Another Emiquon Visit

I drove down to Emiquon on Thursday. The weather is supposed to turn hot again, and I wanted to get down their while it was still mild. I'd been looking at Google maps of the area and was curious about Forgotten Road. I drove part way down that road before parking and walking. As I walked along the road I flushed 10 or 20 herons and egrets from mud puddles left after the flood. I didn't see any shore birds with the herons. The road ends at a parking area for hunting. I walked into the wooded area on the former road.

An Eastern Kingbird flew from his perch on a wire.


Honey Bees were busy in the milkweed.


Wood Sage was blooming on the side of the road.


As I drove along Dickson Mounds road, I spotted a Snowy Egret preening his wing feathers. When I stopped the car to photograph him, the egret froze absolutely still with his wing in the position it had been in when preening, his eye staring straight into my camera lens.


I stopped at a pull-off by the levee surrounding the National Wildlife Refuge Wilder tract. I knew if I walked the five miles around the tract I might see some remarkable shore birds, but that seemed entirely too far to me, so I contented myself with walking along the levee that runs parallel with the road.

A Common Buckeye butterfly spread his wings on the mud.


What looks to me like Arrowleaf Plantain was growing in the shallow water, which seems like a good sign for a wetland.


A half dozen Great Egrets and one Snowy Egret were feeding in the waters near the levee. I was able to take a few photos before they flushed.




One Black-necked Stilt flushed as I walked past.


Three juvenile Gadwalls were swimming near the levee.


As I walked back to the car, I noticed some really bright yellow Flannel Mullein. When I got closer I saw that a pair of male Goldfinches were sitting atop two mulleins, like tree-top ornaments.


Numerous dragonflies were patrolling the area. Not many stopped for photos though. I did get photos of a male Common Whitetail and female Widow Skimmer.




My next stop was at the south levee around Thompson Lake. I parked and walked a ways. Many egrets were far out on the southern end of the lake. A small flock of Pelicans flew over.


A pair of goldfinches were feeding near the gate. I photographed the female. The male kept hiding behind leaves.


Several Double-crested Cormorants flew over.

I next drove Prairie Road to get a look at the prairie flowers now in bloom.




Yellow Cone Flower


Small White Asters


Tickseed Sunflower


Possibly Porcupine Grass


Blue Vervain


Strange Insect on Cup Flower


Cup Flower




Queen Anne's Lace


On my way home, I drove along Clark Road, where I found the biggest treat of all, a dozen Cattle Egrets were following a small herd of cattle in a narrow pasture at the base of the bluff on the west side of the road!

Driving the Levee at Emiquon

When you drive the levee at Emiquon (which requires special use permit and permission from TNC) you can see things you can only imagine from the other side of Lake Thompson.


The Eagle nest is barely visible through the foliage. It is unoccupied this year. Maybe next year a pair of eagles will use it. It is in a perfect spot, near the river and the lake, and well hidden from view.




We found a nice variety of herons: Hundreds of Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets, of course, but also a couple of dozen Cattle Egrets, 8 or 9 Snowy Egrets, 4 Black-crowned Night-herons, 3 Green Herons, and one juvenile Little Blue Heron!

Snowy Egret:


Cattle Egrets:








Juvenile Little Blue Heron:




Black-crowned Night Heron:








Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron (they breed at Emiquon!):


Green Heron:


Great Egret with Snowy Egret (shows the size difference):


Great Blue Heron:




Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egrets congregated on the pump structure:






A Black-necked Stilt flew past the Snowy Egrets:


A Painted Turtle hid in the grass:


A mother Wood Duck hurried her babies away.




Dragonflies and damselflies were everywhere. Along pumphouse road (what is left of it) we found more than 20 Common Green Darners, which are almost impossible to photograph, they are so fast and erratic in their flight, and hundreds of Halloween Pennants, as well as several dragonflies I'm still trying to identify.















Turkey Vultures were circling low over the river and levee.






We had a great view of the Illinois River from the levee:






A Caspian Tern was hunting near the boat launch: