Sunday, October 9, 2022
7 AM – 5 PM
Lost Valley Visitor Center
(back patio & marsh overlook)
Glacial Park, Ringwood, IL
Novice through Expert Birders are Welcome!
The concept is simplicity itself: find a good place for bird watching and count all the bird species you see or hear. The Big Sit is an international birdwatching event when folks around the world tally the different birds they identify throughout the day. This is the 9th year The Big Sit has been held in Glacial Park; as many as fifty-nine species of birds have been counted at this event.
Adults and children are invited to join in the fun for as little or long as they like anytime on Sunday, October 9 from 7 AM til 5 PM. The Big Sit will be located on the back patio behind the Lost Valley Visitor Center and the marsh overlook at the north end of the center. Take Harts Rd west off of Rte 31 between Ringwood and Richmond, IL and follow the signs to the Lost Valley Visitor Center parking lot.
People are invited to bring a lawn chair and their binoculars, drinking water, hot drink and snacks. This is an outside event so please come dressed for the weather. The Lost Valley Visitor Center will be open so folks will be able to warm up if it is cold in the early morning. Bathrooms are available in the center.
Experienced birders will share views through spotting scopes, and there will be binoculars to borrow for those who do not bring their own. Information about the many birds now passing through our area on their fall migration will be provided, suitable for adults and children. Attendees will also learn what they can do to help keep birds safe on their migration and to provide food and habitat on their own properties to help birds thrive.
Sponsored by McHenry County Audubon, McHenry County Conservation District, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Curious about the results? Visit the Friends of Hackmatack NWR “Learn” tab, where you will find articles and the lists of Big Sit bird counts through the years.