Common goldeneyes are striking ducks with bright yellow eyes, whistling wings, and unique mating dances. They nest in tree cavities, and hatchlings leap 40 feet the day after hatching. They are fast fliers and skilled divers that crave aquatic animals and plants. Seen in Will County lakes during winter, they head north to nest in summer. Spot them at local preserves like Lake Renwick and Rock Run Rookery. Keep an eye out for these amazing waterfowl!

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest in North America, about the size of a crow. With black bodies, white facial stripes, and bright red heads, they’re easy to spot. They live in mature forests and peck rectangular holes in trees to find carpenter ants. Their loud drilling can be heard from afar, and the holes they leave behind often become homes for smaller birds.

Most animals hunt for food day by day. However, some animals, like squirrels and chipmunks, hoard and bury their supply of food while others, like chickadees and nuthatches, hide their food under loose bark, chimneys, and sides of buildings. Animals who eat live prey will dig underground chambers filled with their food source, like moles, or will hide their leftovers with surrounding scraps of terrain, like bobcats and foxes.

Red squirrels live in northeastern Illinois and are smaller and less common than fox or gray squirrels. They are 10 to 15 inches long with orangish-red fur, white bellies and a white ring around their eyes. Their tails are shorter and less bushy. Red squirrels eat seeds, nuts and plant matter and prefer forests with pine trees, though they also live in deciduous forests.

Snowy owls visit our area only in winter, with sightings varying based on food in their Arctic breeding grounds. These large, mostly white owls are the heaviest in North America. Males get whiter with age, while females keep dark markings. Unlike other local owls, snowy owls are active and hunt during the day. They eat small mammals like rodents and rabbits here, and lemmings in the Arctic.

The sky looks blue because of Rayleigh scattering. Sunlight is made of many colors, each with different wavelengths. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and scatters more when it hits molecules in the atmosphere. This scattered blue light reaches our eyes, making the sky appear blue. We don’t see violet skies because the sun gives off more blue light and our eyes are more sensitive to blue. At sunrise and sunset, light travels farther, so reds and oranges shine through.

Red foxes are known for their red fur and white-tipped tails; however, their color can vary. They thrive in diverse habitats, including urban areas, and are nocturnal. In Illinois, they raise litters of 1–11 kits in spring. Red foxes use their keen hearing to hunt rodents and small mammals. Red foxes are the world’s largest fox species and live across the Northern Hemisphere. Agile and clever, they use their tails for balance, warmth, and signaling.

Dark-eyed juncos spend summers in Canada and migrate to northern Illinois for winter, arriving in October and staying until early spring. These small, round birds with gray or brownish-gray bodies, white bellies and pinkish bills are part of the sparrow family. They’re among the most common birds in North America and are often seen under feeders eating spilled seeds. In warmer months, they also eat insects like ants, beetles, caterpillars and flies.