Owls Of Illinois Exhibit Draws Rave Reviews

The Tribune had an article yesterday about the ongoing exhibit at the Peggy Notebaert featuring the photos of Jerry Goldner, who has taken so many wonderful photos in Uptown of the snowy owls and the peregrine falcons:

The museum recently unveiled "Owls of Illinois," an exhibit by wildlife photographer and owl aficionado Jerry Goldner, of Evanston.

All are in a setting that offers the opportunity to see art, and then experience it by walking outside.

Goldner's pictures are dramatic, large-scale images of owls he has seen in the Chicago area. They range from the snowy owl that drew crowds to the lakefront in 2011 and 2012 to the rare burrowing owl that Goldner has seen only once, when he took the picture that is in the exhibit.

The pictures are beautiful, but Goldner's aim is also to inform the public about owls. "People don't realize there are so many different species in Illinois," he said.

"Owls are the most elusive, the most difficult to photograph, the most sought after in the birding world, and the most beautiful to me," he said. "I just love their look."

Thursdays are "Pay What You Can" day at the museum, so come on down and see the nature that's literally right in our own back yard.  The exhibit runs through April.

Falcon Pair Remain At Uptown Theater

copyright: Jerry Goldner

copyright: Jerry Goldner

We heard from wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner recently, with news about the mating pair of peregrine falcons that have maintained their nest at the Uptown Theater for many years.  The parents are still there, and helping to hold down Uptown's pigeon population, as seen in the photos above.  If you click on the photos to see larger versions, you'll notice the banding bracelet that researchers use to identify and track the falcons.

Some bad news about the fledglings who were born this year:  they did not thrive.  The male fledgling is currently undergoing rehabilitation to get healthy, and the fates of the two female fledglings are unknown.

If you'd like to see some of the stunning images that Mr. Goldner has shared with Uptown Update's readers in the past, click here.  You can see more of his work at his website, Profiles of Nature.

We are so privileged to have these rare and beautiful creatures right here in our back yard, and equally privileged to be able to see them up close and personal, thanks to Mr. Goldner's talent and generosity.

Uptown's Wildlife Shown At Nature Museum

copyright, Jerry Goldner

For years, nature photographer Jerry Goldner has been kind enough to send his photos of Uptown's peregrine falcons, snowy owls, and burrowing owls to Uptown Update for our readers to see, up close and personal.  Now his photos (like the one above, of a short-eared owl over Lake Michigan last month) will be on display at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.  The exhibit, entitled Owls of Illinois, will begin on December 22nd and will run through March 2013.

The museum's website describes the show as:  "Owls of Illinois. Opens December 22. Wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner takes us on a journey into the world of the elusive owl. Goldner’s passionate view captures the mystery and beauty of the owl. Images taken from local natural areas tell the story of these amazing creatures and the people who are entranced by them."

You can see Mr. Goldner's work at his website and in Uptown Update, over the years.  We encourage you to stop by the museum and take a look between now and March.

Nature Photographer on "Chicago Tonight" Monday

copyright held by Jerry Goldner

copyright held by Jerry Goldner

Jerry Goldner, the wildlife photographer responsible for the two stunning Uptown images above, will be appearing on WTTW's Chicago Tonight at 7pm on Monday.  He'll be discussing Snowy Owl biology with The Field Museum's Researcher & Birding Guru Josh Engel, and the segment will feature video and photos he's shot.

He'll also be discussing ways to protect birds from rodenticide & lead, collisions with auto & windows, entrapment in nets & fishing wire, and overzealous admirers & would-be photographers. (Remember, the snowy owls seen in Uptown have been suffering stress and have been forced to move from their water and hunting territory because of the crowds, so if you do a little amateur bird watching, remember to stay at least 30 feet away.)

If you'd like to see Mr. Goldner's work, including many seasons of the Uptown Theater peregrine falcons, his website is here.

Nature Photographer On "Chicago Tonight" Tonight

Nature photographer Jerry Goldner, who has thrilled us with up-close-and-personal photos of Montrose Harbor's snowy owls and the Uptown Theater's peregrine falcons, will be featured on Chicago Tonight this evening.


"Jerry Goldner is crazy about owls. Illinois has nine species and Goldner has photographed them all, along with more than 200 other types of birds. Jay Shefsky tagged along with him recently as he photographed what may turn out to be Chicago’s last Snowy Owl sighting of the season."

The show will be on at 7pm and repeated at midnight on WTTW, and then available on WTTW's website.

You can see some of Jerry's photos that he's provided Uptown Update here.

Update:  Here is the segment, shot at Montrose Harbor.

Hummingbirds Back In Uptown

copyright, Jerry Goldner -- click to enlarge

copyright, Jerry Goldner -- click to enlarge

Jerry Goldner, the wildlife photographer who's wowed us in the past with his photos of Uptown's snowy owls and peregrine falcons, sent in these pictures and says, "The hummingbirds are back!  Please tell your readers that they need to put out their hummingbird feeders.  I took these photos on Saturday.  Folks can also view them at the Montrose & Jarvis bird sanctuaries on the lakefront, North Park Village Nature Center (Pulaski south Peterson) and at The Botanic Gardens east of the English Garden on the hill."

New Family Of Uptown Falcons

copyright held by Jerry Goldner

copyright held by Jerry Goldner

Wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner, who's wowed us before with his images of the peregrine falcons who live atop the Uptown Theater, took another series of pictures of the falcon fledglings this past June.  He says, "Here's the link to the new family pix."

As falcon watchers may remember, drama ensued this spring when the male of the Uptown family, Guy, disappeared and was replaced in the breeding pair by his son, Stan.  Apparently all went well with Stan's liaison with the Uptown's long-time matriarch, Zoom, because young'uns are clearly in evidence in these latest photos.

The first 20 or so photos in the series were taken at the Uptown Theater last month, and those immediately following them in the slide show were taken this year at historic St. Michael's Church in Old Town.  Enjoy the show!  It's a privilege to have these beautiful and rare creatures living at Lawrence and Broadway.

And They're Back

copyright Jerry Goldner



copyright Jerry Goldner

Wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner, who has sent us so many striking photos in the past, tells us that the peregrine falcons have indeed returned to the Uptown Theater for the year.  With luck, there'll be another nest of babies this year to continue to repopulate the species.

UU Note:  You can see more of Jerry's photos of the falcons over the past year here:  http://www.profilesofnature.com/peregrinefalconschicago.html.

Birding At The Beach

copyright held by Jerry Goldner

For those who enjoy the wonders of our lakefront, a rare Burrowing Owl was spotted at Montrose Beach last month.  Nature and wildlife photographer Jerry Goldner, who has provided UU with so many striking photos of the Uptown Theater's peregrine falcons, was there to capture the moment.

You can see more of Jerry's photos and videos of the owl on his website, and read about the unexpected visit from Mr. or Ms. Owl on WTTW's website.

Wild In The Streets

Our favorite nature photographer, Jerry Goldner, who has captured such beautiful images of wild birds in Uptown, wished us and our readers a happy 2015 by sending this photo of a Saw Whet Owl, captured by his lens in an Uptown courtyard building.  (Click for more detail.)

For more of Jerry's work, you can see his previous photos on UU (including the magnificent Uptown Theater peregrine falcons) and on his website, Profiles of Nature.

A happy new year to you, too, Mr. Goldner, and thanks for your generosity in providing photos to us over the years.

Guardians Of The Uptown Theatre

Photographer Jerry Goldner sends us a great photo of a peregrine falcon perched high atop the Uptown Theatre. You can check out all of Jerry Goldner's amazing Uptown falcon photography here.

Love On A Rooftop

"Recovery of a Species"
copyright held by Jerry Goldner

Good news!  Looks like there's another generation of peregrine falcons set to be born high atop the Uptown Theatre, in a niche off the fire escapes on the Magnolia side.  The Chicago Peregrine Falcon Blog reports that, as of this week, Mama "Zoom" is sitting on a nest of four eggs.

But there's a soap opera aspect:  Zoom's long-time mate, Guy, is nowhere to be seen.  He's been replaced by his son Stan as the male half of the breeding pair.  Guy's fate is unknown.

We look forward to many swoops and flights from the Uptown Theatre as our endangered buddies stay in Uptown for another season.

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Last year, Jerry Goldner sent us his magnificent mating falcon photo, Recovery of a Species, with which he won the first annual "Nature In Chicago" photo contest.  (You can read more about the contest and see the winning images here.)  This seems like an appropriate time to run it.  Congratulations, and thank you, Jerry.

Multi-Media Sunday

We're catching up on our overstuffed email box today, so today's posts will be a multi-media experience, including some very different videos, each showing a different side to life in Uptown.  Diverse indeed.

copyright:  Jerry Goldner

The first:  Our famous snowy owl, part of a huge influx of snowy owls who are hanging around the Midwest this winter.  Here is WTTW's show segment featuring them, including video and photos by Jerry Goldner, who has provided Uptown Update with nature photos over the years.  See the Montrose Harbor owl in his (her?) glory.  You'll have to click here for the photos, videos and descriptions.

Rare Bird Alights At Montrose Harbor

Our favorite wildlife photographer, Jerry Goldner, sent these photos of a rare bird sighting at Montrose Harbor last weekend.  The Kirtland Warbler drew crowds of spectators, some coming from out of state just for a chance to glimpse it.  (Jerry's Profiles of Nature Flickr page shows more photos.)  He writes:

"Kirtland's Warbler is an Endangered species and is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. Fire suppression led to decline in suitable habitat for nesting. Nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird caused further decline in species. Extensive measures currently taken to provide adequate nesting habitat and to control cowbird numbers.

The endangered Kirtland's warbler is one of the rarest members of the wood warbler (Parulidae) family. It is a bird of unusual interest for many reasons. It nests in just a few counties in Michigan's northern Lower and Upper peninsulas, in Wisconsin and the province of Ontario and, currently, nowhere else on Earth."

According to the Tribune, it was not seen again last Monday after a star turn over the weekend, and is presumed to have moved on.

A Beautiful Guest Visits Uptown

Thank you to reader Bill Biederman, who took this photo of a snowy owl who stopped in Uptown this past week on its migration path. Gorgeous!

Update: This will be a busy season for snowy owls, according to Chicago Tonight. They recently reran a 2014 visit to Montrose Harbor with nature photographer Jerry Goldner, who has given this blog so many memorable shots of Uptown's avian residents.

Predators! From The Skies!

a Peregrine Falcon helps keeps Uptown's pigeon population in check
(copyright: Jerry Goldner)

From a reader:

"Early on Saturday my wife witnessed a very large bird of prey (falcon? hawk? unsure) swoop into our backyard and kill a pigeon.

We wanted to give a heads up to pet owners to not leave their small pets unattended outside. There are also a few cats on Beacon and Dover, unsure if they belong to anyone but they are frequent visitors to our yards, and if they do belong to someone then they should be mindful that their pets may be in danger from this large predator."

We are a neighborhood with a lot of natural predators: coyotes, Coopers Hawks, snowy owls, and the Uptown Theatre peregrine falcons.

The reader's advice is something to remember: in nature, smaller animals are food for the larger ones. Be careful of your pets! Keep them indoors or on leashes, and don't tie them up outside.