A cloudy sunset shows a peak at a bright red setting sun. Below on the horizon is a stand of leafy trees.

words by Edward Warden
photos by Nick Paarlberg

June 10, 2023

Killdeer scurried along the shoulder of the roughly paved country roads while catbirds, nuthatches, and an assortment of sparrows sang. A Cedar Waxwing sat high in a dead tree and watched as the cars gathered behind the maintenance depot at the intersection of two unnamed roads. At some point a Yellow-breasted Chat teased a few notes, enough to intrigue and confuse the gathering birders, until it finally let out a full song, confirming its identity. Song was everywhere, but none of it was the reason why these birders were actually here.

A Cedar Waxwing, a bird with a crest and black mask, perches on a dead tree. — Cedar Waxwing

Iroquois County is not a location that is much talked about in Chicago area birding circles. While it does fall within the greater Chicago metro area and biome, this heavily agricultural county doesn’t hold quite enough to make it worth the drive for most Chicagoans. It totally is though if you’re looking for Whip-poor-wills! As the sun finally passed below the horizon, marking the transition between sunset and twilight, the first whip began to call. After a few moments to appreciate the greeting, we hopped back in our cars and began our largely car-based trip.

The county road that makes up the northern border of Iroquois County State Wildlife Area has pull-offs spaced all along it, the last one stopping just shy of the Indiana border. Our car caravan slowly made our way to the ones that lead into woods. One by one, the dry night air gave up two, three, or sometimes upwards of five birds calling at once from multiple directions. In each case, we needed only turn off the cars and wait. If a whip wasn’t calling upon our arrival, it wasn’t long before they did. Our presence didn’t appear to phase them in the slightest, with some betraying themselves within yards or even feet of us. Like a chorus, Whip-poor-wills called through the night. Shifting of calls indicated that the birds were moving, likely just out of sight. At least one, like an aggressively large and flappy bat, barreled past us, giving some of us the one visual we’d be getting this night.

A hand holds a large oak leaf. — Black Oak leaf. Black Oaks are a preferred tree for Eastern Whip-poor-wills.

After hopping and stopping at a half-dozen or so spots, we arrived at our final location for the night. The large clearing revealed a sky full of stars on this moonless night. We sat on a nearby picnic table, cracked open a few cold drinks, and waited one last time. Our efforts, or lack thereof, paid off. First one, then two, and then no less than four Barred Owls gave their unmistakable call. The downright social birds performed the spectrum of Barred Owl vocalizations as if there was a master class in session. Not to be outdone, the sky belched out a slow moving and blazing shooting star in the eastern horizon.

Four Barred Owls, a whopping 18 Whip-poor-wills, and a shooting star? You cannot make this stuff up! Or well, I guess you can, but with everyone turning to each other to confirm that none of us were dreaming, we toasted our good fortune and departed with memories of a night that won’t soon be forgotten.

Field Trip Report: Iroquois County SWA Whip-poor-will Walk