The season recap for Illinois bobcats, a question about red-tailed hawks along highways, crying for the planet, and a photograph of an Icelandic seagull are among the notes from Chicago outside and in- of the.

The notes come from outside Chicago and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Dr. Elizabeth Pector photographed this Icelandic gull, “much brighter than our many herring gulls along Lake Michigan. Almost pure white sometimes. All black markings on the wingtips are less intense. The photo was taken Feb. 19 during the Illinois Ornithological Society Gull Frolic.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, takes place most weeks in the special two-page outdoor section of Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make quotes, send an email [email protected] or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

WILD TIMES

FUNDRAISING

March 25: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, South Suburban Chapter Fundraiser, Tuscan Gardens Pub & Banquet, Glenwood; contact Cindy Gustafson (708) 768-4315

US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Next Saturday March 19: Boat America, Chicago, Don Leonard, [email protected] . . . Boat America, Fox Lake, Richard Stadelmann[email protected]

SHOW TIME

Click here for the complete list of shows, classes and exchange meetings for the coming months.

Today March 12: Fish & Hook Sports Lounge, Ext VFW 5788, Lockport

Sunday March 13: Quad County Hawg Hunters’ Fishing Flea Market, Plano American Legion, [email protected] or (815) 286-7170

Until Sunday March 13: Newspaper Sentinel Sports Show, Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center, West Allis, Wisconsin.

Until Sunday March 13: Canoecopia, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.

Next Saturday March 19: Walleyes Unlimited Swap Meet, Fox Lake Legion Hall

FISH COLLECTIONS

Tuesday, March 15: Johnny Wilkins“Keep It Simple – How to Catch More Fish,” Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m., arlingtonanglers.com

Thursday March 17: Captain Robert SchellFishing Lake Erie, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township Offices, Alsip, 7 p.m.

ILLINOIS TROUT SEASON

Next Saturday March 19: The first trout catch-and-release season opens at nine sites statewide, nearby sites are Rock Creek at Kankakee River State Park; Pine Creek, SP White Pine Forest; and Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP. The regular season opens April 2. Click here to read statewide information.

DALE COURIER BAG

“Driving towards Michigan City on I-94, I saw an unusually high incidence of Red-tailed Hawk activity, any explanations? Ken Vaclavik

A: The BirdNote show, “Highways as Habitat for Hawks,” said it well on February 18, 2016: “The grassy areas have created ribbons of wildlife habitat occupied by small mammals such as voles – the preferred prey of the Red-tailed Hawk…and other raptors, which are now common along many stretches of highway.And there are now hundreds of thousands of other miles of highway that provide equally hunting grounds. prosperous for the birds.”

LARGE NUMBER

290: Bobcats harvested in the 2021-22 Illinois season: 174 (hunting), 116 (trapping), 23 (recovering) per 1,000 license holders. Modern bobcat seasons in Illinois began in 2016. Click here to learn more about the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

LAST WORD

“If you don’t cry deep tears for the state of this planet and all its inhabitants, you still don’t understand the problem.”

Battle of Colette Pichongenerational Gulf Coast native and climate activist, in “On Being” Sunday on WBEZ-FM