Waterfowl Aerial Inventories, funded by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Aerial inventories of waterfowl abundance, species composition, and distribution have been conducted throughout Illinois during fall, winter, and spring migrations since 1948. The massive amount of data provided has vastly improved our understanding of the chronology of migration, the effects of refuges, the value of wetlands, and the distribution of waterfowl in Illinois.

Foraging Ecology of Fall Migrating Shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley, funded by USFWS Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (UMGLJV)
Populations of many shorebird species appear to be declining in North America.  Causes of the declines are not fully understood, but because shorebirds migrate very long distances each year (e.g., 5000 miles each way), availability of food may be important to survival and reproduction.  The Illinois River valley contains critical habitats where shorebirds stop during migration to refuel before moving on.  In fact, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge was designated a World Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site and my host 100,000-250,000 shorebirds during fall.  Despite the importance of the region, little is known about the ecology of foraging shorebirds in Illinois.  To address this research need, we will collect 4 species of shorebirds (Pectoral and Least Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Killdeer) during falls 2007 and 2008 (e.g., late-July-September) to identify foods they eat and evaluate their body condition.  Additionally, we take core samples from wetlands to identify abundance of invertebrates that shorebirds may consume.  This project will provide information to guide management and restoration efforts targeted at mid-migration shorebird habitat, as well as contribute to basic science through enhanced understanding of avian ecology.

Waterfowl & Wetland Habitat Monitoring at the Emiquon Preserve, funded by The Nature Conservancy
Emiquon Preserve, a 7,000 acre (2,800 ha) drainage and levee district adjacent to the Illinois River near Havana, IL was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 2000.  This property was historically home to Thompson and Flag Lakes, widely renowned as 2 of the most productive lakes in the Illinois River valley.  Drained and used for agricultural production for approximately 70 years, The Nature Conservancy has since restored the historic lake basins.  As water and wildlife return to the property, we will monitor waterbird use and changes in habitat characteristics.  To accomplish this, we will conduct weekly counts and behavior observations of waterfowl and waterbirds during spring and fall migrations, summer brood monitoring, aquatic invertebrate monitoring during brood rearing, annual evaluation of moist-soil plant seed production in fall, and we will create a wetland habitat map each year to document changes in habitat quality and diversity as the site develops.  These activities will allow us to monitor and evaluate the restoration of bottomland lakes and associated wetlands at Emiquon Preserve. Monitoring began in fall 2007, and waterfowl have responded favorably to the restoration.  Peak fall abundance topped 20,000 waterfowl and spring abundance approached 70,000, with 17 duck and 3 goose species observed.  Additionally, 22 species of non-game wetland birds were observed at the site.  Habitat monitoring and mapping in fall 2007 revealed 630 acres of wetland area comprised of 12 habitat types.  Moist-soil plant seed production was excellent, but restricted to the lake periphery.  Water levels have increased substantially since fall monitoring; many more acres of wetland habitat are currently present and we suspect diverse, high-quality habitats will continue to develop. 

Historical and Contemporary Characteristics of Illinois River Valley Wetlands: A Geospatial Database for Conservation Planning and Evaluation, funded by USFWS UMGLJV
In recent years, numerous restoration projects have been initiated in the Illinois River floodplain. Information on historical conditions of floodplain wetlands and investigations of change in conditions over time would provide valuable information to guide the restoration and planning process. To address these information needs, we created a geospatial database of historical wetland conditions in the Illinois River valley from maps created by Dr. Frank C. Bellrose and INHS staff during 1939-1959 and re-mapped 15 of these wetlands using modern techniques during 2005-2006.  We analyzed these data to identify changes in wetland conditions over time and factors influencing use of IRV wetlands by mallards and diving ducks based on aerial inventories.

Observations of Migratory Waterfowl Using Weather Surveillance Radar
Migration is a critical stage in the annual cycle of ducks, but a difficult one to study.  It occurs over an enormous scale and often at night.  Weather surveillance radar provides a unique method of documenting these important movements.  Ben O'Neal, a Ph.D. Candidate of the University of Illinois, is using radar to estimate the number of birds moving through discrete stopovers and the amount of time they spend there.  When a group of ducks departs one of these areas, he uses radar imagery to measure the flock’s flight path and examine its relationship to landscape features such as riparian corridors.  He is building a database of all of the major departure events over multiple seasons to model the effect of weather on departure probability. Click here for more information on the project.

Nesting Biology of the Great Blue Heron and Great Egret at Clear Lake, Mason County, Illinois
A heron rookery at Clear Lake has been monitored since 1962 by Dr. Richard G. Bjorklund of Bradley University. In 2002, Forbes Station staff assumed the monitoring responsibilities. Each year during the breeding season, we conduct a ground census of the colony. We locate nest trees, document tree species and status, and enumerate active nests by species.  Each nest tree is marked with a unique aluminum tag and we record the DBH of each active nest tree. Continued monitoring of this rookery will increase our understanding of the nesting biology of wading birds and provide information for the protection and restoration of essential breeding and foraging wetland habitats.

Nesting Biology of Eastern Bluebirds in West-central Illinois 
A nesting study on Eastern Bluebirds was initiated in 1980 in Fulton County, Illinois. Fifty-eight nest boxes are monitored on 58 acres of habitat. Since 1980, complete nest histories have been recorded for females from over 500 nests. The nesting biology for other cavity nesters including black-capped chickadees, house wrens, and tree swallows are monitored as well.