NCIOS - North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

From activity in my yard late yesterday, and in Rock Cut when I went out this afternoon during a break in the precipitation, it’s obvious that a lot of birds were held up by the storm. Robins, Hermit Thrushes, and Flickers were especially numerous. Quite a few Bonaparte’s Gulls in Rock Cut, but not many waterfowl. Just after leaving Rock Cut, I saw lone Savannah and Vesper Sparrows.

Just to let everyone know, some information about finding “special” birds in our area has been added to the website under birding. Birds like Cerulean and Yellow-throated Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Henslow’s Sparrow, Bell’s Vireo and more! Check it out and thanks to Barbara Williams for providing the info. It is our goal to add many details about our wonderful birds in Winnebago county (and beyond).

Also, the blog will now have more categories to choose from: individual categories for area birding spots - thus if you are reporting birds from a particular area, you can select the place as well as any other category. This will help because if someone clicks the category, they will get all posts (and sightings) under that category. **If you don’t see a birding spot on there, let me know so it can be added**

Jan Lockwood received a message from a person who reports that she saw a Snowy Owl in Marshall County along Western Avenue, just east of the RR tracks near Rd. 100 E, about 2 miles N of Camp Grove. (DeLorme p. 33, D-5). Her description of the bird sounds good, and she has taken some distant photos. This area is in far western Marshall County, on the west side of the Illinois River, about 15 miles NW of the town of Lacon, IL, which is on the river.

She said that the bird was hanging around a flooded field that is shrinking as it dries up, and was seen carrying a black bird in its talons which she believes was a Coot. There are a number of Coots in the pond, plus some puddle ducks.

Garden Prairie Slough was a very busy place on Sunday morning. Saw 8 Sandhill Cranes, Pectoral Sandpipers, lots of Common Snipe, one pair of Gadwalls, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, one lone male Pheasant, and many coots and red-winged blackbirds.
We have seen more plump robins this year than usual.
Still seeing lots of Junco’s.

Continuing the Wilson’s Snipe thread, I counted 69 of them at Garden Prairie yesterday. That was just the number I could see from my car from the shoulder of the road. Who knows how many were back in the grass and not visible. I also counted 95 Pectoral Sandpipers and 11 Bonaparte’s Gulls and many Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. If you go there, remember to stay along the road. Do not enter the private property of the hunt clubs.

Rock Cut State Park was full of birds. I birded from 12:30 to 3:30 this afternoon. Highlights linclude an Osprey over Pierce Lake and two Common Loons. There were many Tree Swallows over the lake as well. I also found approximately 20 Winter Wrens, many of which were singing. Other birds included both Kinglets, Eastern Towhee, Swamp Sparrow, Myrtle Warblers and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Most birds were seen along the creek west of the dam.

Around Noon today, Ken Frey had a flock of Common Snipes on the north site of Utility Road, approximately 1/2 mile west of Moulton Road. The field is partially flooded.

Rock Cut State Park loaded with Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, Yellow Rumped Warblers, & Golden & Ruby Crowned Kinglets today- trail going west from Puri day use area.

Hi birders!
I saw an Eastern Towhee today at Wilkinson Renwick Marsh in Dekalb County. It was freezing, but at least the sun was shining. There were Fox Sparrows, Swamp and Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Kinglets and lots of Red-winged Blackbirds and Robins. I only saw one Towhee, but there might have been more. I wish it would warm up so I could bird and not get the sniffles!

I video-taped some birds today (including a Great Horned Owl owlet at NIU) and also captured the sound of a Western Meadowlark. This was heard (and seen) on Baseline Rd and Malta Rd in DeKalb Couty.

The audio file of the Meadowlark can be downloaded. It is a WMA file (Windows Media Player)

There were also two Chipping Sparrows at our feeders.