Yesterday, Eddie and I decided to do some “drive-by photo shootings” and gallivant around Winnebago County. (He wanted to test out his new camera lens!)
Canon 100-400mm IS Lens
We started out with a drive down Gleason Road (just in case). We next headed for Sugar River Forest Preserve. We walked around the main area after checking the (empty!) feeders and heard a Pileated Woodpecker, plenty of Brown Creepers, both Red and White-breasted Nuthatches, some Tufted Titmice, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. The river was really high and fast and there was quite a bit of unmelted snow on the trails.
Herring Gulls
Our next stop – Rock Cut State Park. We got there around nine and missed the Lesser Black-backed Gull and the Greater White-fronted Geese, but we did see many Canada Geese and Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. At last, we finally got some photos! Eddie also captured a Northern Shrike, which is new for our photo life list!.
Northern Shrike
We left Rock Cut and headed for the Rockford Airport, counting Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels along the way. We found a few Common Goldeneyes and two Bald Eagles near the quarry, plus a few Ring-billed Gulls. We drove around the dump, then headed over to Perryville Road. Eddie captured an American Kestrel (also new for the photo life list). We wound up at the intersection of Edson Road and Fairdale, where Winnebago, Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle Counties meet.
American Kestrel
It was an interesting day, even with no snow birds or strange gulls, (darn it!) and Eddie got to really try out his new lens.