|
Jack Pomatto on 4/23 reported via e-mail: Two Ospreys were seen from Ferson Creek Fen in St. Charles at 4:00 P.M. on Sunday. The first soared very high on thermals and headed north, the second seen 5 minutes later was working low over the river. Jon Duerr on 4/21 report Karen Lund on 4/20 reported via IBET: I was finishing a relatively quiet (no special migrants) lunchtime walk at Binnie Marsh (a/k/a Binnie Woods/Binnie F.P.) when a bird flew low across the trail in front of me to the shrubs on the other side. I recognized it as a towhee, but when I located where it landed, I saw the unmistakable white spotting on the wings. It appeared to be an adult male spotted towhee; it did not vocalize. He was foraging in the shrubs on the east side of the parking lot and moving north. Binnie Marsh in on Binnie Rd. about 1 mile north of Rte. 72 & 1 mile west of Randall Rd. Bruce Rowland on 4/20 reported via IBET: I was surprised to find 9 TURKEY VULTURES perched in a couple of trees at the edge of Delnor Woods park within the city of St. Charles in Kane County. I've birded and walked the dog in this park for 5 years and while I often see TVs soaring in groups of up to 6 birds, I've never seen them out of the air here. The birds were observed at 6:30pm just beyond the wood boundary fence seen from the loop pathway thru the wooded area. Delnor Woods Park is between IL Route 25 and Wing Avenue in St. Charles, just north of Main Street (IL Route 64). Roger Hotham on 4/18 reported via IBET: At 1:30 today a Swainson Hawk was flying over traditional territory between the Huntley Outlet Mall & the Huntley water tower. Bob Andrini on 4/16 reported via e-mail: Seen at Nelson's Lake were the first Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Brown Thrasher of the year (at least for us) Greg Neise on 4/15 reported via IBET:
First of all...thank you to everyone who responded to my question about where to take my wife's mom and her friend birding this morning. Obviously, we
went to Nelson Lake...one of the best morings I've had in Illinois in a long time...not only was the waether perfect, there were birds everywhere. Bob Montgomery on 4/14 reported via IBET: Today I found a single adult Swainson's Hawk near the intersection of I90 and IL 47 south of Huntley in Kane County (the so called Mall territory). Don't recall seeing any earlier reports. My other attempts to locate returning individuals have been unsuccessful. Jon Duerr on 4/12 reported via IBET: Wednesday, 4/12. 8:30 AM. Dick Young (Nelson Lake) F P. We counted 145 Am Pelicans this morning!! Also, a flock of 36 Ruddy Ducks and the Osprey is still present. Liza Gray on 4/11 reported via IBET: Yesterday (4/10) afternooon I noticed a flock of shorebirds in the new ponds at Peck Farm Park Phase 3 -- this is the area on the north side of Kaneville Rd (Peck and Kaneville) where new fields are being cultivated for soccer. Anyway, there were about 25 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS feeding along with KILLDEER, MALLARDS, and a HORNED LARKS in the surrounding mud flats. Another spot in Kane County to watch -- north on Peck Rd, north of the intersection of Peck and Route 38, the ponds on the west side of Peck, south of the soccer fields -- stopped by there Sunday afternoon and had many RING-BILLED GULLS, a few LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and HORNED LARKS in the surrounding fields. If the soccer games are light, you can park in the lot off Peck and walk south to the edge of the pond. Finally, another area with ponds that I haven't birded yet but plan to -- Fabyan Parkway between Kirk Road and Route 38 -- earth has been moved around for the DuPage Tech/Indust Park, on the north side of Fabyan in the ponds, over the winter I've seen many ducks as I pass by. John Heneghan on 4/10 reported via IBET: Stopped by Nelson Lake this AM on the way to work with my friend Dave. Counted 81 White Pelicans and saw an Osprey with a fish in its talons. Doug Stotz on 4/10 reported via IBET: Sunday morning I went to Kane Co. for a couple of hours and had 58 species. My first stop was Nelson Lake, where there were 92 WHITE-PELICANS. Six were flying around, looking quite prehistoric. Besides the pelicans, there were 2 pairs of SANDHILL CRANES disagreeing over who owned a patch of the shoreline right in front of the overlook. Many chases and much discussion by the cranes over boundary lines. Beyond that there was a smattering of ducks including a pair of BLACK DUCKS. At the Mill Creek Greenway (a small wetland on Wenmoth Rd. just south of Fabyan Parkway) I flushed 47 WILSON'S SNIPE. I had my first of 6 VESPER SPARROWS here, singing on the east side of the road. This little wetland is always worth a brief stop. On Main Street, a bit west of where it crosses I-88 and east of Kaneland, there were 2 singing WESTERN MEADOWLARKS at a sod farm (there were EASTERNS at Nelson Lake). Finally at Carson Slough (nee Denny Road Pond), there was water (last year it completely dried up), but not anything of interest birdwise. Bob Andrini on 4/9 reported via e-mail: There are now about 80 American White Pelicans at Nelson's Lake. Liza Gray on 4/9 reported via IBET: During the first Swainson's Hawk project run today, Susan Kaley and I had a Vesper Sparrow in Kane Co., on Welter Road about 1/4 west of Route 47. Also, many Song Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Horned Larks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, American Kestrels, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Turkey Vultures. Alas, no Swainson's Hawks however we had a fine day searching and birding. Jon Duerr on 4/9 reported via IBET: To add to the growing list of early arrivals, we had a Great Crested Flycatcher in the forested portion of Oakhurst F P, Aurora. Apr 9 around 9:00 AM. It was actively seeking insects coming within 30 ft of us! (Tried to make it another Myiarchus but it is clearly Gt. Crested). Field Sparrows in shrub area and a Sora Rail in the marsh. We counted 31 Pied-billed Grebes on the lake! Oakhurst in on Aurora's east side on Fifth Ave. Fifth Ave is named McCoy Dr. in DuPage Co. Steve Smith on 4/8 reported via IBET: I walked the path along the west bank of the Fox River in South Elgin this morning. Highlights included 8 winter wrens, 6 seen and 2 more heard. Most were on the east side of the river just down river from the foot bridge at Blackhawk F.P. A single barn swallow was flying over the foot bridge along with 100's of tree swallows and a few rough winged. Heard a Carolina wren. Saw a flock of 15 or 20 golden crowned kinglets with a few yellow rumps and creepers mixed in. I counted 50 pelicans at Nelson Lake (located west of Geneva) this afternoon. Jane Kampenga on 4/7 reported via IBET: We went to Geneva today, to see the Great Horned Owl Fledglings. They are in a fir tree in front of the Kane County Court House as reported. Two fledglings are in the nest and one was about a foot, above the nest on a branch. My husband and I were there this afternoon from about 1:30 PM til almost 4 PM. It was very windy. The Fledglings in the nest were sifting around. The nest is almost too small for the two fledglings. The Fledgling above the nest was trying to keep from being bombarded by the wind, by nestling behind a branch. At one point, this Owlet came out in full view for a few people to see. It was a exciting afternoon. Many people stopped by to just ask what we were looking at. Ken set up our scope and approximately 50 people including children got to see the fledglings. The Great Horneds were in no way upset by the viewers. The Owls were more concerned with hiding from the cold wind. It was a great day. This is the first e-mail, I have written, so pardon my grammar and description. I think we may have some children more interested in birding because of this. I certainly hope so. Jon Duerr on 4/7 reported via IBET: Friday 7th 9:00 Dick Young F P (Nelson Lake) 65 Pelicans are in residence!! This is such a spectacular sight as well as recent phenomena! Reviewing Mlodinow "Chicago Area Birds" 1984. I found pelicans were rarely seen and only one at a time our area! This is the fourth year for Nelson Lake and they were at Carson slough(4 miles south) the spring of 1997. Also 2 Forster's Terns and 3 Bonaparte's Gulls flew over. The variety of ducks has diminished and only Pied-bill Grebes are present from that group. An Osprey has been seen daily since Tuesday. Karen Lund on 4/6 reported via IBET: This morning there were 2 solitary sandpipers in a slightly flooded field on the west side of Rte. 31 a block south of Rte. 72 (West Dundee). Last night on Allen Rd. near Hampshire F.P. there was a sub-adult bald eagle perched in a willow tree along side the road. Mike Davis on 4/4 first reported to Chicago Audubon which then was posted to IBET: ...I believe I spotted two whooping cranes on Sunday, 4/02 in the wetland adjoining my housing development. It is located west of Randall Rd. and south of Bowes rd. in Elgin, Il. (Note: In support of the possible sighting, Joe Lill of Chicago Audubon spoke with Mike Davis and reported that he "...described the birds well:1) He first impression was that they were egrets in a field. 2) when they flapped the black wingtips were obvious 3) he later saw them with binocs and then saw them fly with extended necks."
|
ed via IBET:
The Binnie Marsh F P
Spotted Towhee was seen again Friday, 8:00 AM. As Karen described, east and
north of the parking lot. Walk along the northbound mowed path concentrating on both sides. You do not need to go further than the bottom on the slope (70 yds).
If you go to Binnie the trails are easy and the habitat is open brush and secondary trees (mostly planted). There is a trail on SE corner of the parking
lot that leads onto Dundee Open Space with more mature forest and marshes and ponds. Classic kame and kettle topography. p.20 DeLorne left edge
between C-D. 