After the fog lifted this morning, I took a drive to a few spots around Winnebago County to see what birds might be doing after the big thaw. There were 15 American Black Ducks and 1 drake Green-winged Teal in the oxbow on the east side of Meridian Road just N of IL 75. Someone has Mallard decoys at the spot.

Pecatonica Forest Preserve was the most enjoyable stop. The bottoms were quite warm and quiet-no wind. Birds were starting to call as if it were late February, not early January. Highlights were: male Pileated Woodpecker being very territorial, Red-headed Woodpecker, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Feeders at Severson Dells were very quiet at 1:30 p.m. Thistle seed was down so far that the birds couldn’t get food through the openings. Squirrels were dominating the front feeders.