Cormorants and Red-tailed Hawk at Emiquon

Hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants were sitting around and swimming in the sloughs on the side of IL 78 at the Emiquon Preserve. All of a sudden they began to leave, filling the sky with their striking silhouettes.

 

 

 

A Red-tailed Hawk soared over Thompson Levee at Emiquon.

 

The Nature Conservancy recently burned a large portion of the newly emerging prairie and the ridge on the Northwest side of Emiquon.

 

 

Thompson Lake is growing. The area surrounding it is becoming submerged. The wetland is returning!

 

Dreaming of Emiquon

My favorite place to be right now is Emiquon. I love every minute that I spend there. God's own nursery; man's reluctantly surrendered hostage to corn; land returning to its original configuration. It is a wonder to behold.

Last Friday, February 8, 2008, I drove down to Emiquon for my first look of 2008. As I left TNC headquarters, I stopped to photograph the many sparrows in the tall prairie plants. Most were Eurasian Tree Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows with a few Song Sparrows and other unidentified small brown birds. Just as I was thinking about what good harrier food the little birds would make, I spotted one of the Northern Harriers that I regularly see there. She was far out across the prairie headed in my direction. I think it was a female, because it had much streaking on the underside. She flew low over the prairie with her owl face peering intently on the look out for prey. Two Red-tailed Hawks were also hunting the fields and prairie along the Emiquon Prairie Road. One flew high above the prairie and landed in a tree near the road. He didn't stay long. He flew off as a truck drove past his perch and disappeared over the ridge. Not far from Dixon Mounds I spotted another Red-tail flying towards the flooded and frozen field. It landed in a tree near the road, just as the road makes a sharp turn towards IL SR 78. There wasn't any traffic, so I drove on around the curve and stopped the car for a better look, with the sun shining on him instead of behind him. He didn't seem too concerned about me. I took a few photos and then left him to his business.

I found a third Red-tailed hawk flying over Pumphouse Road (Path 2). Hundreds and hundreds of American Tree Sparrows hid in the thickets of mullein, sedge weeds, thistle, and other tall grass-like plants that surround Thompson Lake. As I left path 2 and rove north on IL 78, I spotted a fourth Red-tailed Hawk perched on a power pole. He was near the one area with a shoulder, so I pulled over and took a couple of photos through the passenger window before he flew to the next power pole. He was safe there, since there is no shoulder anywhere else along that highway.

Next I drove down Clark Road where a fifth Red-tailed Hawk flew from a tree on the side of the road and disappeared in the prairie.

 

 

 

 

 

The caretaker's cottage at the base of the ridge.

 

One of the remaining farms along Emiquon Road.

 

 

A second Red-tailed Hawk landed in a tree along the road to Dixon Mounds.

 

 

The Red-tailed Hawk landed briefly in a tree along Prairie Road before disappearing over the ridge.

 

 

 

 

Emiquon Panorama: Thompson Lake

Eagles at Emiquon

As I walked out towards Thompson Lake, I noticed two large birds hovering over the water. When I got closer I could see that they were eagles, one immature, and one just coming into its adult plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-crowned Night-Heron at Emiquon

Black-crowned Night Heron flushed as I walked Path 2 (Pumphouse Road)at the Emiquon Preserve.

 

 

Path 2: Pumphouse Road

Pumphouse Road runs across Thompson Lake to the main dike along the Illinois River. It is sometimes covered with water, is always muddy and rutted, so I never drive but only walk when I visit the lake.

 

Emiquon Dragonflies

This morning my daughter drove down to Emiquon with me. I was glad to have the company and to give her the opportunity to photograph and study the flowers and butterflies that are abundant this summer. When we stopped by Path 2 and walked out to Thompson Lake, which is already a nice sized lake, what struck us most was the large number of dragonflies that were flying everywhere we looked! I ran across an interesting article on Dragonflies in Illinois that says they are an indication of a healthy wetlands area, so I think that means that Emiquon is off to a great start in its transformation from a cornfield back into the dynamic wetland it once was.

Here is a link to the article:
http://smokytrudeau.tripod.com/writtenbysmokytrudeau/id4.html

Snowy Egret at Emiquon!!!

As usual, I drove through the Emiquon valley on route 78/97 to get a good picture of the entire area. On my right I noticed several conspicuous white birds through the openings between foliage and recognized a large number of Great Egrets. I turned at the first chance and headed back. I took the first turn-off and after watching for traffic (which is fierce on this highway!) I crossed the road and walked west to find the openings in foliage. 50 or 60 Great Egrets, and 20 or more Great Blue Herons were in the newly plowed fields (plowed before the planting of natural prairie and wetland plants!). Among them I spotted my very first Snowy Egret!!!!! A life bird for me! :)

 

 

 

 

Silver-spotted Skipper on Clover.

 

The Emiquon Ridge is changing as The Nature Conservancy begins planting trees.