12132012JGW-EmiquonThompsonLakeSnowGeese_MG_4953

12132012JGW-EmiquonThompsonLakeSnowGeese_MG_4953

Snow Geese have returned by the thousands to Thompson Lake at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Nature Preserve in Fulton County, Illinois.

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Birds and Dragonflies at Emiquon Wetland Observatory

I'm really enjoying the Cattle Egrets at Emiquon right now. They aren't as skittish as the other egrets. There have been many Great Egrets farther out on the newly forming mudflats, but the Cattle Egrets will come up close to the drive that runs through the visitor center.

In addition to the egrets, there were many Killdeer crying as they flew around, and plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds throughout the wetland area. As I walked along the boardwalk that runs through the wetland, I spotted what I think is a Grasshopper Sparrow and a male Dickcissel singing.

There were many dragonflies everywhere on the wetland: Black Saddlebags, Common Green Darners, Common Whitetails, all flying around too fast to photograph. However, I also found a Carolina Saddlebags dragonfly who posed for several photographs before taking off on the hunt.

A Bluet Damselfly let me take a few photos, as did a Common Buckeye butterfly. The Cabbage White was not quite as helpful as it moved quickly through the Mustard flowers.

Besides the Mustard flowers, I also found Great Blue Lobelia and Common Mullein in bloom near the boardwalk.

Emiquon Dragonflies

On a short walk along Clark Road, which runs along the north end of Emiquon Nature Preserve, I spotted several dragonflies: male Blue Dasher, female Common Pondhawk, Common Green Darner, and several others that flew away before I could identify them.

Emiquon Wetland Wildlife

In May, I stopped at several pull-offs at Emiquon. At the Wetland pull-off, I found Blue Flag Iris and Rough-fruited Cinqfoil in bloom.

Farther north, across from County 9 Road that leads to Dickson Mounds Museum, a pair of Black-necked Stilts were foraging for food, along with a Red-winged Blackbird, Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, and many, many American Coots.

Hiking Along Coal Creek

In April, the Emiquon Corps of Discovery took a hike along Coal Creek looking for spring woodland flowers and butterflies.

I found a Red Admiral butterfly sunning his wings.


A Pearl Crescent butterfly displayed his upper wings nicely.


A Delaware Skipper sat out in the sun.


A Question Mark Butterfly rested on a fallen log.




We have had an early spring, and many flowers had already bloomed. However we did find a few flowers in the woods along the bluffs of Coal Creek, including this Purple Trillium.






On the way back I found a Silver-spotted Skipper.