North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

Spent about 30 minutes at Rock Cut SP during yesterday’s lunch hour. Migration is happening there. There were 2 Osprey over Pierce Lake. An immature Broad-winged Hawk was soaring and calling over the woods north of the dam.

2 families of Eastern Kingbirds were very active and vocal around the dam parking lot, with adults still being harassed for food by the young birds. Some young male/female Am. Redstarts were at the edge of the woods along the bike trail,

A Ring-billed Gull was on the rocky island just E of the dam, and at least 4 Great Blue Herons were in view along the lake edge. 4 species of swallows were over the lake near the dam.

I joined Al Stokie and Bob Erickson on a morning circuit of Winnebago County this morning.  We started at Rock Cut SP at 0700 in the parking area about 100 yards up the road from the spillway parking lot.  Could not find Cerulean Warblers there (we did have a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler), but we did find 2 Ceruleans in the picnic ground on the south side of the dam in the Bur Oak opening there.  We then walked west on the Rock Cut trail and found an Acadian Flycatcher.  On the way out of the park on the main road going toward IL 173, a White-eyed Vireo was singing about half way between the nature preserve hardwood forest and the intersection for the campground. 

We could not locate the Bell’s Vireo that I found 10 days ago along the equestrian trail on the N side of Hart Road.

From Rock Cut, we drove to Sugar River FP and met Lee and Lynda Johnson.  We located a singing Yellow-throated Warbler, and heard another Acadian Flycatcher, but could not find a Yellow-crowned Night-heron. 

Several Grasshopper Sparrows were singing along Haas Road opposing the parking area for the Sugar River Alder FP, but no Lark Sparrows were heard or seen.

Finally, we ended up at Bloom School in Rockford around 10:15 a.m.  In one hour, we saw 2 adult Broad-winged Hawks, an adult Cooper’s Hawk, a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, a TV, and an immature Red-shouldered Hawk (!).  Finally, after an hour, a male Mississippi Kite flew over.

I spent 1.5 hours at Rock Cut SP before going to the office this morning.  Highlights were:  1 Bell’s Vireo (along the equestrian path that runs N from Hart Road across from the 1st parking lot E of Perryville Road), 7 Willow Flycatchers, 2 Acadian Flycatchers, 4 Cerulean Warblers (near the road in the hardwood forest N and S of the dam), 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos calling. A lot of Scarlet Tanagers were calling.

  Did not hear any Alder Flycatchers nor did I see any Olive-sided Flycatchers or White-eyed Vireos.

Despite the windy conditions, I took an extended lunch hour to check Rock Cut SP today.  I was particularly interested in Henslow’s Sparrows, as well as what migrant arrivals might be in the sheltered creek bottom below the dam.

There were at least 6 calling Henslow’s Sparrows in the old hay field that is south of Hart Road across from the entrance to the Equestrian campground.  I could hear at least 3 birds right from the road.  The others were further in along the equestrian trail that runs to the south.

Lots of Yellow Warblers ( I counted 17) were calling from the scrubby vegetation all along Hart Road and along the main park road that goes toward the dam from the north entrance.  Below the dam were Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Warbling Vireos, a Louisiana Waterthrush (calling along the limestone outcrop along the creek) and Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus a Northern Parula.    With the exception of 2 male Baltimore Orioles near the dam parking lot, all of the mentioned birds were below the dam in the creek bottoms, out of the wind.

I birded with Tim Young at Rock Cut State Park from around 630 to 1030 on Saturday 4/10/2010. We did not relocate the scoter but saw the Osprey.

Other notable birds were four Bonaparte’s Gulls, 1 Horned Grebe, a raft of Ruddy Ducks, 15 or so Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 1 Common Loon, 7 “Myrtle” Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and around 16 Pied-billed Grebes.

Bonaparte’s Gulls

Also of note was a group of 4 Belted Kingfishers that were flying in a group. I’ve never seen more than 2 at one time.

A male Surf Scoter was on Pierce Lake at Rock Cut State Park at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon.  Also present were 200+ Ruddy Ducks, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Horned Grebes (1 still in molt), 1 Common Loon was calling (!), 15 Pied-billed Grebes, 12 Blue-winged Teal, about the same # of N. Shovelers, some L. Scaup, Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks and GW Teal.   An Osprey was flying over the lake.  Didn’t have time to do a thorough count or look in different inlets, so other species and higher numbers might be about

I drove through Rock Cut SP around 3:00 p.m. on my way to a meeting elsewhere.  The lake was full of boaters, paddle-wheelers, kayaks, etc., but a few birds were also present.  Most notable were 6 Rough-winged Swallows, new migrants to the area this spring.  They were flying around with a much larger number of Tree Swallows, which are continuing to build in numbers. 

No sign of the Osprey that Steve Gent saw this morning, but 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls were on the lake (and flew off while I was watching), about 12 Ruddy Ducks, some Buffleheads, 1 Ring-necked Duck, and a couple of Pied-billed Grebes.

Checked Pierce Lake today to see if there was any open water at the east end of the lake where the creek enters.  There is a small area of open water that does not yet extend as far west as the Lion’s Club fishing pier.

There were some ducks in the open water:  21 Hooded Mergansers were the highlight, plus a pair of Ring-necked Ducks, 6 Lesser Scaup, and 2 Black Ducks plus a few Mallards. 

A flock of 96 White-fronted Geese came in from the southwest, circled out to the northeast over Olson Lake, and then headed off to the northwest.  Must not have been enough open water for them.

The west side of Rock Cut State Park (i.e. the Pierce Lake side) will be closed beginning today through Sunday, November 15 for the special deer hunt for disabled persons. The Olson annex will remain open through the weekend. There is a barricade across the road inside the Harlem Road entrance which prevents cars from crossing the bridge over I-90.

I walked some trails at Rock Cut this morning. From the small gravel
parking lot just east of the Hart Road & Perryville Road intersection
on the west side of the park, I walked north on the equestrian trail
that begins immediately across the road from the parking lot. A
White-eyed Vireo was seen and heard about 200 yards north of the trail
head. Further north, the trail opens on to a field of cool season
grasses with some junipers and other shrubs in the field. There were
3 Willow Flycatchers and 1 Alder Flycatcher here, plus at least 3
Henslow’s Sparrows were calling.

I took the cross trail to the right, into the next open area beyond
the tree line, and had 2 more Willow Flycatchers there.

Further east (approx 3/8 mile) along Hart Road from the small gravel
parking lot, I turned S on the equestrian trail that crosses the road
from N-S. It passes through some thick scrub, then opens on to
another field of cool season grasses. This is where Andy Sigler and
Al Stokie had 2 Alder Flycatchers, some Henslow’s Sparrows, and a
Yellow-breasted Chat on Tuesday. I did not find any Alders or the
Chat here, but I did record at least 4 (probably 5) more Henslow’s
Sparrows and 2 Sedge Wrens calling from the west side of the trail
(the park staff wisely only burned the east side this spring, leaving
the west side for the Henslow’s), another Willow Flycatcher, and
another White-eyed Vireo just where the trail emerges from the shrub
thicket.

2 Hooded Warblers were calling from the woods along the main road
after it enters the forest past the intersection with the east end of
Hart Road (gated off).

On the forest (Rock Cut) trail that runs west from the white pine
stand in the picnic area just south of the dam (and across the road
from the bur oak picnic area with the shelter house) I encountered 5
Cerulean Warblers at the western end of the trail just before and
after it joins with the old paved road at the former scout camp). No
Kentucky Warbler was heard or seen but it was getting late in the
morning. Veeries were calling from the west side of the road at the
scout camp location. 3 Acadian Flycatchers were also heard along the
trail, plus a fair number (I didn’t count) of Scarlet Tanagers.