Building Memories (BM) uses personal experiences to explore topics of importance to building.
This BM highlights the remarkable wildlife thriving along the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area.
This is the third Building Memories post focused on animals of the North Shore.
The Skokie Lagoons provide a rich habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, from the occasional mountain lion to coyotes, foxes, skunks, and raccoons. The skies and waterways are equally alive with birds, geese, eagles, hawks, ducks, herons, robins, and blue jays, and a growing population of fish, including bluegill, bass, crappie, salmon, and trout. These species inhabit the network of water bodies, Lake Michigan, the Des Plaines and Chicago Rivers, ponds, and the Skokie Lagoons that define the North Shore landscape.
Last year’s simultaneous emergence of the 17-year and 13-year cicadas created an unforgettable and deafening couple of months. It’s astonishing that these insects spend over a decade underground, only to surface, reproduce, and complete their life cycle within a few short weeks.
On a recent bike ride along the lagoons, I spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead tree. While sightings were once rare, eagles are now becoming more regular visitors, likely fishing in the lagoons or hunting small mammals in nearby fields. Hawks, geese, and herons, by contrast, are everyday companions for anyone who hikes, bikes, or drives through the area.
If you have photos of wildlife in the Chicago metro area, please share them. It’s remarkable how much vibrant animal life coexists with us here—bringing energy, beauty, and meaning to our daily environment.
Photo 1: Deer in South School Field
Photo 2: Blue Heron at Skokie Lagoons
Photo 4: Geese at Botanical Gardens
Photo 3: Eagle at Skokie Lagoons
Photo 5: Cicadas in backyard
Photo 6: Eagle at Skokie Lagoons
Photo 7: Hawk at Skokie Lagoons
Photo 8: Cicada exo-skeleton in backyard
Photo 9: Cicadas in backyard