Chicago outdoors: Crow funerals/wakes, Brad Paisley song take, big cat question, Lake Superior ice coverDale Bowmanon November 1, 2021 at 4:36 pm

An American crow strolling through our yard in April. | Dale Bowman

Crow “funerals” and “wakes,” a take on The Petersens’ version of Brad Paisley’s classic, a big cat in western Illinois, and loss of ice cover on Lake Superior are in the notes from around Chicago and beyond.

Notes come from around Chicago and beyond.

LAST WORD

“Recent research has also shown that crows are also known to hold `funerals’ and `wakes.’ When an American Crow finds the dead body of another crow, it will call out to alert others in the area, who will gather and begin to make a ruckus themselves. Researchers think the behavior helps crow communities learn about potential threats . . . , so that they know which locations and predators to avoid in the future.”

“10 Fun Facts About The American Crow,” from audubon.org

WILD OF THE WEEK

Provided by Bill Przybylski
A trail camera photo of a big cat coming out of a ditch in western Illinois.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Bill Przybylski emailed, “Got this pic on one of my remote cell trail cams, western Illinois. It is coming out of a ditch approximately 2 1/2 feet deep. Concentrate on the tail.” Wildlife biologist Bob Massey messaged that it was a bobcat, “You can see speckling on body and white patches on backs of ears. Also the tail would be visible on a cougar using it for balance.”

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).

WILD TIMES

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Friday, Nov. 5: Northeast Illinois banquet, Antioch VFW

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Friday, Nov.5: White-fronted geese, central zone, opens

Saturday, Nov. 6: Pheasant, quail, rabbit and partridge seasons open

DALE’S MAILBAG

“WAY better’n the original.” Todd Carlander emailed on The Petersens’ version of “I’m Gonna Miss Her”

A: I’m neither as good a critic as Jim DeRogatis nor as musically talented as Carlander, but I do find their version of Brad Paisley’s classic fishing song more enjoyable.

BIG NUMBER

60: Days of ice cover that Lake Superior has lost since 1857, according to a study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, via cbc.ca/news/

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