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:

Cloudy Day at Emiquon

On Saturday, in spite of the cloudy skies and recent rains, my friend Ed and I drove down to Emiquon. We stopped to take photos of the flowers in the prairie by the newly formed pond where TNC is raising fish. This area is also known as the Butt Track, for the former owners.


A dog from the nearby farm decided to come see what we were up too, and get a few pets. Following the dog was the tiniest little kitten. Another farm cat stayed behind, but the little kitten followed that dog, crying for attention from the dog, but hiding from me when I approached.

Emiquon on a Cloudy Day

On Saturday, in spite of the cloudy skies and recent rains, my friend Ed and I drove down to Emiquon. We stopped to take photos of the flowers in the prairie by the newly formed pond where TNC is raising fish.


A dog from the nearby farm decided to come see what we were up too, and get a few pets. Following the dog was the tiniest little kitten. Another farm cat stayed behind, but the little kitten followed that dog, crying for attention from the dog, but hiding from me when I approached.





The prairie flowers are in various stages of bloom.







Rabbits of all sizes were on both sides of Prairie Road.


A beautiful yellow male Goldfinch kept his eye on me as he pulled seeds from the thistle.


From Mud Road the view of Sister Creeks Farm appears under a film of haze. Humidity was close to 100%.


Pelicans, Egrets, and Herons are camouflaged out on the lake.





A Wood Duck swam in the waters near the levee.


A Blue-winged Teal swam out in the cattails.


In the distance, against a berm we could see what at first seemed to be a group of gulls, but on closer inspection, through the lens, looked like tiny egrets.


As we grew closer I could see that it was a group of at least 14 Cattle Egrets!






A single Double-crested Cormorant swam in the water in front of the egrets.


Swallows of all types were swooping over the lake scooping up flying insects. A group of them kept flying in and out of a tree along the canal by Pumphouse Road.


Several dragonflies were cruising and hunting and driving off other dragonflies along Pumphouse Road. Only two would stop for a photo opportunity.

Halloween Penant


Eastern Amber Wing:


A Common Sooty Wing Skipper posed for me briefly.


Orange Sulphur Butterflies were abundant.


Thompson Lake is heading towards the Spoon River, but will remain on the north side of the levee.


Dickcissels could be heard singing every where we went.


And an adult Black-crowned Night-heron was wading near the levee. This is the closest I have ever been to one of these elusive and endangered birds!



Several female Wood Ducks had broods of various sizes. One had 14 ducklings, another had only four.