North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

Around 6:15 p.m. tonight, I was driving across the Auburn Street bridge over the Rock River (in Rockford) when I saw what appeared to be an adult gull, which, in itself, is a little odd for here in mid-June.  Behind the gull, I saw the shape of a kite, and then, 2 kites, hunting over the river.  I hurried to turn around and get to a place on the east bank of the river to look more carefully, but not at the gull.
 
After I parked and got to the edge of the river, I saw 3 MIKI.  On closer look, I identified all of them as adult males!  They were continuously feeding on insects and, occasionally, soaring around over several Turkey Vultures which had moved in from the SE.  I stayed at the park and watched for over 30 minutes, but did not see more than the 3, nor did I see any females or immatures of either sex.  I will leave it to your collective imaginations to speculate on what this does, or does not, (or might, or might not) imply.  I think that it too soon to tell anything, but the possibilities sure are interesting.
 
The bridge and river are not more than 1 mile away from Bloom School, where kites have successfully nested for two years in a row, and a pair are back there this year.  Despite hours of searching last year, we were unable to find more than the 4 kites seen by Larry Balch in late May and none along the Rock River at any time.  Clearly, more field investigation is required.  I have an idea where I might be taking a “rest stop” on my way home from work this summer.  

I still don’t know, for sure, what that gull was, but I strongly suspect Ring-billed.

Late this morning, I was alerted to a Western Kingbird near the Rockford airport that was found by Tom Little.  He first spotted this bird on May 16 and again on May 18, but no one could relocate it and it was presumed gone.  He refound it this morning. 
 
There are a lot of bridges closed for construction in the area, so here are the directions to follow:  From the intersection of US 20 (bypass) and IL 251 go South on 251.  Or, from the interchange of I-39 and exit for Baxter Road, go W on Baxter Road.  Either way will get you to the intersection of IL 251 and Baxter Road.  This is south of the town of New Milford.  If coming from the N on 251, the road sign says that Baxter Road is on the east side of the intersection and Belt Line Road is on the west.   Turn right off of 251 toward Belt Line Road (or proceed straight across the intersection headed west on Baxter Road).  In about 100 yards, Baxter Road (it actually does cross IL 251) turns S (left turn).  TURN LEFT.  This road will have a sign saying that it is closed in 1 mile.  Don’t worry–you will turn before the closed spot).
 
Proceed about 1/2 mile on Baxter Road, crossing a RR track.  Shortly after the RR track, South Bend Road enters from the right at the bottom of a slight curving downhill grade.  TURN RIGHT on to South Bend Road.  WARNING:  This is a very sharp angled turn, so watch your speed and the potholes.  The Western Kingbird has been seen on South Bend Road.  This location is immediately SSE of the Rockford airport.
 
Once on South Bend Road, there will be fence line on your left and, after passing a wood lot on the right, a cornfield.  Go about 1/4-1/2 mile to where the road makes a curve to the right.  On the west, or left hand side, of the road is a yellow diamond warning sign with a curve arrow.  It is bent over about 45 degrees.  The kingbird has been seen 3 times right near this sign and 1-2 times within the next 200 or so yards further past the sign.  Today at noon, it flew from the fence line, where it was feeding, toward the NW and a patch of Siberian Elms and other trees several hundred yards into the field behind the fence.  If you go and see the bird, please post your sighting.  Thank you.

Photographed on Oliver Road in Winnebago County this week. A rare bird to the Midwest. With his white border around his facial skin and all red legs is a sign of an adult bird.

Yesterday during the spring bird count, Barbara found a White-faced Ibis in breeding plumage in a small fluddle on the south side of Oliver Road, west of Harrison Road.  It is a really jazzy looking bird.  It was still present today.  More specific directions are posted on IBET.

Today, April 14, Dan Williams saw a Prairie Falcon flying over downtown Rockford. It was cicling the Lutheran Center highrise (I believe that is on the west shore of the Rock River where State St. crosses the river) and was harrassing a Redtail and scaring all the Rock Pigeons. Dan got Binoculars on the bird and is confident of his ID. The bird headed southwest and Dan was unable to relocate it.
In other news, I had my first Blue-headed Vireo of the year in our yard this morning.

Back in mid-February, Eric Walters discovered approximately 15(?) Eurasian Tree Sparrows across Maytown Road from the Green River SWA in Lee County, south of Dixon.  They were on the ground at a feeder under a Willow tree in the yard of a house that has a large complex of pheasant pens (I believe that it is a hunt club).  Several searches for them in late February and early March were unsuccessful. 

Barbara and I stopped by there this afternoon on the way back from Starved Rock and found 12 ETS there, first in the brushy area on the north side of the road across from the house.  They flew across the road, into the Willow, and then down to the lawn to feed.

Green River SWA also had 12 species of ducks in its marshes, most being in the main pond on the entrance road near the office.  Rusty Blackbirds were mixed into virtually every flock of blackbirds. 

A Common Loon was in Lake Louisa, on the north side of Byron along IL 2, around 5:15 p.m. today.

Yesterday, 2/23, Barbara spotted a Northern Goshawk flyacross Safford Road and  into Lockwood Park.  If anyone is out birding in this area, please post if you relocate it.

The Prairie Falcon was relocated this morning at Nachusa Grasslands.  It was along Lowden Road about 3/4 mile south of the main headquarters and near the Yellow house.

I haven’t seen anything posted here yet, so I thought that some readers who don’t follow IBET might be interested to know that a Varied Thrush has been coming to a feeder (well, backyard-she is putting out fruit) at Anne Straight’s house in Forreston. She lives on 5th street (?), on the SW edge of town. It is a two story white frame house with an old cement farm silo in the back. You can park in her driveway and walk around the front of the house to the area along the back deck (follow the footprint trail). The thrush is mostly under the conifer furthest to the right as you look west, but sometimes it is in other bushes in the yard. Dress warmly! You might have to stand there for a while.

Barbara and I saw 17 Sandhill Cranes flying over our house at 10:15 a.m. today. With the strong northwest wind, we figured that a big push of migrating Sandhill Cranes was underway, and, we hoped, the Whooping Cranes would be on the move as well.

We drove up to Nygren around noon and found all 5 Whooping Cranes standing in the marsh in the usual place, so apparently they didn’t think that the weather was so great for migration. However, only 3 Sandhill Cranes were with them.

Reports on IBET this afternoon referred to migrating flocks of 1800-3600 Sandhills migrating. I suspect that a lot of them stopped at the Jasper-Pulaski State Wildlife Management Area in NW Indiana. None of the reports made any mention of Whoopers. Barbara reported to ICF that the Whoopers were still at Nygren and was told that some Whoopers left Necedah this morning to migrate, but some never got out of Wisconsin.