On Sunday, I saw a flock of over 1000 birds, mostly Lapland Longspurs with 30-40 Snow Buntings mixed in, along Moody Road about 1/4 mile east of Dennis Stein’s house and barn on the north side of Moody Road. This is just west of the big flooded area near the barn on the south side of the road. The birds were mostly on the north side of the road in the disked bean stubble and foxtail. I watched them for over an hour. I was trying to find a Smith’s or Chestnut-collared Longspur in the mix, but was unsuccessful. Also present were a number of Wilson’s Snipe (9). 2 pairs of Sandhill Cranes were heard north and east of the longspur spot.

In a drive around a circle in the northwest part of the county, starting at Nygren and working to Pecatonica, I counted 13 American Kestrels, some sitting in pairs on the wires. Lesser Yellowlegs were in the flooded field along Meridian Road north of IL 75. I had a total of 73 species in 4 hours.