Birding Hotspots in the US: Fermilab

The hustle and bustle of the big city is normally not thought of as a conducive environment for birdwatching. However, Fermilab, short for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a national laboratory belonging to the US Department of Energy, is located in Batavia near Chicago, and is home to several thousand acres of open land, home to a wide array of species.

In 1982, the highly unusual sighting of a Garganey Teal caused quite a stir and drew visitors from around the country. The Garganey is normally exclusive to Europe and Western Asia, with annual migration to Africa. To spot one in the US, let alone the Midwest, is incredibly rare.
The original prairie environment of Illinois is being restored in this area, and the original fauna of the area are thus making a comeback as well. There are several other types of ecosystems to explore as well.

Fermilab is the second largest high-energy physics laboratory of its kind in the world, coming in just behind CERN in Europe. CERN has made the headlines frequently lately as the home of the Large Hadron Collider. Fermilab is known to have had some hand in helping with the creation of the LHC, and Fermilab conducts much cutting-edge research of its own. Though the laboratory itself focuses on studying the intricacies of complex physics and unraveling the abstract mysteries of nature, Fermilab also offers people a chance to enjoy the simple wonders of nature.

A comprehensive list of birds spotted at Fermilabs can be found at their website:

http://www.fnal.gov/pub/about/campus/ecology/wildlife/birds.html

Posted by Dennis on 12/23 at 01:55 PM