Chicago outdoors: Hawk chick, walleye/bait color, leucistic robin, Recovering America’s Wildlife Act

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Vriend photographed this red-tailed hawk fledge 60 feet up “looking like an alien” on Chicago North Side. I think that description about nails it.

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. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

DALE’S MAILBAG

“You published my photo of a partial albino robin on May 9, 2020, and this morning observed another one two blocks away from the 2020 sighting. . . . I slowly rode past [spot his wife tipped him to] and a bird flies past me and alights on the mailbox on the street and looks at me. . . . As I always tell my grandkids, “keep you eyes open and observe what is going on around you. One would be surprised of what you might see!” Tom Turek, Bridgeview

A: An interesting find. I asked Alan Anderson of the Chicago Audubon Society for his take on the robin and he emailed, “The eye color is not pink so it’s not albinism. I’d say leucistic with the white patches possibly making it ‘piebald.’ This link where CLO discusses the difference between L and A should be really helpful. https://feederwatch.org/color_variant/albinism-and-leucism/.”

Tom Turek

BIG NUMBER

231-190: Vote that the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) passed the House on Tuesday. It would invest an annual $1.3 billion in state fish and wildlife management agencies and $97.5 million to tribal management.

LAST WORD

“Starting to understand that walleye can see the color, but it is complicated.”

Suzanne Gray, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Tuesday during a webinar on “Can Walleye See the Bait on the Hook.” One study with Erie Dearies indicated little color preference in clear conditions, gold favored in turbid conditions, and black slightly favored in algal conditions. More information at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/calendar/2022/06/14/c3uf6/freshwater-science

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERING

Tuesday, June 21: Violet Talley, ``Spawning & Post-Spawn Tactics for Bass,” Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m., arlingtonanglers.com

ILLINOIS’ FREE FISHING DAYS

Through Monday, June 20: No fishing license or stamps needed; other regulations apply.

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Wednesday, June 22: Boat America, Des Plaines, V. Haase, vandmhaase@gmail.coom

WINGSHOOTING CLINICS

June 25-26: St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club, Elburn, scscwingshooting@gmail.com or (847)309-1093

HALL OF FAME

Through July 11: Nominations accepted for the 2022 class to the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, info@ilconservation.org, (217) 785-2003, more information at ilconservation.org/Who-We-Are/Outdoor-Hall-of-Fame

ILLINOIS SEASONS/PERMITS

Through June 30: Second lottery, firearm and muzzleloader deer permit applications

Through June 30: Final day, first lottery, free dove hunting permits

Through July 4: Applications, first lottery, fall shotgun turkey