The Binocular Site
Illinois Beach State Park, Illinois
Illinois Beach State Park stretches along Lake Michigan shoreline, with two parts separated by the now retired Zion Nuclear Power Station.
Wetlands, woodlands, prairies, dunes, and beaches stretch across the park, which officially began in 1948. Extensive trails are available for biking, jogging, and hiking, and the park is a major attraction with its opportunities for swimming, boating, and picnicking, as well as fishing and camping.
An abundance of water life, both plant and fish, seems to magically appear in the marshes and ponds formed as water rises and falls. Naturally many birds are attracted to feeding here, including herons and cranes, sandpipers, teals, grebes, bitterns, and even peregrine falcons.
Sparrows, plovers, woodpeckers, and nuthatches are also common here, along with coyotes, foxes, and beavers. Over 650 species of plants have also been recorded just in the dunes area, with a beautiful display of colorful wildflowers in dozens of types.
Look for everything from sedges and prairie cordgrass to prickly pear cactus and cattails. The marshes also support bluejoint grass, reed grass, and big bluestems, whereas the sandy ridge areas include black oak forests and many kinds of fragrant pines. See the Illinois Beach State Park website for more information.
The state bird of Illinois is the Northern Cardinal and you can find a birding checklist for Illinois here.
Photo credit to chascarper, used with permission under the creative commons license.
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