Kane County Audubon grows green...

At their August meeting, the KCA board voted to lessen our group's impact on the planet. Beginning with the potluck dinner meeting in September, dinnerware will no longer be furnished by the club. In years past, all the purchased plastic and paper was collected after the meal and carted off to a landfill. No more. This year members are asked to supply their own dinnerware. And, please, don't bring your dish to pass in a disposable container.

One other note on the potluck dinner meeting: Although all of our other meetings start promptly at 7PM, this meeting and eating begins at 6:00!

Another survey

Kane County birders responded so enthusiastically to Jon Duerr's request this past winter for reports of Northern Shrike sightings (see the results here), that Jon wants to ask your help again. This time he's looking for Kane County sightings of Red-headed Woodpeckers, listed in our county checklist as "uncommon".

Before we go any further: BIRD ID EDUCATION ALERT! To avoid any confusion, we offer this aid in identification:

This IS a Red-headed Woodpecker. Note the full head is red. Both sexes are similar. Woodpecker  photos from wikipedia.com.		This IS NOT a Red-headed Woodpecker. It is a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Go figure. Note the red cap that runs from the bill to the nape. The red on the female doesn't cover the crown.

If you spot a Red-headed Woodpecker in Kane County, please report your sighting to redhead. Include your name and describe the location as precisely as possible. View the preliminary results of the survey here.

Owls and pelicans

Once again this year, Kane County birders were rewarded with the return of the Great Horned Owls to the courthouse and American White Pelicans to Nelson Lake/Dick Young Forest Preserve. For photos and more, click here for the owls and here for the pelicans.

Join us for fun

If you're here, you know that birding can be fun. It provides an easy excuse to enjoy the great outdoors. It's a wonderful family activity. Not an "expert" birder? No problem. We'll be happy to share our knowledge. Consider attending a Kane County Audubon outing or meeting. There's no obligation to join. Discover how much more fun birding can be.

A KCA membership meeting at "The Barn" at Peck Farm Park, photo courtesy Ann Haverstock

Upcoming at KCA:

Next outing: Saturday, September 6^th, 8:00 AM, Birdwalk at Nelson Lake/Dick Young Forest Preserve, Batavia. Every first Saturday of the month Kane County Audubon hosts a birdwalk at Nelson Lake. Rhonda Nelson, as usual, is our guide as we stroll this large preserve west of Batavia. Dick Young Forest Preserve is located on Nelson Lake Road about ¾ mile south of Main Street, and about 1½ mile west of Randall Road in Batavia. For more information about this walk, please contact Rhonda Nelson  at (630) 479-1384. (Map)

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 10^th, 6:00 PM: Meeting Night at Park Farm Park, Geneva. It's our annual potluck dinner meeting. Members bring a dish to pass and nature photos to share. Check back for details. Also included, as usual, latest bird sightings, chapter news, the raffle, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet and socialize with other birders. To reach Peck Farm Park, from Randall Road drive 1.5 miles west on Fabyan Parkway (the border street between Geneva and Batavia). Turn right on Kaneville Road. After .5 mile turn right into the parking lot. If you'd like more information, please call Bob Andrini at (630) 584-8386. (Map)