Chicago outdoors: Chicago lagoon catfish, deck robin family, Minnesota sturgeon, ducks and decoys

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Mary and Marc Bruni have been watching robins build a nest, since Easter Sunday, above the light on their deck. About 12 days later, the hen robin laid her eggs. I am pleased how many people will accept and protect nest building around their houses by some wild creatures, such as robins and rabbits.

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

“I talked to the park district about the fish stocking in the Chicago lagoons. They informed me that bluegills will be stocked this summer, but no channel catfish because no one put a bid in for that particular species, which is surprising. I’m checking with you to see if you heard the same.” — Cecil

A: Yes, bluegill will be stocked at the usual levels, the first stocking went in this week. Catfish will not be stocked because the IDNR could not get a supplier.

BIG NUMBER

More than 100: Years since lake sturgeon were verified spawning on the Red River basin; the Minnesota DNR posted a video on Facebook.

LAST WORD

“There is no feeling in the world like that of seeing ducks dropping out of a winter sky coming to decoys that you have made with your own hands. Sometimes I can’t even shoot, the sight is so beautiful. Carving decoys lets a man understand in a very personal way that there is so much more to hunting ducks than shooting them.”

Charles Frank, Southern Living Magazine in 1985, via sportingclassicsdaily.com

WILD TIMES

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, ilconservation.org

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Wednesday, June 8: Suddenly in Command, Villa Park, Glenn Nystrom, gnystrom33@gmail.com

Next Saturday, June 11: Boat America, Chicago, Don Leonard, pe@cgauxchicago.com . . . Boat America, Waukegan, Curt Schumacher, curts402@aol.com

WINGSHOOTING CLINICS

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

FISH GATHERINGS

Wednesday, June 8: Mike Pehanich, “Tips from the Top: Catch More Fish from Post Spawn through Summer,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com

Wednesday, June 8: Mike Norris, Oswegoland Fishing Club, community room, Oswego Police Department, 7 p.m., fishinfools.org

Thursday, June 10: David VanDoorn of “Take A Vet Fishing,” Riverside Fishing Club, LaGrange American Legion, 6:30 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com

ILLINOIS PERMITS

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