|
|
From The
Guide, page 31:
Ecologist and avid birdwatcher Jon J. Duerr
considers the bald eagle to be one of the most
remarkable stories of the Fox River Valley.
“This is a bird that was on the Endangered
Species list in the 1970s, and now it can be
seen throughout the Fox Valley,” he said. “There
is even a nesting pair on the Mooseheart
property in plain view of Randall Road.”
Duerr, for whom the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve
in South Elgin is named, is out birdwatching
“five or six times a week.” He also directs the
Audubon Society’s annual bird count in Kane
County, as well as serving on the board of the
Illinois Orinthological Society.
Duerr had been an active birdwatcher “in the
1960s,” and became active again in the 1980s,
when he was hired by the Kane County Forest
Preserve. His first job was supervising the
building of bike trails, and in doing so, he
realized that the river was an excellent place
to watch birds. He eventually served as
executive director of the Kane County Forest
Preserve District, and continued his passion for
birds after his retirement.
Duerr enjoys observing a range of birds
throughout the year, and on an average day will
see 50 or 60 birds. On a recent outing, his wife
Joy “scared up” a yellow rail, and later counted
a Smith’s Longspur. He said the range of birds
available at any one time varies dramatically
with the time of year, and that is particularly
evident in the annual bird count. “The bird
count is an attempt to count every bird in every
county in Illinois on one day,” he explained.
“It’s held every year on a Saturday between the
4th and 11th of May. We’ve found that the
variety of birds counted varies greatly
depending on whether it’s held earlier or later
in May. Different birds will be passing through
the area on their migrations at different times,
and it provides an interesting picture of where
the birds are.”
Duerr said interest in birds in the area has
increased greatly in recent years, as has the
participation in the annual bird count. |
 |
|
