Following two reports of 4 Trumpeter Swans along US 20 just east of Freeport (after you cross the Pec River bridge but before the motel), I drove to Freeport this morning to look for them. Unfortunately, the field was completely frozen and there were no swans in sight. The fields are really flooded, though, so waterfowl should be all over the place as soon as it thaws.

I then headed to Krape Park in Freeport where Al Stokie and Andy Sigler found 5 WW Crossbills yesterday. I relocated the crossbills feeding in a Tamarack by the maintenance garage, just E of the bandshell. There are a lot of Pine Siskins there, too.

From Freeport, I headed to Lee County. Found a Pileated Woodpecker at Lowell Park in Dixon, then went to Green River Wildlife Area just west of IL 26. The still water was mostly frozen there, too, but there was some open water and those places had a heavy concentration of ducks. On the west side, along Atkinson Road just N of Mayfield Road, there were 150 Ring-necked Ducks, 75 Pintails, approx. 40 Am. Wigeon, 12 Gadwall, 68 GW Teal, 3 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Redheads, 12 Shovelers, 4 Wood Ducks and 8 Coot. Sandhilll Cranes were calling in the distance.