The younger, hotshot birders call them megas, as in mega-rarity - their name for the occasional OMG birds that send dedicated watchers racing for their binoculars and car keys. Megas can be once-in-a-lifetime events. What are your chances, say, of s...

Chicago resident Bob Dolgan is a birder, a conservationist, and a fan of the Cleveland Guardians - impressive credentials, in my book. I first met Bob at last spring's Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, where he was promoting a film project called "The...

Remember when dead bugs would plaster your car's windshield and front bumper during summer road trips? I also recall swarms of flying pests around our porch lights, and a lot more fireflies flashing in the yard. More butterflies, too. Insect populat...

If the party involves technology, I usually arrive late. But I'm there now and having a wonderful time. With my new friend, Merlin. You know those smartphone apps that tell you what song is playing? Merlin is like that, only for birds. I finally add...

When leading a bird walk, I'm secretly grateful whenever a great blue heron comes into view. Lurking on the edge of a pond, or rowing across the sky, a "GBH" always makes an impression. It's a big, majestic bird that everyone in the group gets to ex...

This column has a soundtrack, and you might know the one. Imagine yourself in the North Woods on a summer night, next to a clear, quiet lake. Now listen for the haunting calls of a common loon piercing the darkness. That's it, that's what I'm hearin...

Winter is a slower time for birding. There isn't as much to see. So, when rare birds pay a visit, they get a royal welcome. Thankfully, birders with cabin fever had some interesting options as we rolled into 2022. A Townsend's solitaire at Moraine ...

Most visitors to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa thirst for a fine cabernet. Me? I went for the birds. It was the last stop on our family vacation to Napa Valley, the penultimate day of 2021. I volunteered for designated driver duty while my wife a...

Area bird-watchers will remember 2021 for at least a dozen remarkable sightings, including two wayward hummingbirds and a lost flycatcher. The chasers among us enjoyed ample opportunities to witness "life birds" that seldom visit the region. It was...