Prairie State Outdoors :: Nature of Illinois

Illinois Nature Pictures

Tom Bonderski saw lots of wildlife hunting in Jo Daviess County during the last portion of the late-winter deer season, including several wild turkeys.

Fri, January 24 at 08:40 AM

In the Wild

Readers continue the them¬¬e of wildlife in winter in this installment of Voices from the Wilderness.

Diane Theodor captured this squirrel in a pleading pose on her deck railing in Chatham.

“My squirrels usually sit with hands in a prayer position but the past few days this has changed to a ‘please pass the mittens’ pose,” Theodor said.

Nanette Phillips, who lives on the edge of Chatham, captured this downy woodpecker at a suet feeder decorated with icicles.

“I snapped some pictures of the downy woodpeckers birds feasting in this winter wonderland at our Chatham home,” she wrote. “Enjoy.”

Of course, everyone has to eat, including hawks.

Karen Alexander of Rochester photographed an adult Cooper’s hawk with its prey.

Notice the red eyes of the adult Cooper’s hawk. Juveniles have yellow eyes.

Lastly, Nate Isbell sent this picture of a northern cardinal brightening up a winter day in Peoria County.

We would like to share your pictures of hunting and fishing adventures, nature, landscapes and wildlife.

Send them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Please include some information, such as who is in the picture and where and when it was taken.

We will try to publish as many as possible in Voices from the Wilderness.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

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Birds of Illinois

Barred owls are common and very vocal. They also can be found living in town, especially in the vicinity of city parks. Photos by Chris Young

Birds of Illinois: barred owl

Common name: Barred owl

Scientific name: Strix varia

Habitat: Barred owls can be found in lowland areas and also in forested city parks.

Illinois hunting and fishing

Food: Barred owls are not as strong as great-horned owls. They only weigh about a pound or so, and they eat small mice, crayfish, frogs and other small prey.

Call: “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”

Illinois hunting and fishing

Thu, February 07 at 04:14 PM

Nature Library

BIRDING
BITS
Wed, Jan 22
Lake Shelbyville Eagle Day coming up Feb. 15

NATURE NEWSBITS
Tue, Feb 04
Changes sought for endangered species act

STAR
GAZING
Tue, Jan 14
Stargazing: Field Museum gets new green meteorite

CRITTER CORNER
Mon, Jan 13
Bear turns heads on Lake Tahoe ski slopes

Illinois Nature News

Cautionary tale: new book re-tells story of the passenger pigeon

Fri, February 14 at 03:23 PM

Chicago nature writer Joel Greenberg documents the passenger pigeon’s slide into oblivion in such gritty detail. His new book “A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction,” includes accounts of majestic flights of “wild pigeons,” and the ceaseless slaughter that drained the life out of a species that once numbered in the billions. MORE :: (0) COMMENTS

Old campground folded into Starved Rock

Thu, February 13 at 08:46 AM

Mark McConnaughhay stepped through deep snow to the bluff edge. White-tailed deer darted along the hillside. Two bald eagles roosting in a tree took flight. McConnaughhay, site superintendent for Starved Rock State Park, was checking out the park's latest land acquisition, the former White Oak Campground south of Utica. MORE :: (0) COMMENTS