North Central Illinois Ornithological Society

Don Miller, Barbara and I canoed the Sugar River from Yale Bridge to Two Rivers FP on Friday, 3/16 from 0845-1130. It was a beautiful day to float down the river. Lots of birds were in song, and woodpeckers were drumming on every branch that qualified as a good sound post. Highlights were 3 Red-shouldered Hawks (2 seen), 4 Barred Owls (all heard) and 3 Pileated Woodpeckers (1 seen). 5 Tree Swallows were the first ones I have seen this spring, and Sandhill Cranes were heard calling in 3 places.

We’ve decided to meet at Rock Cut State Park, at the parking area right next to the Pierce Lake dam, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 24. We will take a look at the lake and then walk down the bike path along Willow Creek for a while. Later, we will probably check Windsor Lake and maybe Nygren Wetlands.
All are welcome to join us!

Barbara

Late this afternoon, I found 18 Trumpeter and 5 Tundra Swans in the oxbows east of Rock City Road just north of Ridott. Also present were 90+/- Green-wnged Teal, about 20 N. Pintails, a pair of Am. Wigeon, 10 Cackling Geese, 1 Canvasback and 8 Bald Eagles, mostly immatures.

While at the Severson Dellts outing at Pecatonica Forest Preserve last evening, a woodcock was observed displaying. The sun had set and the group was walking in the prairie. Jack Armstrong

On Thursday, March 8, the duck flock had increased to approximately 500 birds. Most numerous were scaup (~300 with 80% Lesser), still good numbers of Ring-necked and Redheads, but Canvasback numbers were reduced. A new species from Wednesday was American Wigeon. A pair was in the inlet on the west side of the Red Oak picnic area.

At Nygren, 122 Northern Shovelers and at least an equal number of American Coots were visible from the observation deck. A small number (10) of Green-winged Teal were also there, plus some Gadwall and 3 N. Pintail fly-overs.

The strong south winds and warm temperatures are bringing a lot of ducks to Pierce Lake at Rock Cut SP. Ice only remains in the two northern inlets, where it is still shady and out of the wind, but the remainder of the lake is thawed.

At noon today, there were hundreds of ducks, including ~100 Redheads, ~100 scaup (80% Lesser, 20% Greater), 75+/- Ring-necked Ducks, 22 Buffleheads, 26 Canvasbacks, 9 Common, 2 Hooded and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Gadwall & 3 N. Pintails. Only 2 species of gulls, and they have changed over. Now the gull flock is dominated by Ringed-bills (I counted 85) with Herring (17) a distant second. A single Bald Eagle (3rd year) was making the ducks nervous.

Grebes ought to be showing up with the ducks, but I didn’t see any today.

I took the dog for a walk around the loop road at Sugar River around 1:45 this afternoon. On the way, I stopped on Harrison Road to see what birds were hanging out at Winters’ wetland. There were 4 Trumpeter Swans. At least one was banded (black on yellow. They were quite far away, but with my scope I thought that the band was 81F). The banded bird is from the Wisconsin release program if I recall the color code correctly. A few Gadwall were also there, plus a nice male Harrier. It was too bright, and early, for the Short-eared Owl show to be going.

4 Barred Owls were calling at Sugar River. Nice day for a walk, although the afternoon was otherwise quiet for calling birds other than the owls.

This afternoon I found at least 7 Short-eared Owls at Shirland in northwest
Winnebago County. 7 was my high count of birds in the air at once.

The birds were hunting over a wetland preserve on the west side of Harrison
Road just south of Shirland (north of the steel bridge). THIS IS PRIVATE
PROPERTY. Do not trespass.

The shoulder on the west side of the road is too narrow to either park or
stand. Certainly no room for scopes or tripods. There is room on the east side
shoulder.

The owls were fairly far out over the marsh-the closest couple were over 100
yards from the road. Also present were 2 Harriers.

This is probably a good time to check Nygren Wetlands west of Rockton for this
species, too.

Today- Tuesday, at 2:30 Joyce and I found a Northern Shrike at the Olson Lake Entrance to Rock Cut State Park. We did not see any unusual gulls on the lake- only Herring and Ring-Bills. Ducks were- Ring-necked, Scaup, Canvasback, and Mallard. There were a few Canada geese also.

Jack Armstrong

This afternoon around 3:30 p.m., I saw 3 TVs just north of the Whitman Street Bridge.