Today was one of the better wildlife days of my life. I have mentioned this expediton in previous posts, and today was the day I went owl-watching. Before that, I first re-re-visited the CWLP Wildlife Sanctuary in Chatham. The local herd was feasting away off in a nearby field, so it wasn't exactly the best time to photograph them. I nevertheless got a few pictures, feeling all the while like I was on safari for some reason:
I saw about thirty in this herd, before continuing down the road, Here, a pair of deer crossed the road in front of me:
I'd just like to stop and point out how much better it is to have my camera with me instead of my phone. While my photography still requires improvement, it is so much nicer to work with a better camera. I saw a smaller herd by Lake Springfield further down. As near as I can figure it, there are about three or four individual herds that congregate along this road.
Anyway, you've all seen deer. With my dad driving, we went back along Wildlife Road and stopped to photograph some turkeys.
A red-tailed hawk flew overhead, likely the reason the turkey in the middle of the shot had his head up. A car slowed down to let me take pictures, and then I recognized W-----, an acquaintance, in the car. We talked for a bit. I mentioned I was going to Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary, and he mentioned that walking along the east edge of Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary was an excellent way to see birds. He also mentioned that in the fields east of the nature preserve were Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), a state-endangered raptor species that is the daytime replacement for the equally endangered Short-Eared Owl. Both birds live in grasslands and almost exclusively eat field mice. They require large grasslands in which to breed and nest, and very few of these still exist in the Prairie State. Ironically, these two birds of prey were among our most common birds a hundred and fifty years ago. Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary provides wintering habitat, but is not large enough for breeding habitat.
Whilst on the road, my father and I spotted two hawks flying low over the fields. I twisted around in my seat, trying to spot them in the unstable lighting. I spotted the dark wing patches on the bird that identified it as a Northern Harrier. These birds are fast! We were going about thirty miles per hour and the birds outpaced us. I managed to get my only decent shot of any birds of prey on the harrier as it cruised low over the field:
While not great, this was taken through a car window while both the photographer and bird were in motion. I'm fairly happy with this, to be honest.
This is a beautiful bird. Between the grey coloration, the dark wing tips, and the tendency to fly within ten feet of the ground for stretches, this is a distinctive bird. We saw at least four by the time we even reached Nipper. I was beginning to wonder whether the day could get any better. Of course, I still hadn't seen the owls yet. We got out of the car, spotting three birders in the fields as we pulled in. Following W----'s advice, we cut over to the eastern edge of the preserve and walked south along the edge of the prairie. The sky was a brilliant blue.
We decided to stop along a small creek and flushed a pheasant. I looked up in the sky and spotted a large bird of prey... with a white head. Bald Eagle! I see about one of those every six months in Central Illinois, since I live a bit away from the Illinois River Valley where the species is plentiful. I have been very lucky over the last twelve months, since I have had five sightings. I was extremely suprised to see it in the area, as this area has no major rivers or lakes. I suppose it could have been traveling between Lake Springfield and the Illinois River Valley, in which case I got very lucky. Unfortunately, it was too far up in the sky for a picture, so I took one of the sky and the grasslands instead. This is what nearly all of Central Illinois looked like at one point.
Here is a map of the center of Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary. Some may recognize this from a previous post. We hiked back to the South Prairie Overlook, where the three birders seen earlier had set up shop.
We fell to talking quietly as we watched a couple of harriers fly over the far end of the prairie. The three birders were a family. The daughter mentioned having researched Nipper in a blog post online. I asked her whether it was the Wild Land of Lincoln. It was. People actually read my blog! I'm so happy. As Dad and I had forgotten our binoculars, the family graciously let us borrow them briefly. We all took turns as pheasants and harriers flew across the far fields. American kestrels and mourning doves flew among the trees in the parking area behind us.
Then, all of us spotted a flash of white and brown along the vicinity of the drainage ditch where my dad and I had just been walking. It was the owl. Oh, joyous day! Thanks to the kindness of that family in letting me look through their field scope, Dad and I got to see the owl. At one point, we spotted both a harrier and an owl together in the far corner of the field, about five hundred to a thousand feet away, through the lens. We also saw about half a dozen pheasants.
I am so happy. This is my #5 goal from my year list, found here. I got to see two amazing birds of prey, both incredibly and unfortunately rare in Central Illinois, as well as a bald eagle, several kestrels, a few turkeys, many deer, and the ubiquitous red-tailed hawk. And, best of all, I got to do it all with my dad. I am currently planning to go back Monday, when the temperature is in the negatives Fahrenheit. If I freeze to death, I will let you know.
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