The IFBR Fellowship booth at Chicago Convention will be able to provide you with maps and bird lists for various good birding locations in the areas adjoining Chicago.

 

After the Chicago convention, Rotarians are invited to join with Fellowship  members in what will be an unforgettable birding trip in the Great Lakes region.

The trip will depart Chicago on Friday morning June 24, 2005 and return on Friday afternoon, July 1, 2005.

 (Please note this is quite separate from the one day trip around the Chicago area will be be held on Thursday, July 23, 2005.)

 

 

Even for the experienced American birder, this will be a great trip. (add the rare Kirkland's Warbler to your life list!!)

For those from overseas, this will also be  a chance to see a part of the United States not often visited by foreign guests.  We intend to add some Rotary fellowship, as well, with stops at local Rotary clubs, as they are able to be arranged.

  

During the tour you will spend a full week traveling America's Great Lakes region searching for birds and enjoying the local scenery. For those traveling to the Eastern United States for the first time, almost all birds will be new to you.
The timing of the conference is late in the nesting season in this part of the world. Since most species will be silent as they hunt for food to take care of nestlings and fledglings, this trip will go at a slow pace to help us find the birds where they mate and nest in summer.
Mornings and evenings will be best for birds, and quiet afternoons can be spent enjoying the local scenery as well. Some of the birds we hope to see include Kirtland's Warbler, Virginia Rail, many owls including Barred and Screech, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow warbler, Vesper and Clay-colored Sparrows, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, rookeries of nesting herons and Double-crested Cormorants. You can also look forward to seeing some beautiful common residents like Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay and Red-winged blackbird.

Mammals you can expect to see include Raccoon, Eastern Grey Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and North America's only marsupial, the American Opossum. The sites we plan to visit include deciduous forests, marshes, beaches and sand dunes representing the variety of habitats in the region.
 

 

Both the day trip and the week trip will be lead by experienced bird guide, Tadas Birutis of Life Bird Tours who's website can be viewed at http://www.lifebird.com/

 

Having lived in the Great Lake Region of the United States her whole life, fellowship member Bridget McDonough looks forward to sharing their very special wild places, birds and other wildlife with members of the International Fellowship of Bird-Watching Rotarians.

Please join Bridget and Husband Bob for a great trip.

 

Towards the end of Northern Autumn (November 2004) we will have final details, prices and registration information for this exciting tour of the birds of America's Great Lakes region.

 

Planning is also underway for a birding excursion on Thursday July 23rd  2005

in and around the Chicago area.

Watch this space for further developments

or

Visit us at the IFBR fellowship booth at Chicago 2005.