After Mike Baum reported on IBET last weekend that he saw both crossbills at Lowden Miller SF in Ogle Co., I drove there this morning and found a nice flock of 18-20 White-winged Crossbills in the large stand of White Pines at Parking area #1 around 9:30 a.m. I had to walk way back into the pines along the trail before I found them, but they were quite noisy as they fed on the cones. The trees have a lot of cones. I also counted 18 Red-breasted Nuthatches along the trail, but that number is conservative. I am certain that there were more.

I then drove down to Parking area #4 to the stand of Red Pines (at least they look like Red Pines) and found at least 6, maybe 1 or 2 more, Red Crossbills. I also discovered Phil Schwab there. We were both so bundled up against the cold that we didn’t immediately recognize one another at a distance of 50 yards or so!!

There was a small flock of Snow Buntings on Lowden Road about 1 mile N of Flagg Road. I did not see any falcons in the area of Flagg Road and Daysville Rd.