Detwiler: Oakwood Bottoms is a southern Illinois birding hotspot
This wonderful birding site lies in the Mississippi River Bottomlands, and is comprised of more than 3,600 acres of bottomland hardwoods. In spring, this area teems with migratory passerines, and if you're lucky you may find more than 30 warbler species.
Summer can be hot, but mornings are still good for hearing and seeing the many breeders in this area, including Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-shouldered Hawk, and all the southern Illinois woodpeckers.
Fall is again good for migrants, and brings a wealth of waterfowl. Winter is the best time for raptors, and the lack of leaves makes spotting sparrows, kinglets, and chickadees much easier. Pin oak acorns are the primary food source for tens of thousands of wintering Northern Pintails and Mallards.
Much of Oakwood Bottoms is open to hunting, with seasons for deer, squirrel, dove, turkey, and waterfowl. DEET can keep mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks from feasting on you. A sharp eye can keep you clear of cottonmouths. At 19 miles from the western edge of Carbondale, it takes about thirty minutes to reach. Here are some areas to explore for breeding birds this June.
From Route 3, drive 0.9 miles east on the road to Oakwood Bottoms and then turn left (north) onto the access road and parking lot for Greentree Reservoir. A trail encircles the small lake and a quarter-mile boardwalk loops through a beautiful hardwood swamp. If you get there before dawn, you might hear or see Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, and American Woodcock. Wild Turkeys gobble and Wood Ducks whistle deep in the swamp. From the boardwalk look for Red-headed Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Kentucky Warbler, American Redstart, and flashy Prothonotary Warbler. In the brushy areas check for Gray Catbird and Eastern Towhee.
As you travel farther east on the main road you'll pass by ditches and flooded impoundments - with varying amounts of water and vegetation depending on the season. Early in the morning (before they get flushed) look for Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Herons. Less shy are striking Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Great Blue Herons. Check the surrounding trees for Red-shouldered Hawk. Here and throughout this area listen for the chortling of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Sometimes you'll see these black, brown, and white birds streaking past, white spots flashing on their tails.
There is also excellent birding from the Big Muddy River levee road which runs along the eastern edge of Oakwood Bottoms. In the grassy areas watch for Indigo Bunting and Field Sparrow. Scan the forests and brushy edges for three species of vireos: Yellow-throated, White-eyed, and Red-eyed. This is also a prime road from which to spot one of our most majestic birds, the Pileated Woodpecker.
<h3 class="breakHead">Current regional sightings</h3>
Henslow's Sparrows, uncommon and local breeders, have recently been spotted at Pyramid SRA, Burning Star Mine, and Crab Orchard NWR. Listening for their dry "tsi-lick" song is key to finding this species; try early morning on a calm day and look in large grassy fields interspersed with broom sedge.
A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen just south of Grand Tower on May 22 - perhaps a vagrant, or a very rare breeder!
If you're looking for additional ideas about where to go birding in southern Illinois, please consider my new book, Finding Birds in Southern Illinois. It's available in print and PDF versions at www.southwestbirders.com.
<h3 class="breakHead">About the author</h3>
Carbondale is my hometown, where I started birding 50 years ago. I spent an exciting 16 years as a bird guide, and have penned bird-finding books for several Arizona and California counties. I currently reside in Arizona, where you can reach me at henrydetwiler@earthlink.net.