North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

Joyce and I checked the area around Page Park School for Crossbills and Redpolls. None were found, but on the way home, we cruised through Greenwood Cemetery. A Merlin was perched in the large deciduous tree next to Easley’s tall monument gravestone just north of the hemlock trees near gravestone for Emersons. The bird was seen about 11:30 on Monday 2-6-2012.
Jack Armstrong

Dear NCIOS members,

I am sorry that I have to cancel the field trip to the Bong SWA in Wisconsin that was to take place tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. I am in a descending spiral with a terrible cold that I have caught.

Additionally, there was a report of a Short-eared Owl about two weeks ago from Bong and none since then.

The prospect of seeing no owls and passing my cold around, while I feel terrible, is unappealing. Thank you for your understanding.

Before last night’s bird club meeting was cancelled, Dan and I planned to hand out results of the Rockford and Kishwaukee Christmas Bird Counts to the people who participated in the counts who we believed were likely to attend the meeting. We will put those reports in the mail tomorrow. If you have not received a report yet, and you helped with a count, you will receive a report soon.

Steve Gent’s program that he was going to present at last night’s meeting will be moved to the February 9th meeting and his program that was scheduled for the February 9th meeting will be moved to the May 10th meeting.

Thank you all. I hope interesting birds are coming to your feeders.

Barbara Williams

Due to the weather predictions, steady snowfall and the poor condition of the Rockford roads at 1:30 p.m. the officers of the NCIOS have decided to cancel tonight’s meeting. Please spread the word if you know of others who are planning to attend.

Thank you
Barbara Williams

The NCIOS (bird club) meeting scheduled for Thursday 1-12-12 has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Joyce Armstrong- Steve Gent

Yesterday afternoon a Northern Shrike was sighted along the entrance by Olson Lake at 2:15 PM. Watch the short trees along the east side as you go in or leave. Also, there was a female Hooded Merganser by the rock island near the dam.

Jack Armstrong

A single Ross’s Goose flew in with a flock of Cackling Goose at Victoria Lake this afternoon.

Don’t worry about a sign at Meridian Rd. and Montague Rd. claiming that the road is closed. The road is open to Severson Dells.

Yesterday afternoon I observed an immature Golden Eagle in Northern Winnebago County one mile SW of the observation deck at Nygren’s. I did not see it from the deck, it is just a reference point. I was in a deer stand and saw the eagle overhead two times. The sightings were about one hour apart so it was not just passing through. If you are out near Nygrens’s looking for white cranes amongst the Sandhills be sure to carefully check out the distant eagles.

At this morning’s hawkwatch six of us enjoyed the mild weather under cloudy skies. Counting a few birds seen while driving through the park to the hawk watch site above Olson Lake we tallied only 26 species. Unfortunately, only two of those were birds of prey. Fifteen Turkey Vultures put in an appearance when they finally came off their overnight roost and took to the air. In addition we saw one Red-tailed Hawk. Their is no reason to think that the Vultures or the Red-tail were actually migrants.
Highlights were a big flock of Cedar Waxwings, good views of perched adult and immature Turkey Vultures side-by-side, a casual count of 89 Blue Jays (we probably let 20 – 30 go by before we began counting) all headed south, and a couple of late lingering Chimney Swifts.
As a hawk watching morning it was a total bust.
By around 12:30 when I arrived at home the clouds parted, the sun shone and hawks began flying over my house. Not a huge number, but a lot more than we saw in three hours this morning. Cooper’s Hawks, Sharpshins and a couple of Broad-wings in addition to a couple of Red-tails that probably were migrants – way up high and moving in a decidedly southward direction. At one point a few circling Cooper’s and Broad-wings were joined by a Common Nighthawk – something I’ve never seen before.
Soon the clouds closed in again and the activity stopped.

Join us for some hawkwatching on Saturday Sept. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the parking area at Olson Lake in Rock Cut State Park. There was a large movement of Broad-winged Hawks through Hawk Ridge in Duluth this past weekend, so if we are lucky we might see a lot of activity. Bring your scopes, binoculars and maybe a comfortable chair.