Occassionally, reports of birds comes in from the NCIOS Blog from those without blog access. I will post these as they come in.

SIGHTING: Sandhill Crane – 30-40
Flock of 30 or more flying over the intersection of Oglesby, IL and I-39 @ 1:10pm Nov 16, 2009
Just south of the Illinois River, South by Southwest

Also, a fellow birder is selling their spotting scope. Here are the details:

I have a TeleVue 85 Evergreen scope and tripod for sale. It is in like-new, pristine condition. This package is worth over $ 4,000.00 new. I am selling it for $ 2,300.00. Included is:
— Evergreen f/7 600mm scope with sliding dew shield and machined metal front cover.
— Tele Vue clamshell ring mount.
— Tele Vue 2″ Everbright diagonal with compression ring.
— Tele Vue 1-1/4″ adapter with compression ring.
— Original Tele Vue soft carrying case.
— TeleVue Ash Folding Tripod and Panoramic Swivel Mount Head.
— Upgraded TeleVue Focusmate Focuser (a $ 250.00 upgrade).

I will pay to ship or will deliver within 150 miles of Chicago.

A like-new Pelican 1650 carrying/storage case is also available for $150.00. The foam has been fitted to the Panoramic head and scope. A beautiful package for bird watching in the field or from your backyard!

Please contact me for pictures and payment option
Darryl Hedges / 630-877-6500 / darrylray@mac.com