UPCOMING CHICAGO-AREA TRIPS
These half-day trips visit some of the best birding spots in the Chicago area and beyond. Standard half-day trips cost $60/person, have a maximum of 8 participants, and run from 7:30 am until around noon. All trips are self-driving and led by an expert Red Hill Birding guide (see guide bios here). Depending on the timing of each trip, we may visit other nearby sites as time permits. These trips will run rain or shine unless the weather is expected to be particularly bad.
Interested in a day trip that you don’t see listed here? We can set up a custom tour of the region for you throughout fall. Contact us for more details.
UPCOMING HALF-DAY TRIPS
Trips start at 7:30 am, last until about noon, and cost $60/person, with any exceptions noted below.
Saturday, September 12, 2026 Skokie Lagoons - Cook County Guide: Jeff Bilsky Join Jeff in a search for early migrants at this classic location in the north suburbs. On the right day, many migrant passerines can be seen well. If the water levels are right, we will check out nearby Techny Basin, which can be a great location for shorebirds during peak migration.
Sunday, September 13, 2026 (Only one space remaining!) Hickory Grove Highlands & The Riverfront Conservation Area - McHenry County Guide: Lisa Maier These two locations will have us visiting a nice mix of habitats, including marsh, prairie, and savanna, all of which can attract a wide variety of migrants during the peak of their migration. Warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and other birds utilize the Fox River corridor as a place to rest and refuel on the journey south.
Monday, September 14, 2026 The Grove & Techny Basin - Cook County Guide: Josh Engel The Grove is a wonderful underbirded suburban sanctuary in Glenview and should be good for finding fall migrants. We will follow it up with a trip to Techny Basin to look for lingering shorebirds.
Saturday, September 26, 2026 (Only one space remaining!) Ryerson Woods - Lake County Guide: Jeff Bilsky One of the top hotspots in Lake County, Ryerson Woods in mid-September is a must-stop for local birders. With the peak of warblers at hand, and many other migrant species around, it can be incredibly birdy on the right day. We will also seek out some of our favorite local residents like Pileated Woodpecker and Barred Owl.
Saturday, October 3, 2026 Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve + Hawkwatch - Lake County Guide: Jeff Bilsky A top birding fall birding location in Lake County! Join Jeff, who also serves as one of the lead counters at the Fort Sheridan Hawkwatch, for a great introduction to raptor migration in the Chicagoland area. This trip will begin with birding the surrounding oak woods and prairies for migrants, including the sought-after Nelson’s Sparrow, before transitioning to the hawkwatch. If hawkwatching conditions are not ideal, we will consider moving on to nearby birding locations.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Rainbow Beach and Park 566 - Cook County (Only one space remaining!) Guide: Steve Huggins Rainbow Beach and Park 566 are crucial stopover spot for many migrants in the city, and it is especially known for sparrows. Many birders make annual trips out to these parks to seek out our more difficult annual sparrows, including Nelson’s and LeConte’s. Some of our later shorebirds could also be on the move, some warblers should still be around, and some early migrant waterfowl could be present on the lake. It’s a great time of year to bird this area, and there is always potential for a rarity.
Saturday, October 10, 2026 Chain o’ Lakes State Park - Lake County (Only two spaces remaining!) Guide: Lisa Maier Join Lisa Maier in search of late migrant warblers, sparrows, waterfowl and more at a top birding location in Western Lake County. We will hike some of the trails in search of migrants and will check nearby open water for waterfowl, any lingering terns and gulls, and much more.
Friday, October 16, 2026 Wind Point - Racine County, Wisconsin (Tour full! Contact us to join the waitlist.) Guide: Josh Engel Let’s cross the cheddar curtain today! We will spend the morning birding Wind Point in Racine, Wisconsin, a prominent peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan, making it a migrant hotspot (and it’s also home to a beautiful lighthouse). It has a nice variety of scrub, woodlands, and fields. Some passerines will still be migrating, along with raptors and waterfowl. We’ll visit another nearby Racine hotspot if there is extra time.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Saganashkee & McGinnis Slough - Cook County (Tour full! Contact us to join the waitlist.) Guide: Steve Huggins These two nearby hotspots, part of the great Palos region, combine both woodland and wetland habtiats for a chance at a great late October bird list. We will be searching for migrant waterfowl, sparrows, late warblers, and whatever luck may bring us!
Thursday, November 5, 2026 North Point Marina - Lake County (Only two spaces remaining!) Guide: Adam Sell In early November, North Point Marina becomes a focal point of Lake County birding. Waterfowl migration is on the rise, and landbirding along the lakefront can include Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs, all while hoping for seasonal rarities like Harris’s Sparrow, Purple Sandpiper, and more! Join Adam in one of his favorite fall locations. If the winds are right, we could also be in for a good showing of migrant raptors and Sandhill Cranes.
