The promontory and adjacent dune habitats contain what is probably the region’s most heavily birded site: the famous “Magic Hedge.” Migrants of all kinds flock to this 15-acre sanctuary containing grassland, wildflowers, trees, shrubs and native Great Lakes dune/swale plants.
Well over 300 bird species have been seen here. It is particularly good for migrant flycatchers, warblers and sparrows, and few other birding destinations offer easier looks at such skulkers as the Connecticut Warbler, Le Conte’s Sparrow and Nelson’s Sharptailed Sparrow.
The nearby harbor and adjoining beach, with its 3-acre dune restoration and “fish hook pier,” attract a wide assortment of migrant waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including Snowy Owls and Peregrine Falcons.
Both Montrose Point and Montrose Dune are astounding places for rarities, which have included Black Rail, Kirtland’s Warbler and Grace’s Warbler, Groove-billed Ani, the federally endangered Piping Plover, Bewick’s Wren, Say’s Phoebe and Hudsonian Godwit.
1/15/21: Trail Renovation Update
Resources
DNA article: Montrose Point Ranked Top Birding Spot in State
The Reader: How One Woman Revived The City’s Most Impressive Natural Ecosystem
Address: 4400 North Simonds Drive, Chicago, IL, 60640
Parking: Parking closest to the sanctuary (Montrose Harbor Drive) now requires payment; free parking is available along Montrose Ave and Simonds Drive (about a block away).
Header Photo by Jamie Burning