North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

There is a flooded area at the intersection of Baxter and South Bend Roads that has started to attract shorebirds. Today at noon, there were L. Yellowlegs, Pectoral, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers along with the expected Killdeer. All birds present (~20) were adults.

This puddle has been there since spring. Despite the recent rains, it seems to have enough exposed mud to attract migrating shorebirds. Since most other flooded places in the county developed only with the recent deluge, they are heavily bordered with vegetation. Not the case here. I looked in that puddle most of the spring but failed to find many shorebirds, so I was pleased to see some migrants there today. Given its proximity to the confluence of the Rock and Kishwaukee Rivers, I hope that it will attract migrants looking for a place to rest and feed among the corn and soybeans.

I know, this isn’t much, either in species or numbers, but it is the best locale I have found so far during this migration season in Winnebago Co. More places may “surface” as the flood water recedes along the Pec and Sugar Rivers. Until then, check this place out now and then. It might even attract post-breeding herons/egrets. Once it a while, we found Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons at the quarry pond, not far away, but the recent quarry activity seems to have extracted a lot of sand and gravel from what used to be the shallow gravel flats at the SE corner of the quarry.

At lunch today I hiked in from the east side of Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve (parked in front, but not blocking, the locked gate). From here, I hiked down the hill, turned left and followed the road to its end. There are a lot of pines here and that is where both White-winged and Red Crossbills were hanging out.

Also, many Pine Siskins, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, and a Tufted Titmouse that followed me around.

White-winged Crossbill

another White-winged Crossbill (originally I thought Red)

I am assuming this is a different bird from the one I saw yesterday because it was in a much different place – although I don’t know how big of a range they have.