Peoria Audubon Society is a local affiliate of both:
National Audubon Society & Illinois Audubon Society
Local Birding
Singing Woods
|
| Directions | Take Highway 40 (Knoxville Avenue) north of Peoria, past Lake of the Woods, turn east on Cedar Hills Drive for about a mile, then turn north onto Singing Woods Road. Take Singing Woods Road up the hill and it will turn back west. Once you pass the power lines, the area north of road is Park District property. There are no signs, but there is a trail if you look carefully. You will need to park along the roadside.
Alternately, you can take Highway 40 (Knoxville Avenue) north of Peoria, past Lake of the Woods, turn east on Cedar Hills Drive for about two miles, then turn north onto Ivy Lake Road. Take Ivy Lake Road north for a little less than two miles. Just before the road takes a sharp jog north at a small creek, pull into a small unmarked grass parking area. From here you can walk west into Singing Woods along the creek. |
| Description | Owned by the Peoria Park District, Singing Woods is nearly 1000 acres of wooded river bluff. It also includes several hill prairie restoration areas. Although there are no developed access it provides important migratory and breeding habitat for forest interior birds. Sheer size makes this among the best areas to search for migrating songbirds in spring and fall. Barred, Eastern Screech, and Great Horned Owls are also common in winter. |
| Suggested Route/Stops | Since this is an undeveloped area, with few trails, and steep bluffs plan your hike accordingly. The area along the creek, off of Ivy Lake Road if the most productive during migration. The upland wooded bluff and hill prairies can be good for finding breeding woodland birds. |
| Commonly Seen Birds |
Spring/Fall -- Good for woodland warblers
Summer -- Red-headed & Pileated Woodpeckers, nesting owls, Cooper's Hawk, Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet and Summer Tanager Winter -- Owls |