Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
On Monday, Paul Vriend emailed, “A tree stump adjacent to Wrigleyville houses a couple of turkey vulture chicks every year. Here’s a close look at one of this year’s fledges. You can still see some of the downy feathers on and under the wings” Upon a closer look, I’m struck how like a specter wrapped in a dark shroud the TV fledge looks
WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Sunday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside). or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
FISH OF THE WEEK
Florian Matuszak caught a monstrous crappie of 17 inches, weighing 3.09 pounds at a Lake County Forest Preserves lake on a homemade spinner. “[It] will remain nameless as I know of several guys that will fish the lake if they find out and keep everything they catch, size limits be damned.”
FOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, now runs most weeks in the two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Sunday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside). or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
DALE’S MAILBAG
Q: “We took this picture on Aug. 8 in St John, Indiana. Is this an odd situation or do these birds intermingle?” Tom Marek
A: I’ve seen sandhill cranes and Canada geese intermingling on rare occasions. There was a case that went viral this summer in Wisconsin of a sandhill pair seeming to adopt a gosling. https://www.iflscience.com/two-sandhill-cranes-have-adopted-a-canada-gosling-and-its-ridiculously-adorable-79698
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERINGS
Wednesday, Aug. 20: Chauncey Niziol, Village Sportsmen’s Club, Alsip, 7 p.m., https://www.southsidemuskiehawks.org/
Thursday, Aug. 21: Violet Talley, “Finesse Bass Tactics,” Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m., https://www.officialchibs.com/boat-show-information
SHOWTIME
Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 21-24: Chicago International Boat Show, Navy Pier Marina, Chicago, https://www.officialchibs.com/boat-show-information
HAPPY HOUR SPEAKER SERIES
Thursday, Aug. 21: “Out in Nature: Creating Safe Spaces in Nature,” Henry Adams, Wildlife Management Coordinator, Urban Wildlife Institute; CJ Greco, Learning Exploration Coordinator, Lincoln Park Zoo, McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, free, 5:15-6:15 p.m., https://www.chicagoriver.org/events/bridgehouse-museum-happy-hour-speaker-series
HUNTER SAFETY
Next weekend, Aug. 23-24: Wilmington, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/230303
Sept. 6-7: Joliet, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/230304
Sept. 20: Kankakee, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/230305
The full state listing is at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, Aug. 23: Boat America, Hammond, Miguel Dalmeida, boatsafe@coastguardchicago.com