Busse Woods is a 3558-acre forest preserve in Cook County, contains flatwoods and reservoir habitats. Busse Reservoir is a key feature of the preserve, composed of 457 acres of connected pools created by damming natural waterways. The preserve hosts a small Elk herd that has occupied an enclosed 17-acre pasture since 1925. Busse Woods is also home to the 489-acre Busse Forest Nature Preserve. The nature preserve contains high-quality flatwoods, wetlands, upland forests, and meadows, leading to its status as a National Natural Landmark.
We began long-term monitoring of Busse Woods in 2024.
Amphibians
- Tiger Salamanders
- Central Newt
- American Bullfrog
- Boreal Chorus Frog
- Gray Treefrog
- Wood Frog
- Northern Leopard Frog
- American Toad
- Green Frog
Reptiles
- Painted Turtle
- Spiny Softshell Turtle
- Common Snapping Turtle
- Red-eared Slider Turtle
- Plains Gartersnake
- Common Gartersnake
- Northern Watersnake
- Red-bellied Snake
Bats
- Big Brown
- Eastern Red
- Hoary
- Silver-haired
- Little Brown
- Evening
- Tricolor
- possible detection of Northern Long-eared Bat
Bees and Butterflies
- The federally endangered RPBB was NOT detected among the 352 bumblebees,
- Common Eastern Bumblebee, Bombus impatiens was most abundant (N=123)
- Black and Gold Bumblebee (95),
- Two-spotted Bumblebee (83),
- Brown-belted Bumblebee (35),
- Great Northern Yellow Bumblebee (13),
- Red-belted Bumblebee (2),
- Lemon Cuckoo Bumblebee (1)
- 124 individual butterflies of 20 species
- No threatened or endangered species
- 5 Monarch butterflies
Birds
- 72 species,
- 53 individuals of 10 SGCN species
- Bald Eagle, Bay-breasted Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Chimney Swift, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Golden-winged Warbler, Northern Flicker
- 2 state-threatened Ospreys incubating a nest
- and 2 state-endangered Common Terns.
Dragonflies
- 219 individuals of 11 species
- Eastern Pondhawk, Eastern Amberwing, and Widow Skimmer were most abundant
- Green Darner, Halloween Pennant, Black Saddlebag, Prince Baskettail, Blue Dasher, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Common Whitetail, Four-spotted Skimmer
Fish
- No E&T Species or SGCN
- Blackstripe Topminnow and Largemouth Bass were most common
Mussels
- No E&T Species or SGCN
- Only found 2 species:
- Giant Floater
- Paper Pondshell
Moths
- 11 Papaipema moths captured,
- 5 Indigo Stem Borer (P. baptisiae)
- 5 Aster Borer (P. impecuniosa),
- 1 Umbellifer Borer (SGCN)