Chicago Birding Adventures

LEARN TO BIRD! (or ATTENTION ALL ‘BIRD NERDS’!) 6 PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURES NOT TO BE MISSED!

Want to learn how to capture those magical moments of birds in nature? Then join Fernando Romo, a world-renowned birding master and photographer from Puerto Vallarta and Anne Ewasko-Simmons, an avid bird photographer as they take you on adventures to some of the best birding hotspots in the area this May, Chicago’s prime migratory season. You have six options to choose from (transportation included) and group sizes are limited. Whether you’re new or experienced in birding or birding photography, you will learn a lot about birds, their behavior and how to improve your photography skills at whatever level you’re at. This is a rare opportunity while we have Fernando in Chicago and… if you’re interested in butterflies and the “The Great Monarch Migration in Mexico” photo trip, then don’t miss out on the presentation May 11th at 5pm for the February 2026 tour or the newly added “Birding in Puerto Vallarta” photo trip presentation on May 18th at 5pm for the November 2025 tour. (See “Workshops” for more info).

BIRD ADVENTURE ONE: Chicago Botanical Gardens – $250

Date: Friday, May 9, 2025

Time: 6:15am

Duration: 6-7 hours*

Maximum Participants: 10

Location: Meet at CPC parking lot

What’s Included: Transportation, breakfast, boxed lunch, snacks & drinks

Description: Enjoy the exclusive early entry into the gardens before it opens to the public and gets crowded. Few places in Chicago offer such beautiful and diverse surroundings with over 255 recorded species. We will be exploring the Waterfall & Sensory Gardens, Spider Island and McDonald Woods for migrators and resident birds. With the open ponds, we will encounter a great variety of waterfowl such as Egrets, herons, a variety of ducks, gulls and Caspian Terns. This is a great chance to shoot hummingbirds against the backdrop of bright flowers as they sip nectar. Photographing birds within these beautiful gardens is like no other and you’re destined to come away with some of your best birding shots ever.

BIRD ADVENTURE TWO: Illinois Beach State Park – $225

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025

Time: 4:30am

Duration: 7-8 hours*

Maximum Participants: 10

Location: Meet at CPC parking lot

What’s Included: Transportation, breakfast, boxed lunch, snacks & drinks

Description: This park is referred to as Chicago’s original skyway due to the large number of migratory birds that pass through here each year. It features marsh, dune, swale, oak woods, beach and Lake Michigan where you can find the most diverse habitat of birds that can be hard to find elsewhere all in one location. If luck is on our side, we may come across breeding yellow-breasted chats, American redstarts and/or blue grosbeaks. Last year, we got up close and personal with a Bob White. Large numbers of gulls and shorebirds can be seen and the dunes are known for their sparrows. This is also a hotspot for raptors and it’s sure to be a great birding adventure.

BIRD ADVENTURE THREE: MONTROSE POINT BIRD SANCTUARY –  $75

Date: Sunday, May 11, 2025

Time: 5:30am

Duration: 3-4 hours

Maximum Participants: 15

Location: Meet at entrance on Montrose Harbor Drive

Description: With its “Magic Hedge” and over 300 species recorded, Montrose Point is the most heavily birded site in the region. This sanctuary is a combination of grassland, wildflowers, trees, shrubs and native Great Lakes dune/swale plants. It’s known for its rarities that include the Black Rail, Kirtland’s and Grace’s Warbler, the federally endangered Piping Plover, Bewick’s Wren, Say’s Phoebe and the Hudsonian Godwit. This is a great opportunity to have an expert birder help you spot the birds and give you tips on how to get your best photographs in the morning light. 

BIRD ADVENTURE FOUR: Indiana Dunes State Park – $225

Date: Friday, May 16, 2025

Time: 4:30am

Duration: 6-7 hours*

Maximum Participants: 10

Location: Meet at CPC parking lot

What’s Included: Transportation, breakfast, boxed lunch, snacks & drinks

Description: Known as one of the most biologically rich areas in the country with lake, beach, foredunes, dune forests, swamps, prairie and savanna habitats, this mixture draws a vast variety of bird species and supports many migrating birds as they funnel along the lakeshore during migration. State records have been set here for high counts of individual birds including the Eastern Kingbird, Cliff Swallow, Cape May Warbler, Northern Flicker, Baltimore Oriole and Scarlet Tanager – all beautiful birds to photograph. This area is also known for its abundance of migrating waterfowl, passerines, and hawks and May is the prime time to witness all this action here.

BIRD ADVENTURE FIVE: Big Marsh – $225

Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025

Time: 4:15am

Duration: 6-7 hours*

Maximum Participants: 10

Location: Meet at CPC parking lot

What’s Included: Transportation, breakfast, boxed lunch, snacks & drinks

Description: Big Marsh just might be the best “hidden gem” on the southeast side of Chicago when it comes to discovering birds. Big Marsh is the largest wetland complex in the Calumet Region and its open wetland attracts a wide variety of waterfowl. The marshy portions have provided nesting habitat for Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern and Common Moorhen. Sandpipers and herons of numerous species can be found foraging on mudflats exposed by low water levels. Big Marsh was once a landfill and is now a prairie and savanna habitat that is attracting wildlife in abundance and is quickly becoming one of the top hotspots for birding in Chicagoland.

BIRD ADVENTURE SIX: MONTROSE POINT BIRD SANCTUARY –  $75

Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025

Time: 5:30am

Duration: 3-4 hours

Maximum Participants: 15

Location: Meet at entrance on Montrose Harbor Drive

Description: With its “Magic Hedge” and over 300 species recorded, Montrose Point is the most heavily birded site in the region. This sanctuary is a combination of grassland, wildflowers, trees, shrubs and native Great Lakes dune/swale plants. It’s known for its rarities that include the Black Rail, Kirtland’s and Grace’s Warbler, the federally endangered Piping Plover, Bewick’s Wren, Say’s Phoebe and the Hudsonian Godwit. This is a great opportunity to have an expert birder help you spot the birds and give you tips on how to get your best photographs in the morning sunlight. 

ADDITIONAL DEETS:

What to expect: Must be physically fit to hike on ungroomed trails for at least 3-4 hours while carrying your gear. Most trails are relatively level (and some might be paved) so no intense inclines, some involve sand. Birds are unpredictable and move around a lot so depending on activity, we may be moving quite a bit. 

*Duration: “The early bird gets the worm” and the best time to see birds is in the mornings ideally starting at sunrise which will be happening around 5:45am during these tours. Most excursions will be leaving from the CPC parking lot and we will go as a group in one van and a car but if you live nearby one of the locations, it is possible to meet the group there. We cannot predict the end time but know that it will be a minimum of 4-5 hours from the start time and may go longer if the birding is good. If you need to be back at a specific time, it is possible to take your own car and follow the group to the location so you can depart earlier, if needed. 

Weather: These are “rain or shine” events as it’s impossible to predict the weather and sometimes bad weather makes for great photography so be prepared. 

Gear to bring: 

• Binoculars (recommend 10 x 42)
• Camera
• A minimum 400mm lens is highly recommended (might be fun to rent one if you’ve never used one before and if you do, go with the longest focal length you can carry). 
• Smartphone, although not ideal for bird photography, but if that’s all you have, you will learn new techniques to get the best shots possible
• Lightweight tripod – optional but not recommended
• Extra batteries & battery charging pack
• Memory Cards (with spares)
• Cleaning wipes/kit
• Rain protection/Drybag

Other Items:

• Trails can be muddy, so wear appropriate hiking footwear
• Raingear, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellant, layered clothing
• Reusable water bottle
• eBird App: Recommend to have this downloaded on your smartphone prior to so we can share the list of birds with you from the tour

Fernando Romo: 

Fernando Romo is a highly sought after birding guide based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and has an extreme talent for spotting the rarest birds and being able to photograph them. He has been introducing people to the wonders of nature on guided conservation travel for the past 20 years. His passion for nature conservation and photography has taken him all over Mexico, Patagonia, Antarctica, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile and Alaska, to name a few! He leads numerous expeditions throughout the year including CPC’s “Monarchs in Mexico” trips where one can witness the great migration up the trans-volcanic belt in the mountains of Mexico. Fernando is extremely passionate about birds and it rubs off on all those who bird with him. Whether you are a beginner or novice, Fernando makes sure that you walk away with a great learning experience and a memory that will last forever.

Anne Ewasko:

Anne Ewasko first took her Photo I class with Richard Stromberg himself back in 2008. She is an artist and uses photography as one of her mediums. She has a passion for nature and adventure travel and loves to share that with others. When she was exploring the Macaw Sanctuary near Puerto Vallarta a couple of years ago with her daughter, she ran into Fernando by chance (while he was guiding another individual on a birding tour!) as he had spotted a rare Colima Pygmy Owl. He was so excited that he invited Anne and her daughter over to see it as well. His passion rubbed off on Anne and since that moment, Anne has been hooked on birding and honing her birding photography skills. As Fernando has been guiding tours to the Monarch butterfly migration for years, he convinced Anne to bring a group of her friends to witness it herself. It was such a magical experience that she just had to share it with others. She now organizes CPC’s “Monarchs in Mexico” trips and plans on continuing sharing this and other unique experiences in nature with the school’s community.