Barbara and I took a drive to the northwestern area of Winnebago County this morning. We had 500+ Snow Buntings in two large flocks on Kelley Road between Weldon Road and Winnebago Road. On Harrison Road, between Trask Bridge Rd. (IL 70) and Knapp Road, we had about 125 Lapland Longspurs divided between several flocks that also had a lot of Horned Larks and a few Snow Buntings mixed in. There was a Wilson’s Snipe visible in the spring-fed creek at Hoople’s pasture on Stephens Road east of Harrison Rd., and, overall, we had 6 Rough-legged Hawks, all light morphs. A few N. Flickers were over the road by the spring at Pec Wetlands FP on Blair Road.

Several Kestrels and a Rough-leg had prey in their talons, so the birds are finding food.