It's official. Cedar waxwing is the 2020 Bird of the Year, declared by the American Birding Association on Jan. 12. I attended the ABA's Sunday afternoon "reveal party," at a nightclub in Berwyn that I'm pretty sure did not attract many birders the...

When the specter of World War III can hang on a single tweet and the passions of hawks and doves, we can find a haven among the birds of our suburbs. One of our favorite things to do during my visits with my mom on the family farm in Indiana was to ...

Welcome to Part 2 of my annual review of the top news of a feather, where the suburbs offered plenty of action in the world of birds. A misplaced spotted towhee located a Warrenville feeder in January, shook off the Polar Vortex, and lingered until...

Welcome to my annual review of the top news of a feather. The 2019 birding year wasn't boring, that's for sure. Birds drew the national spotlight; drama and history played out on a Chicago beach; and a series of rare sightings sent local birders sc...

The three prize winners of the 2018 Cantigny in Focus amateur photo contest have been selected by visitors to the park in Wheaton. First place went to Shelby Lynn Germain of Coal City for "At Attention," a contemplative image of her sister, U.S. Nat...

Just what type of creations will be part of this weekend's Lego Train Show at Cantigny Park in Wheaton is a secret, held tightly under wraps. “People kind of bring out the best of the best,” said Jamie LeBlanc, president of the Northern Illinois Le...

The First Division Museum at Wheaton's Cantigny Park is commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge beginning this month with exhibits, lectures and book signings. The last major battle on Europe's Western Front during World War I...

The birding year has a comforting, predictable flow. Month by month, season by season, experienced watchers know what birds to look for and the best places to find them. And yet birds never fail to surprise. On any day, there's a chance of seein...