ParkTalk Podcast

S22 Episode 02: Bird Watching

Steve Constantelos and Joe Suchecki from the DuPage Birding Club talk about birdwatching in the Naperville area and how to get started.

For a list of ParkTalk episodes and series, click here.

Quotes from the episode:

“Birding is something you can do wherever you go. It's kind of a combination of hobby and learning and sport. With the way birds migrate, you always have the opportunity to find something different. It gives you a sense of satisfaction and joy, being outside and learning. It's good for your mental state. Especially these days, it's a good thing to get out. â€¦I was out yesterday at Springbrook Prairie doing some management work and I heard my first Sandhill cranes flying by. This is about the time that they are migrating back to their breeding spots. All of a sudden I heard the call, which is very characteristic. I knew they were around somewhere. You have to look way high in the sky. It's always something to look forward to: the first migrants coming back in the spring.” – Joe Suchecki

Sandhill crane chicks - photo courtesy of Joe Suchecki

“Growing up here (in Naperville) I really credit a lot of my love of nature to Naperville Park District and Forest Preserve properties. Just love of place, from getting out there and seeing what's living there, growing up along the DuPage River, it's the foundation of my interest in nature in general. Everywhere I've lived since I've carried that with me. â€¦Like Joe was saying, it's satisfying and challenging, and even aesthetically – it's restoring. Just standing at DuPage River Park in late summer with dozens of chimney swifts flying all around and feeding before they migrate is an amazing experience or standing in Pioneer Park at the same time of year watching hundreds of cedar waxwings just flying all above in the trees eating insects and berries is one of those things you are just in awe of. It's a wonderful thing.”
- Steve Constantelos

Our Guests:

Steve Constantelos, currently serving as President of the DuPage Birding Club, grew up in Naperville learning about nature along the DuPage River. He focused more on birding while living in Virginia in the 1990s, witnessing springtime street fights between robins, tracking pileated woodpeckers, dodging mockingbirds, and monitoring bluebird nesting boxes. A Christmas Bird Count back home in DuPage County at that time sealed the deal.

In recent years he's learned to band birds and has taken on leadership roles with the DuPage Birding Club and Bird Conservation Network. During spring and fall migration he rescues birds for the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. He also enjoys trees, squirrels, dragonflies, writing, and music. Current bird project: learning more about the various sparrow species.

Joe Suchecki, past president of the DuPage Birding Club, is a long-time Naperville resident. He is an avid birder and conservationist and participates in both local and international birding adventures. Following a long career in environmental management and regulatory affairs, he is now retired and spends much of his time as a volunteer at Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville.

Suggested Naperville Park District parks for birding:

Each of these parks has parking, trails, restrooms and picnic shelters.

Here is a beautiful interactive illustration from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that displays common birds found in the upper midwest. You can click on each bird to hear its song.

DuPage Birding Club

Learn More about birding at the DuPage Birding Club website.

"Our mission is to promote birding among our 300+ members and the general public through field experiences and education that focus on the various habitats in DuPage County, the greater Chicago area, and other regional hotspots. We welcome birders of all skill levels and interest."

On the “Learn About Birds” page, find instructions on the following topics: