Friends of Moraine Hills State Park

International Migratory Bird Days 2009

On Saturday May 2^nd The Friends of Moraine Hills State Park Volunteers teamed up with a dozen other organizations and businesses with the help of the Moraine Hills State Park staff started off the weekend celebration.

The day started off with a 7 am bird walk led by Rob Gough, representing The Illinois Audubon, McHenry County Chapter. Some fifty-four species were observed. At 11 am Mary Kozub & Kim Caldwell of the McHenry County Conservation District began bird banding our visitors and measuring their wing spans. From there our participants were invited to sign a bird action pledge, take the Great Migration Challenge, and play Bird Bingo, Jeop-Birdy, Fill the Bill, and Just Ducky. Participants could also make a sound map, go on a Bird Behavior Scavenger Hunt, look through a spotting Scope, learn how to use binoculars, and sit by the Fox River and listen to stories. Sara Denham of McHenry County Conservation District’s Wildlife Resource Center was there with a live Short-eared Owl and an American Kestrel. Also for our viewing pleasure was the Illinois Natural History Survey’s Traveling Science Center.

All participants were given a passport to take to each of the activities to be stamped, earning prizes on the number of stamps received. The coveted Plush Birds – that sang accurate bird songs when squeezed – inspired many participates to complete the 14 required activities. A Grand Prize Drawing was held at 3:00

p.m. based upon the Bird Band numbers. A pair of 8 x 40 binoculars donated by the Wild Bird Center of Fox River Grove, went to Marisa Greninger of Cary.

Conscious Cup of Crystal Lake provided free rain-forest (i.e. bird habitat) friendly coffee to participants.

Wing Span, Banded, & Stamped		Bird Behavior & Scavenger Hunt
“Jeop-Birdy”	“Bird Bingo”		Binocular & Spotting Scope use
“Fill the Bill”		“Just Ducky”
FOMHSP Table	Story Telling Down by the River		Traveling Science Center
American Krestrel		Short-eared Owl		Plush Singing Birds
Photos by Cheryl Graves

International Migratory Bird Day 2010

Because of staff cuts excreta we were not as big as last year but weather was good, and those that attended had a good time..

FOMHSP Banner	Myrna, Stacy, Neil & John	Sign the Bird Pledge
Tina ran “Get Banded”	Bob ran “Bird Bingo”	Lee ran “Jeop-Birdy”
Dubey family ran “Sports Trivia/Habitat Match	How to use Binoculars & spotting scope by Walt Dembos	Carol Howard’s Story reading by the Fox River

International Migratory Bird Day 2011

Nice attendance on April 30^th, Sunny, Cool, & Windy, but everyone had fun. We started out at 8:00 a.m. with a bird walk conducted by Debbie Bartmann. Then during the day we had “Load & Go” bird wanders short ten minute bird walks led by Nandu Dubey of the Illinois Young Birders.

Passports were filled out as our visitors went from one event to another, and, prizes were determined by the number of passport points each one accrued. At the end of the day we had a drawing for a pair of binoculars. Many thanks to our sponsors & participants: The McHenry County Chapter if Illinois Audubon Society, The Wild Bird Center in FGR, The Stillman Nature Center, and the Illinois Young Birders

Left click on photos to enlarge, and to read additional info

Enter here	This is the place!	Prize Table

8 a.m. Bird walk	Get banded & pick-up your passports here		Nest building & Story Telling
Photos by Bob Vetter

Broad view of the games	Sign-in & get banded	Cool & Sunny	Great Migration Bird Challenge
Photos by Paul Howerton

“Just Ducky”				“Fill the Bill”			Scope training
Bird Bingo		Migration Challenge		“What bird is that”				Bird Wanders
Broad-winged Hawk from Stillman Nature Center						Grand Prize winner
Photos by Bob Vetter

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