'Migration Celebration' Set For May 8 At Four Rivers In Channahon

May is the perfect month for a “Migration Celebration” event that highlights the birds that rest and refuel in the preserves each spring as they head from their warm winter homes in the south to breeding grounds in the north.

This new Forest Preserve District of Will County event, which coincides with World Migratory Bird Day, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

The celebration will feature guided hikes and birding activities and presentations. Birders who want to test their avian spotting skills can join the Bird Bio-Blitz or the Big Day Competition, which will both be held from 8 to 10 a.m.

The Bio-Blitz is for people who are new to birding and want to practice their skills by counting the birds they see with assistance from naturalists stationed throughout the preserve. The Big Day
Competition is for experienced birders who can count and ID birds independently.

Guided hikes and other activities will begin at 10 a.m., 11.a.m, noon and 1 p.m.

Registration is required by Friday, May 7, to participate in the Bio-Blitz, the Big Day Competition and the hourly hikes. Participants registered for the guided hikes will also be able to see some of the resident birds from Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center, including a saw-whet owl and a bald eagle. The top birder from the Big Day Competition will win a Smithsonian field scope and tripod.

Lil Deb's Mobile Eats will be serving food from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Perfect place, perfect event

The event will showcase the wide variety of bird habitats and the huge number of migratory species in Will County’s preserves, said Jess McQuown, an interpretive naturalist at Four Rivers.

“Spring far surpasses every other season in terms of migratory bird numbers, and mating plumage is on full display,” she said.

This is a good time of year to host an outdoor event because people have been cooped up all winter.

"And so many people have become birders in the last year because it's a pandemic-friendly activity," she added. "People are looking for a place to learn about new bird species and we're the perfect place and this is the perfect event for them."

Some of the birds likely to be seen during the event include common yellowthroat and yellow warblers, Baltimore orioles, American goldfinches and white-crowned sparrows. Some bird species, such as wood ducks, come and stay for the summer. Others are just passing through as
they migrate farther north for the summer.

McQuown said she’s passionate about birds and bird-watching, so she is hoping the “Migration Celebration” will bring more birders to the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, which is nestled in McKinley Woods.

“We’re hoping that by having an event instead of just a smaller program, we’ll attract both new and seasoned birders to our preserve,” she said. “We want to educate the public about our unique location and get them excited about the birds moving through. We also want to bring
awareness to the importance of migration and educate them on how to help the birds along the way.”

This is the inaugural “Migration Celebration,” but McQuown said she hopes it catches on and becomes a popular Forest Preserve event.

“We are very excited to have another birding event here in addition to January’s ‘Eagle Watch.’ We wanted one during a warmer month where you could comfortably go outside and watch the birds!”

Please note: Masks are required for all in-person, indoor and outdoor program participants, with the exception of those younger than 2 years old and those with a medical condition or
disability that prevents them from wearing one, per state guidelines.

For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.