Chicago outdoors: Coupled cranes, unique fishing bag, Indiana Dunes visitors, broad-billed hummingbird

Sandhill cranes mating in Kane County. | John Heneghan

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

On April 29, John Heneghan went to see if sandhill cranes he monitors in Kane County had any colts (they did not), but he messaged, “I watched them preen for a while. Then the female gave the pose before flight. They flew across the road. I watched what I thought was the beginning of mating and sure enough they mated.”

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

WILD TIMES

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Thursday, May 13: McHenry Fox Bingo Night, The Shores of Turtle Creek, Spring Grove

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Next Saturday, May 15: Boat America, Fox Lake, Winston Tumaneng, jugodan52@aol.com

SHOWTIME

Today, May 8: Fish & Hook Sports Show, VFW Post 5788, Lockport, fishandhook.net

FISH GATHRING

Wednesday, May 12: Paul Beran, Jim Bloede and Mark O’Neill, “Open Water Lake Trout: Trolling & Jigging Techniques,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Through Thursday, May 13: Spring turkey hunting, fifth season (final), north zone.

DALE’S MAILBAG

Jeffrey Williams’ unique fishing bag along the Chicago River.

“It’s lighter than my fishing bag so it makes everything easier. I bought a smaller bag and that holds two medium tackle boxes, so I have lures and stuff to go after almost any fish.” Jeffrey Williams

A: I delight in his innovative fishing and also the photo along the Chicago River.

BIG NUMBER

About 2.29 million: Record number of visitors at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 2020, via statista.com. Click here for more information.

LAST WORD

“Stunning find, not only 3rd state record of this SW US & Mexican hummingbird, but on a date before Ruby-throateds have really arrived around Chicago & NOT at feeder, unlike other rare hummers in Illinois.”

Doug Stotz, Field Museum’s senior conservation ecologist, tweeting about Nathan Goldberg finding a broad-billed hummingbird at LaBagh Woods. Click here to read a full account.