Dot-tailed Whiteface
Pine Dunes Forest Preserve, owned and managed by Lake County Forest Preserve District (LCFPD), is an 868-acre tract located near Antioch and the Wisconsin border in northern Lake County, Illinois. It is part of a multi-preserve system constituting a 5300-acre tract of undeveloped, protected land in the region.
Approximately 70% of the preserve is upland, 30% wetland, and it contains critical habitat for numerous wildlife species including Red-headed Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, frogs, and Blue-Spotted Salamanders.
Pine Dunes also has an abundance of invasive Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) whose presence in Illinois wetlands decreases native plant and arthropod diversity.
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) has been working with LCFPD on a project valued at $9.3 million. Habitat restoration efforts include:
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- ~85 acres of wetland enhancement and restoration
- enhancement of upland and woodland habitat
- ~1 km of stream restoration to connect existing wetlands to the Des Plaines River
- General seeding and planting activities continued through 2017
- wetland maintenance and monitoring to continue through 2020
- new trails, a parking lot, restroom facilities, boardwalks, a drinking water well and a new entrance road, as well as nearly three miles of bike and pedestrian trails
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Based on our findings in 2017, we made management recommendations to support and improve the natural communities at Pine Dunes, including introducing native fish to some ponds while maintaining the other ponds fish-free, reducing invasive plant species across the site, and maintaining forest cover around ponds.
In 2020, we conducted bumble bee surveys at Pine Dunes. We did not encounter the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, but did detect 8 species at the site, including the Half-black Bumble Bee, an SGCN.
In 2021 we compared amphibian, reptile, bats, bird, fish, and insect communities at the restored areas to more established areas. In 2023, we repeated surveys of bats, bumblebees, butterflies, and birds. Reptile and amphibian surveys were not conducted so as not to interfere with Blanding’s Turtle re-introduction program.
Amphibians
- 6 species
- 1 SGCN: Blue-spotted Salamander
Not sampled in 2023
Reptiles
3 species in 2021
Not sampled in 2023
Bats
- Detected 7 species of bats: Big Brown, Eastern Red, Hoary, Silver-haired, Little Brown, Evening, and Tricolored Bats at both Pine Dunes units in 2021
- Evening and Tricolored Bats were not detected at the site in 2017
Detected same 7 species of bats: Big Brown, Eastern Red, Hoary, Silver-haired, Little Brown, Evening, and Tricolored Bat in 2023
Birds
- 38 species at the Pine Dunes restoration site, 34 in the Pine Dunes reference site, and 41 in Raven Glen reference site.
- State endangered American Bittern and Common Gallinule were present at Pine Dunes
- SGCN Brown Thrashers, Northern Flickers, Field Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers and Willow Flycatchers were at the Pine Dunes restoration site in 2021.
- 59 species, 9 SGCN but no threatened or endangered species
- SGCNs: Dicksissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Marsh Wren, Northern Flicker, Pued-billed Grebe, Red Headed Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Wilson’s Snipe were present in 2023.
Fish
- Detected Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish at the Pine Dunes restoration site stream in 2017 and 2021
- Detected White Sucker in 2017 but not in 2021
- 7 individuals of 2 common species were found in 2023, Green Sunfish and Creek Chub.
Insects
- 8 species of Bumblebee including 1 SGCN, the Half-black Bumblebee (Bombus vagans)
- 12 species of dragonfly detected at Pine Dunes restoration compared to 7 species combined at the 2 reference sites.
- 20 species of butterfly were found at the restoration site compared to 15 across the other two reference sites
- Monarchs were present at all sites
- Detected 10 species of stem borer moths at the restoration site including 5 SGCN, and 3 watch list
- 8 species of Bumblebee including 2 SGCNs, the Half-black Bumblebee (Bombus vagans) and Southern
- Plains Bumblebee (Bombus fraternus).
- 8 species of dragonfly, dominated by Common Whitetails. Four-spotted Chaser was observed in 2023, but not 2021. Meadowhawks, gliders, Amberwings, Dot-tailed Whiteface, and Halloween Pennants were observed in 2021 but not 2023.
- 221 butterflies of 22 species including SGCN Monarch
- Did not sample stem borers in 2023.
Rahlin, A.A., E.E. Bilger, S.A. Douglass, T.C. Hohoff, M.L. Niemiller, J.P. Ross, A.J. Stites ,J.L. Sherwood, and M.J. Dreslik. 2018. Biotic assessment of the Pine Dunes Wetland Mitigation Site in 2017. Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report. 2018 (08):1–25.
Rahlin, Anastasia A., Tara C. Hohoff, Janet L. Jarvis, Seth M. LaGrange, Jennifer M. Mui, Valerie A. Sivicek, Jeremy S. Tiemann, and Michael J. Dreslik. 2022. 2021 mitigation site monitoring for Orland Grassland South and Pine Dunes Forest Preserves. Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 2022(1)1–48.
Mui, Jennifer M., Janet L. Jarvis, Anastasia A. Rahlin, and Michael J. Dreslik. 2023. Initial Assessment of Biotic Resources along the I-94 and I-88 Corridors. Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 2023(2):1–42.
Rahlin, Anastasia A., K.C. Carter, Katrina A. Cotten, Sarah A. Douglass, Hugo Y. Ruellen, Jennifer M. Mui, Janet L. Jarvis, Ethan J. Kessler, and Michael J. Dreslik. 2023. Biological Monitoring of DuPage, Kane, and Lake County Sites in 2023. Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 2023(49):1–119.