April 25, 2024
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Register now for ‘Owl Watch’ tours and ‘Owl Prowl’ hikes in Will County this December

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
A short-eared owl flies over the Group 63 Trail at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The trail is located near the Iron Bridge Trailhead. Photo by Mark Korosa.

A short-eared owl flies over the Group 63 Trail at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The trail is located near the Iron Bridge Trailhead. Photo by Mark Korosa. (Photo courtesy of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie)

Greg DuBois, birder and photographer, will guide two “Owl Watch” photography tours at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in December.

DuBois, vice president of the Will County Audubon Society, will also share his knowledge of owls and photography on these tours.

The “Owl Watch” on Dec. 3, is for U.S. military veterans and their families. The second, on Dec. 10, is for “anyone who loves nature and photography and wants to connect with other great outdoors enthusiasts,” according to news release from Midewin.

And the Forest Preserve District of Will County is hosting several “Owl Prowl” owl hikes in December at various locations. Each hike is between 0.5 mile to 2 miles long “on uneven, natural terrain,” the forest preserve said.

Register for hikes on the event calendar at reconnectwithnature.org.

Learn more about owls by registering for a free Forest Preserve District of Will County owl hike in December.

Learn more about owls by registering for a free Forest Preserve District of Will County owl hike in December. (Photo courtesy of the Forest Preserve District of Will County)

The “Hoot Hike and Campfire” will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 2, at the Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville. The event is open to all ages. Bring own camp chair and blanket. For more information, call 815-886-1467.

A second hike, “Owl Hike for Families,” will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve, Plainfield. For more information, call 815-722-9470.

The “Holiday Owl Prowl” for ages 18 and up will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 30 at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, Homer Glen. For more information, call 708-946-2216.

Midewin said people have spotted “short-eared owls, Northern harriers and more native grassland birds of prey” in recent years during colder months at Midewin in the areas where bison graze.

People typically glimpse these short-eared owls, as well as other native birds of prey, along the Group 63 Bunker Trail on the East side of Highway 53, Midewin said.

“The best time to look for owls at Midewin is in the late afternoons, just before dusk, during the colder months of the year,” Dubois said in the news release from Midewin.

A short-eared owl flies over the Group 63 Trail at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The trail is located near the Iron Bridge Trailhead. Photo by Ken Murphy.

A short-eared owl flies over the Group 63 Trail at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The trail is located near the Iron Bridge Trailhead. Photo by Ken Murphy. (Photo courtesy of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie)

Both “Owl Watch” tours will meet at 3 p.m. on their respective dates at the Iron Bridge Trailhead at Midewin.

Register for an “Owl Watch” photography tour at Midewin, by calling 815-423-6370 or emailing sm.fs.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov.

KNOW MORE

According to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, short-eared owls have

• A wingspan of 35 to 40 inches

• 15 inches in length

• Heavily streaked wings and body

• White to tan-colored underwings and body with dark striping

• Dark-colored bars on their wings

• Round, cream-colored facial disc with dark eye patches; yellow eyes.