomi Woods has a hotspot which covers Potawatomi, Portwine and Camp Dan Beard.
Participants should study the map and the list of locations. Select a location and two alternates and notify Antonio Flores by filling out this form. We encourage participants to form teams to maximize coverage, and we can direct interested individuals to your team if you wish. Individuals are also welcome to adopt areas if they can provide thorough coverage.
· When reviewing the map, note that some sections have several parts divided by roads or rivers. In the example above, both Portwine and Camp Dan Beard have two sections – one across a road, the other across the river.
· There are a few groups of small sites whereas others are single large sites.
· Some sites are more dense and harder to navigate than others – consider your mobility.
· Each team should have at least one and hopefully two people proficient in ID of migratory and nesting birds.
Preparation
You will need to supply us names and contact info for your team members, and we will supply you with a map of your section and these instructions.
Please be in touch with all your team members about your plans for the blitz. Decide on dates for group outings and find out who might visit on their own. Make sure that the entire section is covered at least once every two weeks. For group outings, decide who will be the data recorder, and find out if anyone knows the site and can suggest a route for thorough coverage. Some of these sections are accessed mainly by foot trails – we encourage one or more of you to scout if you are all unfamiliar with the site.
Plan your route so that you will be in the area that you think is most rich for birds in the early part of the morning.
Please review this sheet and email Judy Pollock jpbobolink@gmail.com with any questions.
We suggest you wear clothes appropriate for the weather and bring water, bug spray (after mosquitos come out), a hat, and waterproof boots and wear long sleeves and long pants. You may want a walking stick. The DesPlaines River floods frequently in spring. Please keep your personal safety and the health of the preserves in mind. Walking on muddy trails exacerbates erosion. You may want a bright-colored pen to mark locations of species of concern on the map. Spray bug spray on your ankles to prevent chiggers and tuck in your shirt and pants legs to prevent ticks. A device that tracks distance walked would be helpful if you do not have the eBird app.
Logistics
Please park in legal spaces.
Be safe – watch the radar and do not be out in a thunderstorm or heavy wind.
Conducting the Survey
Try to cover your section as thoroughly as possible. Explore foot trails that branch off the main trail, and deer trails if necessary. Do not go off trail unless you can do so without trampling sensitive vegetation and leaving footprints in wet soil. You will have to strike a balance between reaching as much of your section as possible and not degrading the habitat.
Keep a running tally of the number and type of bird species seen or heard, just as you would for a Christmas Count or Spring Count. Birds flying just above, at or below treetop level should be included in the count. Others can be noted as flyovers on the form and in the eBird count. It is not necessary to count every gull and goose that flies over, but interesting flyovers should be noted. Although parking lots and lawns are excluded on the map we provide , please do include any birds that you see in these areas. The base map only includes natural areas but we want to count all the birds seen at the preserves.
If you observe behavior that indicates breeding, use the “Add Details - Breeding Code” field in eBird to note it.
Please do not play tapes to attract birds. Pishing is ok.
If a bird species appears on this list (lucky you!) and you observe it during the breeding season (June or early July), please write the banding code for that species on the map in the location that you found it.
Your data recorder may want to use the eBird app or may want to use a scratch paper or small notebook and transfer data to eBird. If using the latter method, remember to record start and end time, distance traveled, number of observers, and name and number of all species seen and/or heard.
Timeline
Survey dates:
· March 14 – July 18; please cover every part of the site at least once every 2 weeks (minimum 6 visits).
· November – December – please make at least 3 visits.
· Include at least one owling outing.
· Feel free to also make visits during fall migration (or during the summer shorebird migration period if you have shorebird habitat). Birds use sites differently in fall and you may make some new observations.
Data entry
Please enter data into eBird after each visit, and send us an annotated map at the end of the study.
eBird
You have two choices: (1) you can enter data into a personal location that you create or (2) you can enter data into the hotspot. So, to continue with the example above, if you chose the Portwine section, you can make a personal location called Portwine, or you can enter data into the Potawatomi hotspot.
Whichever method you choose, it is important to follow these steps so that we can find the data:
· Share a copy of your checklist with the eBird account, DPBlitz. (Note that if you are using the eBird app, you will need to log in later on a computer to share the checklist.)
· In the checklist comments, type “@!UDPB”
Map
In addition to the Ebird reports from every visit, please print a copy of your site map or set up a map in a phone app and note the following:
· Map any features regularly used by birds (specific tree or plant species, location of nests, sections of river or bank, clumps of dense vegetation, treetops that receive the sun first, other notes about habitat features the birds are using)
· Locations of Birds of Concern noted during the breeding season
Please submit a copy of this annotated map at the end of the season. If you can’t print a copy of the map and don’t have an app, send a request to Antonio@ChicagoAudubon.org to send you two copies – a field map and a final copy that you can submit.
Communications
We will publish highlights on our blog and on our Facebook page and Instagram account. Please post photos (birds and people), musings and interesting sightings to any social media and tag us @chicagoaudubon so that we can share. Over the summer and at the end of the blitz, we will publish summaries and share them with you and on our web page and social media. Highlights and summaries will include number species added to the hotspot, total number observed, rarest birds, number of bird families, teams that find all six woodpeckers, number of species of warblers, sparrows, waterfowl, shorebirds, etc.
Individuals Who Would like to Contribute Data Without Adopting a Site
All birders are welcome to contribute sightings from their birding along the Des Plaines River, as long as the lists are separated according to the divisions on the map below. To continue with our example, if you birded in the hotspot called Potawatomi on eBird but you crossed Portwine Road in your travels so that you birded the sections labeled Portwine and Potawatomi on the map, you would need to enter the lists separately. Use the checklist comments section to let us know which section you birded.
You have two choices: (1) you can enter data into a personal location that you create or (2) you can enter data into the hotspot. If you chose the Portwine section, you can make a personal location called Portwine, or you can enter data into the Potawatomi hotspot and note Portwine in the comments..
Whichever method you choose, it is important to follow these steps so that we can find the data:
· Share a copy of your checklist with the eBird account, DPBlitz. (Note that if you are using the eBird app, you will need to log in later on a computer to share the checklist.)
· In the checklist comments, type “@!UDPB”. If you are entering data for a section that is not the named hotspot – for example, Portwine, type “@!UDP Portwine” [or whatever the name of your section is]
Map of Sites Included in Blitz
List of Sites Included in Blitz
UNIT NAME Species reported as of 12-16-20 Size
*hotspot names are listed below should you choose to use them.
1. POTAWATOMI WOODS 129 species 85 acres
Park at Potawatomi Woods parking lot. Unit is accessible by the multi-use Des Plaines trail (N-S), Des Plaines trail extension (E-W) along the Portwine ditch, and a series of footpaths that transverse the woodland. Natural communities are primarily mesic woodland and mesic upland forest with lesser amounts of unassociated woody growth, floodplain forest, and marsh along the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Potawatomi Woods/Camp Dan Beard (Cook Co.) (Mark Potawatomi in the comments)
2. CAMP DAN BEARD N/A 210 acres
Park at Camp Dan Beard (if open) or along Portwine Road. Western side of Des Plaines River can be accessed from Westin hotel parking lot. Alternately park at north end of Potawatomi Woods and walk north along multiuse trail. Walking off trail required to access portions of the unit. Natural communities include a mix of mesic upland forest, northern flatwoods, mesic and dry-mesic woodland, old field, unassociated woody growth, and degraded floodplain forest along the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Potawatomi Woods/Camp Dan Beard (Cook Co.) (Mark Camp Dan Beard in the comments)
3. PORTWINE N/A 227 acres
Park at pulloff along Dundee Road, along Portwine Road, or at Camp Dan Beard and cross Portwine. This unit does not have trails and would require walking off trail. Natural communities include freshwater marsh, sedge meadow, old field, restored mesic savanna, mesic woodland, and unassociated woody growth. This unit is not adjacent to the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Potawatomi Woods/Camp Dan Beard (Cook Co.) (Mark Portwine in the comments)
4. DAM No. 1 EAST (N) 144 species 179 acres
Park at the north end of Dam No. 1 East Parking Lot. Use multi-use trail and some off trail walking to access the unit. Natural communities include heavily shaded mesic upland forest, sedge meadow, old field, and mesic floodplain forest along the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Dam No. 1 Woods FP—East (Mark North Unit in the comments)
5. Dam No. 1 EAST (C) N/A 200 acres
Park at the north end of Dam No. 1 East Parking lot and use multi-use trail and some off trail walking to access the unit. Natural communities include mesic upland forest, northern flatwoods, sedge meadow, old field, and unassociated woody growth. Hotspot: Dam No. 1 Woods FP—East (Mark Center Unit in the comments)
6. Dam No. 1 EAST (S) N/A 304 acres
Park at the south end of Dam No. 1 East Parking lot and use multi-use trail and some off trail walking to access the unit. Natural communities include mesic upland forest, northern flatwoods, sedge meadow, old field, and unassociated woody growth. Hotspot: Dam No. 1 Woods FP—East (Mark South Unit in the comments)
7. Willow/Sanders 105 species 188 acres
Park in office building parking lot at 2100 N. Sanders Road, Northbrook, IL. A multi-use trail extension ends at this parking lot and can be used to access most of the unit. The portion of preserves west of the Des Plaines River may not be accessible due to lack of parking and thick brush. Natural communities include old field/ mesic prairie with clumps of shrubs, mesic savanna, mesic woodland, mesic upland forest, and mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: Dam No. 1 Woods FP--Willow-Sanders
8. Allison Woods N/A 152 acres
This unit will require some walking. Nearest parking lot is Allison Road Woods. Can access most of the unit by heading north along the Des Plaines River multiuse trail from the Allison Woods parking lot. mesic woodland, mesic savanna, unassociated woody growth, old field, mesic floodplain forest, and open floodplain wetlands. Hotspot: Request a hotspot after you enter your first checklist
9. River Trail Nature Center 149 species 116 acres
Park at River Trail nature center. Access unit on multi-use Des Plaines trail and series of nature center footpaths. Natural communities include mesic forest, mesic woodland, and mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: River Trail Nature Center
10. Lake Avenue West N/A 125 acres
Park at Lake Ave. West parking lot. The prairie on the north end of the unit can be accessed by walking along the mowed ROW north of the parking lot. The unit includes mesic upland forest, mesic floodplain forest, unassociated woody growth, and restored prairie. Hotspot: Request a hotspot after you enter your first checklist
11. Lake Avenue East 112 species 83 acres
Park at Lake Ave East parking lot. Unit is accessible by multi-use Des Plaines River Trail and footpaths. Natural communities include mesic woodland, forest, and floodplain. Hotspot: Lake Ave Woods--East
12. Dam #2 FP/ Camp Baden Powell 101 species 80 acres
Two separate preserves each with their own parking lot. Dam No. 2 unit is oak savanna along the bluff edge above the floodplain and river, river floodplain wetland, and mesic upland forest with a diversity of native shrubs. Camp Baden Powell unit is old field with scattered prairie species and unassociated woody growth. Hotspot: Dam #2 Woods
13. Camp Pine Woods (N) 138 species 202 acres
Park at the Camp Pine parking lot. The unit is a mix of mesic upland forest, mesic woodland, and northern flatwoods in the upland. It includes a large stretch of floodplain forest and riparian wetlands along the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Camp Pine Woods Forest Preserve (Mark North Unit in the comments)
14. Camp Pine Woods (S) N/A 268 acres
This unit is accessible by parking at the south end of the Camp Pine parking lot and following the multiuse trail south. The unit includes mesic prairie and shrubland, mesic oak woodland with wetland pockets, and an old field with shrubby habitat. Hotspot: Camp Pine Woods Forest Preserve (Mark South Unit in the comments)
15. Beck Lake FP 159 species 201 acres
Parking at the Beck Lake parking lot and use the multiuse trail for accessing most of the unit. Some area may require off trial walking. Natural communities include Beck Lake, mesic upland forest, unassociated woody growth and old field. Hotspot: Beck Lake Forest Preserve
16. Kloempken Woods and Prairie 62 species 179 acres
Parking at Beck Lake for access to the northern end of the unit or Big Bend Lake for the southern end. Unit is accessible along the multi-use Des Plaines River Trail. Natural communities include mesic prairie, sedge meadow, mesic savanna, woodland, forest, and a small amount of reforestation. Hotspot: Kloempken Prairie
17. Big Bend Lake 161 species 181 acres
Parking at Big Bend Lake and access along multiuse Des Plaines trail. Unit includes Big Bend Lake, dry-mesic and mesic upland forest and woodland along the bluffs of the Des Plaines River, as well as some areas of reforestation. Hotspot: Big Bend Lake Forest Preserve
18. Lions Woods/Northwestern Woods/Belleau
79 species/132 species/N/A 54 acres
This assignment is a collection of three, smaller separate preserves – each with its own parking lot. Lions Woods includes low wet floodplain forest and an elevated terrace with reforestation and dry-mesic upland forest. Northwestern Woods includes mesic woodland and floodplain forest. Belleau includes a man-made lake, reforestation, and unassociated woody growth. 3 Hotspots: Enter Northwestern Woods sightings into Northwestern Woods hotspot. Request hotspots for Lions Woods and Belleau after you enter your first checklist
19. Campground Woods FP 86 species 126 acres
Parking at Campground Road Woods and access along Des-Plaines multiuse trail. Natural communities include mesic upland forest, woodland, and wet-mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: Campground Road Woods
20. Algonquin Road Woods/ Issak Walton N/A 181 acres
Parking at Campground Road Woods and walk south along Des-Plaines multiuse trail. Issak Walton League has its own lot on the west side of the River. Natural communities include mesic upland forest, woodland, and wet-mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: Request a hotspot after you enter your first checklist
21. Iroquois Woods FP 112 species 84 acres
This unit includes reforestation, mesic upland forest, wet-mesic floodplain forest, unmanaged old field associated with an MWRD drop shaft and a power line corridor. There is a small remnant mesic woodland is the southeastern corner and a small seep on eastern side of the Des Plaines River. Hotspot: Iroquois Woods
22. Axehead Lake/ Chippewa Woods FP 165 species/131 species 70 acres
Park at Axehead Lake or Chippewa Woods lot on north end. Park at Blandings Grove Family Picnic Area for southern end. No official trails, some limited footpaths on the northern end. The central portion of the unit may be inaccessible due to dense brush. Hotspot: Axehead Lake/ Chippewa Woods
23. Dam No. 4 Woods FP/ John E. Traeger Picnic Area 189 species 153acres
Parking available at Dam No. 4 and John Traeger Picnic Area. Unit supports mesic woodland, mesic upland forest and reforestation in the uplands. There is a large low floodplain that may be underwater in the spring. Hotspot: Chippewa Woods Forest Preserve
24. Dee/Devon Woods N/A 253 acres
Accessible by parking at Dam No. 4 Woods and walking south along the multi-use trail to access the western portion of the unit. Parking also available along Devon for area west of Dee Road. Several footpaths and multi-use trail provide some access but may require off trail walking to access some areas. There is a parking lot at Blue Beech Family Picnic Area to access the west side of the River. This is a large unit that will require some significant walking. Unit is a mix of natural communities including mesic upland forest, old field, wet mesic floodplain, and wet seepy areas. Hotspot: Dam No. 4 Woods
25. Catherine Chevalier Woods (N)/River Bend 136 species 181 acres
Parking lot and easy trail access with a multi-use trail and several footpaths. Unit includes northern flatwoods, dry-mesic upland forest and woodland, second-growth woodland, wooded seep, unassociated woody growth, and-mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: Chevalier Woods Forest Preserve (Mark North Unit in the comments)
26. Catherine Chevalier Woods (S) N/A 128 acres
Accessible from the Catherine Chevalier parking lot and multi-use trail. Unit includes mesic woodland, old field, unassociated woody growth, and wet-mesic floodplain forest. Hotspot: Chevalier Woods Forest Preserve (Mark South Unit in the comments)
27. Robinson Woods NW (River Rd) 97 species 162 acres
/Robinson Homestead Family Picnic Area
Two units on the west side of the Des Plaines River. Robinson Woods NW can be accessed from located the River Bend Family Picnic Area and includes old field, wet-mesic prairie, unassociated woody growth and wet-mesic floodplain. Robinson Homestead Family Picnic Area has its own parking lot and includes wet-mesic floodplain forest, old field, and unassociated woody growth. Hotspot: Robinson Woods Northwest
28. Robinson Woods East/South 177 species/120 species 175 acres
Parking at Robinson South lot and access along multi-use trail. North of Lawrence Ave habitats include remnant mesic woodland, wet floodplain forest, dry-mesic woodland, unassociated woody growth, old field/ mesic prairie restoration. South of Lawrence Ave is narrow band of mesic floodplain forest along the Des Plaines River and a mix of unassociated woody growth and degraded woodland that has been highly impacted by homestead usage, logging, grazing and other uses prior to Forest Preserve acquisition. Hotspots: Robinson Woods North, Robinson Woods South
29. Schiller Woods East 155 species 240 acres
A large, variable unit with ample parking and trails. Habitats include prairie, woodland, reforestation, unassociated woody growth, and floodplain. Hotspot: Schiller Woods Forest Preserve
30. Che-che-pin-qua Woods (1) 124 species 194 acres
Most of this unit is a mesic woodland located in the northern section of Che Pin Qua Woods. Invasive brush is thick through most of the unit. This unit also includes the wet-mesic floodplain forest and mesic woodland and savanna found on the west side of the Des Plaines River – accessible by the Indian Boundary Family Picnic Area. Additionally, the unit include a degraded remnant mesic woodland located south of Indian Boundary Golf Course and bounded by W. Forest Preserve Drive to the west and north, a residential community in Chicago to the east, and Belmont Avenue to the south. Hotspot: Che-Che-Pin-Qua Woods Forest Preserve (mark Unit 1 in the comments)
31. Che-che-pin-qua Woods (2) N/A 236 acres
This unit at Che Che Pin Qua Woods, contains one of the largest contagious mesic upland forest/mesic woodland/northern flatwoods remnants in the Des Plaines preserves. It is bounded by the Des Plaines River to the west, a drainage flowing into the Des Plaines to the north, N. Cumberland Avenue to the east, and Indian Boundary Golf Course to the south. Hotspot: Che-Che-Pin-Qua Woods Forest Preserve (mark Unit 2 in the comments)
32. La Framboise Reserve/Grand Ave Woods 62 species 131 acres
Fullerton Woods FP/ Triton Field 103 species
Park at Fullerton Woods on the east side and head north along multi-use trail. Alternate parking in adjacent neighborhood to the east of the preserves. Park at Fullerton Woods Family Picnic Area on the west side. Most of the unit is a narrow band of preserves along the Des Plaines River. On the western bank of the Des Plaines River there are steep bluffs with mesic oak-hickory woodland and broader floodplain leading down to the river while the eastern bank contains narrow bluffs and floodplain adjacent to the Des Plaines River. Hotspots: Grand Ave Woods/La Framboise, Fullerton Woods Forest Preserve
33. Jerome Huppert Woods 109 species 171 acres
Evans Field/ Sunset Bridge Meadow N/A
Access from Evan Field and/or Sunset Bridge Meadow parking lots. The site supports floodplain forest, sedge meadow, and oak-dominated woodland communities along the Des Plaines. Hotspot: Jerome Huppert Woods
34. Thatcher Woods 187 species 241 acres
Parking is available at Thatcher Woods or in the neighborhood adjacent to the east. The site includes numerous unpaved trails. The western portion is accessible from the Silver Creek Parking Lot. Natural communities include floodplain forest, mesic upland forest, prairie, and a large mowed field. Hotspot: Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve
35. Trailside/ Thomas Jefferson Woods/ G.A.R. Woods (no hotspot/ 131 species/ 73 species) 173 acres
Parking is available at Trailside Museum for the Trailside parcel. The other areas will require parking in the neighborhood adjacent to the east or at the Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area. Natural communities include a pond, floodplain forest, and mesic woodland. Hotspots: Thatcher Woods (for Trailside)/Thomas Jefferson Woods/ G.A.R. Woods
36. Miller Meadow 214 species
Abundant parking at Miller Meadow parking lot. Natural communities include old field, prairie restoration, and unassociated woody growth. The unit is large and may require a team of people. The acreage includes a 20-acre Forest Preserve maintenance facility plus the ample parking lot, so the actual acreage is lower. A trail rings the perimeter of the site.Hotspot: Miller Meadow