Lake Festival at Emiquon Preserve

On Saturday, August 29, 2009, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) hosted a Lake Festival at TNC’s Emiquon Preserve located off Routes 78/97 north of Dickson Mounds Road. A wide variety of family activities were held. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about water quality, macro invertebrates, bird identification, invasive species and Emiquon through displays and hands-on activities. During the morning, The Nature Conservancy allowed bank fishing for those 15 years old and younger who are accompanied by an adult, a one-day only event. Fishing poles and tackle were provided.

Visitors were invited to experience the lake in a Voyageur Canoe. The short tour included stops on the lake to view two different science demonstrations.



Satellite activities included a hayrack ride to the UIS Field Station for facility tours and science demonstrations at the UIS Emiquon Field Station, bird identification with Maurie Brucker using his spotting scope, and an exhibit at Dickson Mounds Museum on bird migration.

Partners for this event included: Dickson Mounds Museum, Emiquon Audubon Society, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Natural History Survey, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Illinois at Emiquon Field Station, and the University of Illinois at Springfield. The Emiquon Corps of Discovery, which works with the partners to document the transformation at Emiquon, also had a display.

[More photos to come]

After the event, Ed and I drove to Havana for lunch at the Chuck Wagon. Then we went back to Emiquon to look for particular habitats: mudflats (not much of that this year!), bottom-land forest (on the edges, but replanted in other places for the future), wet prairies, and wetlands. No problem with the last two categories, but the first two were challenging.

I found these mudflats off Forgotten Road, on private property bordering the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge. No birds at either site, and vegetation encroaching rapidly.





Butterflies were hanging out on the mud. Here's a Comma Butterfly hiding behind some grass:



Painted Lady:



Cabbage White Butterflies:



I found bottom-land forests off of the Frank C. Bellrose Nature Trail at the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge.







Wetland photos were easy to find. I pulled off at the first pull off north of the levee for these photos.







Much of the area where wet-prairie plants were planted last year are under water this year. Unplanted areas remain and are very wet!

More Emiquon in August

Some of the Emiquon Corps members got together on Friday, August 21, to make final selections for a display to be shown at the Emiquon Fest on the following Saturday. As I left Dickson Mounds Museum, a storm was blowing through. I pulled off at the South gate to Thompson Levee and watched it pass. As the rain stopped over the lake, I could still see it raining in Havana, on the other side of the river.









Dappled light shown into the bottom land forest south of the levee.



I drove north on 78 and pulled off at one of the chained entrances to watch some egrets and herons, with pelicans shining in the sun way out in the distance.









Pump House Road is under water.

Egrets and Herons at Emiquon

On Saturday August 15, after the Emiquon Corps of Discovery meeting, Ed and I drove the levee around Thompson Lake. The sky was so hazy that you could barely see the bluff in the background. The haze over the lake created a surreal beauty.



I photographed a Black-crowned Night-heron and found a Green Heron lurking in the shadows when I processed the photo:



Egrets like to hang out on the pumping structure on the River side of the preserve.



Three juvenile Little Blue Herons (one on either end and one on the lower level), two Cattle Egrets (one behind the Little Blue on the left) and a Great Egret. What a difference in size!



Here is a link to the large size to make it easier to see the LB Herons.
farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3829869253_a833e 618d5_b.jpg

Cattle egrets like to hunt bugs on the levee.



As we drove past, they calmly moved down to the waters edge. After we passed, they moved back up the levee.



Pelicans were congregating far out on the lake on the ridge between Thompson and Flag Lakes.



Most of the egrets flew away as we approached, but this one Great Egret stood his ground at the base of the levee.



The eagle nest is difficult to spot through the foliage.



After driving the levee we drove Clark Road. The cows were in the pasture along side the road, and the Cattle Egrets were there feasting on flies!

Another Emiquon Visit

I drove down to Emiquon on Thursday. The weather is supposed to turn hot again, and I wanted to get down their while it was still mild. I'd been looking at Google maps of the area and was curious about Forgotten Road. I drove part way down that road before parking and walking. As I walked along the road I flushed 10 or 20 herons and egrets from mud puddles left after the flood. I didn't see any shore birds with the herons. The road ends at a parking area for hunting. I walked into the wooded area on the former road.

An Eastern Kingbird flew from his perch on a wire.


Honey Bees were busy in the milkweed.


Wood Sage was blooming on the side of the road.


As I drove along Dickson Mounds road, I spotted what I thought was a Snowy Egret preening his wing feathers. It turns out it is a juvenile Little Blue Heron. When I stopped the car to photograph him, the heron froze absolutely still with his wing in the position it had been in when preening, his eye staring straight into my camera lens.


I stopped at a pull-off by the levee surrounding the National Wildlife Refuge Wilder tract. I knew if I walked the five miles around the tract I might see some remarkable shore birds, but that seemed entirely too far to me, so I contented myself with walking along the levee that runs parallel with the road.

A Common Buckeye butterfly spread his wings on the mud.


What looks to me like Arrowleaf Plantain was growing in the shallow water, which seems like a good sign for a wetland.


While hundreds of egrets and herons flew around far out in the field, a half dozen Great Egrets and one Snowy Egret were feeding in the waters near the levee. I was able to take a few photos before they flushed.




One Black-necked Stilt flushed as I walked past.


Three juvenile Gadwalls were swimming near the levee.


As I walked back to the car, I noticed some really bright yellow Flannel Mullein. When I got closer I saw that a pair of male Goldfinches were sitting atop two mulleins, like tree-top ornaments.


Numerous dragonflies were patrolling the area. Not many stopped for photos though. I did get photos of a male Common Whitetail and female Widow Skimmer.




My next stop was at the south levee around Thompson Lake. I parked and walked a ways. Many egrets were far out on the southern end of the lake. A small flock of Pelicans flew over.


A pair of goldfinches were feeding near the gate. I photographed the female. The male kept hiding behind leaves.


Several Double-crested Cormorants flew over.

I next drove Prairie Road to get a look at the prairie flowers now in bloom.




Yellow Cone Flower


Small White Asters


Tickseed Sunflower


Possibly Porcupine Grass


Blue Vervain


Strange Insect on Cup Flower


Cup Plant




Queen Anne's Lace


On my way home, I drove along Clark Road, where I found the biggest treat of all, a dozen Cattle Egrets were following a small herd of cattle in a narrow pasture at the base of the bluff on the west side of the road!