COS headed to the former Joliet Arsenal, now the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, to enjoy the prairie life on the property. The group was led led by John Baxter and observed a plethora of dragonflies, butterflies and birds. Below is a list of the wildlife seen on this trip.

To see more photos and notes from this trip, see Geoff's website

- post contributed by Geoff Williamson

List of birds species seen, with number observed:

Canada Goose 1
Mallard 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 3
Turkey Vulture 13
Northern Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 7
American Kestrel 2
Killdeer 9
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 43
Rock Pigeon 5
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2
Mourning Dove 8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Willow Flycatcher 5
Eastern Phoebe 3
Eastern Kingbird 8
Loggerhead Shrike 2
White-eyed Vireo 1
Bell's Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 4
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 3
Horned Lark 6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 27
Black-capped Chickadee 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 10
Eastern Bluebird 2
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 5
Brown Thrasher 4
European Starling 180
Cedar Waxwing 10
Common Yellowthroat 15
Yellow Warbler 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 11
Field Sparrow 14
Vesper Sparrow 3
Grasshopper Sparrow 17
Henslow's Sparrow 16
Song Sparrow 25
Northern Cardinal 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3
Blue Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 14
Dickcissel 40
Bobolink 4
Red-winged Blackbird 52
Eastern Meadowlark 29
Western Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird 13
Orchard Oriole 6
Baltimore Oriole 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 21
House Sparrow 5

List of mammal species seen, with number observed.

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel 1

List of butterfly species seen, with number observed.

Pipevine Swallowtail 1
Black Swallowtail 7
Checkered White 1
Cabbage White 24
Clouded Sulphur 14
Orange Sulphur 18
Clouded/Orange Sulphur 105
Little Yellow 2
Dainty Sulphur 2
Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
Spring Azure 2
Great Spangled Fritillary 5
Silvery Checkerspot 1
Pearl Crescent 1
Common Buckeye 1
Silver-spotted Skipper 2
Northern Cloudywing 3

List of damselfly and dragonfly species seen, with number observed.

Ebony Jewelwing 4
American Rubyspot 2
Bluet, sp. 1
Common Green Darner 5
Prince Baskettail 4
Calico/Halloween Pennant 1
Widow Skimmer 2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 4
Wandering Glider 1
Black Saddlebags 10
Red Saddlebags 1

Trip Report: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - 2012 July 23