McHenry County Conservation District

Check out these upcoming programs! 🎂December 8 - Winter Cake Decorating (Ages 10+) Prairieview Education Center, Crystal Lake MCCD.me/CakeDecorating 🌳December 12 - Forest Bathing (Ages 18+) Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area, Cary MCCD.me/ForestBathing

🍝The sandhill crane version of the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp. 🐥This juvenile and adult sandhill crane search for food (likely worms and grubs). This year's colts will stay with their parents all through winter until next spring. 📷Amanda Pawelko

Check out these upcoming children & family programs! ❓11/25 - Family Nature Bingo and Trivia MCCD.me/NatureBingoTri… 🔨12/7 - Fort Building Fun MCCD.me/FortBuildingFun ♻️12/7 - Make Your Own Paper MCCD.me/Papermaking 🐰12/10 - Discovery Days Rabbits MCCD.me/DiscoveryDays

🥊I'm going to tell my kids this was the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight... 📷Photo of two male mallards sparring by Cynthia Smith

🌝🦆A full moon and migration! 📷Photo by Mary Mercurio Sturtevant

🌳"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees." - Amelia Earhart 📷Photo by Sue Rose

🐺While it might be startling to see a coyote, these native canines are generally afraid of humans and do not pose a threat. They help keep the populations of rodents, small mammals, geese & deer in check & also scavenge dead animals keeping neighborhoods clean. 📷Linda Gurgone

🦅A Veteran’s Day thank you to all those who have served. 📷Photo by Amanda Pawelko

Many people don't realize we have flying squirrels in our area! These critters are nocturnal, so many people never see them. Flying squirrels don't actually fly but glide using a membrane that stretches between each wrist and ankle. 📷Photos by Ray Poczkalski

🍂Fall is a great time for spotting raptors like hawks! As the leaves fall away, it becomes much easier to see them perched in the trees, hunting small rodents as they prepare for winter. 📷Photo taken at Pleasant Valley Conservation Area by Mike Hoffman

🍬When someone steals your Halloween candy! 🦅Not sure what the squabble was about, but it definitely makes for some cool photos! 📷Photos of a redtailed hawk and bald eagle by Troy Stukowski

🎃Waited until today to find a Halloween costume? We've got you covered with some items you may be able to find in your closet.

🍂“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” -L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 😍Glacial Park sure looks lovely this time of year! 📷Photos by Kim Compton

🎺If you could hear a photo, it would be this one... 📷Photo of Sandhills calling by Pierre Steygers

🦌The deer equivalent of your mom licking her finger to wipe something off your face and embarrassing you in front of your friends. 📷Photo by Amanda Pawelko

💛Yellow-rumped warblers are back! While these birds do not nest in our area, we see them in spring and fall during migration. 📷Photo by Carrie Dodt

🔍Have you heard of a "snipe hunt?" A snipe hunt is a practical joke where the joker gives an unknowing or gullible person an impossible task. And while snipes are an actual family of birds, the snipe in a "snipe hunt" is imaginary. 📷Wilson's snipe by Ron Branum

😒Juncos are back... ❄️While these birds are fun to watch as they bounce around on the ground or visit feeders, they are known best for being a harbinger of winter, letting us know cold weather is on the way! 📷Photo by Mike Hoffman

🍁Fall colors in most of our area are just past peak. Be sure to get out and see them this weekend before they're gone! 📷Photo of Coral Woods Conservation Area in Marengo by Sandy Novack-Kostelny

Shout out to new volunteers from @rb_transition! 💚