Chicago outdoors: Hamlet, cedar waxwing, backyard buck/trail cam, and big saugeye

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Dr. Elizabeth Pector photographed this cedar waxwing, the American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year, in a suburban hawthorn. I think waxwings are hard to photograph, so I particularly enjoyed her series.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

March 7-8: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818.

March 21-22: Elgin, hsmagno48@gmail.com

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Friday, Feb. 28: Chain O’Lakes dinner, Maravela’s, Fox Lake. Contact Vicki Mandurano, (847) 553-7565.

SHOWTIME

Saturday, Feb. 29: Salmon Unlimited Swap Meet, River Park Moose Lodge, River Grove

Saturday, Feb. 29, to Next Sunday, March 1: Chicago Dive & Travel Expo, Chicago Marriott O’Hare

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday, February 26: Andrew Ragas, “Bass Fishing in Northern Wisconsin,” Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m.

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Monday, Feb 24: About Boating Safely, La Grange, Terrie Welge, twelge@lths.net

Saturday, Feb. 29: About Boating Safely, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com

OUTDOOR FILMS

Wednesday, Feb. 26: YETI film tour, Thalia Hall, Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

MIDEWIN LECTURE SERIES

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Greg DuBois, “Bird Life of Midewin,” Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Welcome Center, Wilmington, begins 7 p.m., registration required at (815) 423-6370 or SM.FS.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov.

SHEDD FREE DAYS

Monday, Feb. 24, to Friday, Feb. 28: Illinois residents only, click here for more information

DALE’S MAILBAG

Provided by George Lobb

“I keep having run ins with a buck(s) at my house in Barrington. Bought a trail cam and got some pics. Also, coyotes, does, foxes, and some unidentifiable creatures this month.” George Lobb in January

A: It’s never too late for submissions, plus I have a weakness for trail cam photos. It’s special to see the growth of trail cams from a hunting tool to general use to see what is wild around us.

BIG NUMBER

9-10.88: Pounds-ounces of Illinois-record saugeye, caught by Dan Murphy on Dec. 7, 2001, from Evergreen Lake. (In 2018, a survey of Evergreen produced one nearly a pound heavier.)

LAST WORD

“A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.”

Hamlet, in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Act 4, Scene 3