DECEMBER
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
28 SATURDAY How much of a toll has West Nile virus taken on the local bird population? Today’s 41st annual Chicago North Shore Bird Count, part of the annual Audubon Christmas Count, will help determine the damage. Among the birds that might be spotted are red-breasted nuthatches (scarce this year), American robins (coming from Canada), and–along the lakeshore–the ducks of winter: bufflehead and common goldeneye. The count will cover Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Wheeling. Call 708-867-6660 to sign up for a team; some experience is helpful. If you’d rather monitor your bird feeder from your kitchen, or are just starting out as a bird watcher, call 847-359-6185. A second count will be taken New Year’s Day in the Waukegan area; call 630-725-9416.
The Field Museum has been holding its annual Peaceable Kingdom musical showcase throughout the week after Christmas since 1998, but this year, in perhaps another instance of widespread belt-tightening, it’s been cut back to one day. The lineup includes the Polish-American Lira Singers, the Mexican-American string ensemble Cuerdas Clasicas, and the African-American teen gospel choir Imani Ya Watume (whose name means “messengers of faith” in Swahili). It’s today from 11 to 2 in the museum’s Stanley Field Hall, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. in Chicago. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and $5 for children. The museum is open from 9 to 5; call 312-922-9410.
At tonight’s Big Bang Birth of a New Year Party, the turntable talent includes LA-based trance DJ BT, Holland clubhouse trance jock Ferry Corsten, local techno freak Green Velvet, and others. It’s from 8 PM to 3 AM at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center, 1033 N. Villa in Villa Park. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door (630-941-9292 or go to www.groovetickets.com or www.source7.net).
