Spring 2000

More and more black-crowned night herons are nesting here each year thanks to a local group's efforts to enhance a rookery

Cook County, Illinois

Because an island in the middle of Baker's Lake supports one of the most significant heron rookeries in the Midwest, it was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1984.

At that time, the black-crowned night heron dominated the rookery with more than 200 nesting pairs. Their numbers have since declined, as larger birds — the great blue heron, great egret, and double crested cormorant — took over the limited number of nest sites. Nearby development has destroyed most other nesting sites, forcing all the wading birds to this one piece of prime property, protected from predators by the surrounding lake.

As the numbers of herons and egrets grew, their nests and droppings exhausted the island vegetation. Black-crowned night herons are smaller, shyer birds, needing cover to nest and breed. In the fall of 1998, the last two standing trees blew over in the wind. What used to be a dense thicket is now a small, barren sliver, 35-feet by 95-feet. Today, the black-crowned night heron is a state endangered bird, recently seen attempting to nest — unsuccessfully — on the banks of the lake, overtaken by hungry raccoons.

Artificial structures have been used on the island for many years to support the migrating birds. Three years ago, a local conservation group, Citizens for Conservation (CFC), went on a serious crusade to save heronry. Last spring the artificial structures sustained an amazing 200 nesting pairs. This year, visitors to Baker's Lake will witness the results of an even more ambitious plan to erect 180 aerial nest structures and 10 ground nest structures for what many hope will increase the count of nesting pairs to 300, including the black-crowned night heron. (Boating, fishing and canoeing are prohibited so as not to disturb the birds.)

Citizens for Conservation worked together with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Cook County Forest Preserve District to restore the rookery completely. The District hired Christopher B. Burke Engineering to design a plan, and Commonwealth Edison donated 20 telephone poles that will be paired to hold 20 nests apiece.

Under the tutelage of CFC leader Patsy Mortimer, local Eagle Scouts are building some of the cedar nesting structures. Patsy is also working with Barrington middle school students to turn 300 recycled Christmas trees into additional upright structures. The children are carving out tree sides and tops to create nesting support structures for the birds.

Baker's Lake bears witness to one of the most successful savanna restorations in Chicago Wilderness. The entire area — lake, savanna, and nearby park — totals more than 300 acres. In 1988 Citizens for Conservation worked with the City of Barrington to replace mowing with restoration in the grove, still relatively open since it had been the former campgrounds of the Evangelical Association. Volunteers have since restored the 17-acre oak and hickory grove that now supports no less than 90 remnant plant species.

With landscaper Tom Vanderpoel in the lead, the rescue and replanting of native plants and wildflowers from construction sites into the savanna grove continues apace. Visitors in the spring will see toothwort, trout lilies, and prairie trillium. Later on, May apples, Solomon's seal, rue anemone, wild hyacinth, and shooting stars are in bloom. Birders are likely to spot woodpeckers (red-bellied and red-headed) and indigo buntings. You may get a peek at butterflies, such as the great spangled fritillary, or deer, coyote, fox, or green frogs and bullfrogs.

To lend a hand in restoring this site, call Citizens for Conservation at (847) 382-7283.

— Gail Goldberger