John Heneghan on 4/26 reported via e-mail: I went to Sauer Forest Preserve Monday 4/23. I went to the wetland to look for shorebirds. I saw 10 Wilson's Snipe, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, and heard a possible Rail. There were a few Swamp Sparrows seen also. The west area, which holds more water, had 6 Blue Winged Teal, the only waterfowl I saw there.  

Bill Marchetti on 4/24 reported via e-mail: Photographed a Brown Thrasher this morning near my crushed corn ground feeder in Tanner Trails in North Aurora.
 

Brown Thrasher montage courtesy Bill Marchetti

Mark Bowman on 4/24 reported via e-mail: April 23rd: Earlier today went to Peck Farms and was able to see the Virginia Rail reported by my sister-in-law. There were also Tree and Swamp Sparrows in the area along with a Green Heron.
 

Virginia Rail photo courtesy Mark Bowman

Nancy Thornton on 4/23 reported via e-mail: Yesterday, about 7 pm, I saw my first ever live muskrat! I watched it feeding on shoots and grubs behind fox shore apartments [in St. Charles]. It was startled a few times bu cars and children coming into the building, but continued to come back out from hiding and feed for about 20 minutes.

Chris and Jackie Bowman on 4/21 reported via e-mail: On Saturday, 4/21/18, we located a Virginia Rail at Peck Farm, Geneva.  Nice to see our Spring friends returning.
 

Virginia Rail photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Marion and Rich Miller on 4/21 reported via eBird: Found a Blackpoll Warbler at Nelson Lake. "Quickly flying from thin branches to thin branches at top of trees. White belly to vent. Fine black lines across sides and flanks and thicker darker black line across chin area. White throat. Foraging habit was definitely not of a Black-n-White Warbler and size was larger than a chickadee and lacked black bib. "

Theresa LeCompte on 4/20 reported via e-mail: I finally spotted the Black-crowned Night Heron this morning at Mirador that Marion Miller first observed on 4/14.
 

Black-crowned Night-Heron photo courtesy Theresa LeCompte

John Heneghan on 4/20 reported via e-mail: 10 bonaparte's Gulls were seen in the retention pond on Sullivan Rd across from IMSA in Aurora around 3:45 pm on 4/20/18.

Dianne Trautt on 4/20 reported via e-mail: I noticed a former Great Blue Heron nest from last year being occupied by a Great Horned Owl and three owlets. They are in the North Aurora area north of the dam. I saw them this morning Apr 20th.
 

Great Horned Owls photo courtesy Dianne Trautt

Eric Secker on 4/19 reported via IBET: We walked a lot at Carpentersville Dam and Fox River Shores F.P. today in northern Kane Co.

At Fox River Shores, there were three Bonaparte's Gulls on the river near the peninsula south from the main parking lot along with 7 Caspian Terns.

A Merlin flew right through the parking lot while we were eating lunch there and other hawks, a Bald Eagle, and Osprey were migrating overhead.

Both spots had lots of kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. The kinglets are super close and put on a great show along the short trail south of Carpentersville Dam.

Full lists are available on eBird if you search for them.

Jay Sturner on 4/19 reported via e-mail: I was very excited to see my lifer Yellow Rail at a marsh in Kane County on Sunday, April 15th. These small, secretive birds are now migrating through the area so keep a look out!

Jay Sturner on 4/19 reported via e-mail: The American White Pelicans continue at Dick Young Forest Preserve; they've been there for over a week now. I spent most of the day in the area and had 77 species, including first-of-the-year American Pipit, Broad-winged Hawk, and Sora. Overall numbers of waterfowl were down but many species continue, including lots of colorful "rubber duckies," aka Ruddy Ducks. Other highlights include an unflinching Merlin scanning for prey; increasing numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Hermit Thrushes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and rails; a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs; an Osprey; and Fox Sparrows gearing up to leave as they sang their sweet song. Despite the fact that I was wearing long underwear -- in APRIL -- migration was well underway and it was very exciting to be out.
 

Jackie Bowman on 4/18 reported via e-mail: Spent the early morning hours at Johnson's Mound FP in Elburn today.  Highlights included the mostly brightly colored Golden-crowned Kinglet and our FOY Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Despite all this cold air, migration makes it feel just a little warmer! 
 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Golden-crowned Kinglet photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Jay Sturner on 4/16 reported via eBird: A Bank Swallow flying over the river in Carpentersville: "Small brown and white swallow with prominent brown breast band."

Ella Mae Goshen on 4/16 reported via e-mail: That she has seen Golden-crowned Kinglets at her home in Batavia.

Susan Nagle on 4/15 reported via eBird: Found a Lincoln's Sparrow feeding on the ground at her home on the west side of Geneva.

Scott Cohrs on 4/15 reported via eBird: Observed a Bank Swallow flying above the Fox River in Geneva.

Marion and Rich Miller on 4/14 reported via eBird: A Palm Warbler at the Batavia River Walk.
 

Palm Warbler photo courtesy Marion Miller

Debby Hayward on 4/14 reported via e-mail: 4/14  - After several years of trying to see the American White Pelicans at Nelson Lake, it took a cold, windy, miserable day to finally get to see them today! There were several groups of them huddled along the shores of the lake.
 

American White Pelicans photo courtesy Debby Hayward

John Heneghan on 4/14 reported via e-mail: We have had a Pine Warbler frequenting the bark butter on the front porch in Big Rock,  giving us great views of this early migrant.  Also had a Towhee, Carolina Wren, and White Throated Sparrow and Creeper in the yard today 4/14/18.  
 

Pine Warbler photo courtesy John Heneghan

Theresa LeCompte on 4/12 reported via e-mail: Sue Schneider and I spotted at least four Hermit Thrushes at Gunnar Anderson this morning. Also seen were one Winter Wren and two Ruby- crowned Kinglets, one (the male) of which raised its ruby patch for us to see.
 

Hermit Thrush photo courtesy Theresa LeCompte

Chris Madsen on 4/12 reported: Thanks to an early morning text from Joy and Jon Duerr, Carla and I were treated to the sight of six American White Pelicans standing/snoozing in the middle of the river above the old dam on the quarry trail in Batavia. As we continued south toward Les Arends Forest Preserve, we came across four, first-of-year Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, three Fox Sparrows, and a very noticeable uptick in the number of Yellow-rumped Warblers than we've seen so far this year.

In the afternoon we traipsed through LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve where Chorus Frogs and Spring Peepers were making a racket in the ponds by Sholes school. We had a handful of FOY Ruby-crowned Kinglets along Ferson Creek and another three Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. That made for a superb, seven sapsucker day!
 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Jay Sturner on 4/12 reported via e-mail: It was nice to be out birding in Kane County yesterday. Warm and sunny and plenty of new arrivals. A flock of fourteen American White Pelicans were on the water at Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia. I was amused by a pair of Canada Geese standing on top of the silo near the parking lot; it looked as if they had gone up there to enjoy the sunrise together. At Peck Farm Park in Geneva there were twelve Greater Yellowlegs, six Lesser Yellowlegs, and two Pectoral Sandpipers. Near the end of the day several of us saw two Bonaparte's Gulls and a Common Loon at Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora. At one point the loon popped up near the shore and, seeing our funny clothes and gear, I imagined it thinking, "And they call ME a loon?"
 

Canada Geese atop the silo at Nelson Lake. Photo courtesy Jay Sturner

Greater Yellowlegs photo courtesy Jay Sturner

Rebecca DeSilva on 4/9 reported via e-mail: Went to my favorite spring duck pond in the Tanner Road Subdivision, Bennett Drive and Sandell Lane, North Aurora. The highlight was the flock of 60 Northern Shovelers. But also 10 Ring-necked Duck, 6 pair Blue-winged Teal, 2 pair Green-winged Teal. Birds I didn't get numbers on but saw: Bufflehead, Redhead, many American Coots, Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-Wing Blackbirds and several Hooded Mergansers (displaying like crazy for their possible mates). I could have this wrong, as I'm a novice, but (possibly) some Eastern Phoebes skimming the water as well.
 

Northern Shovelers photo courtesy Rebecca DeSilva

Jay Sturner on 4/9 reported via e-mail: I spent the day birding at various locations along the Fox River yesterday and saw nearly 100 Golden-crowned Kinglets (my highest count was 50 at Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve). The birds were everywhere, often in large flocks, and gave the impression of handfuls of tiny red and yellow jewels tossed into the shrubs. The kinglets stole the show but other highlights include a pair of Common Loons at Kimball Street Dam in Elgin, three Savannah and one Vesper Sparrow along Seavey Road in Batavia, and three pairs of yellow legs (Lesser Yellowlegs, that is) at North Aurora Island Park. Another wonderful thing was being able to show a birder and his son their lifer Greater White-fronted Goose, a flock of which were at Tanner Trails Park in North Aurora.

John Heneghan on 4/8 reported via e-mail: Had a Loon this AM at Big Rock FP quarry 4/8/18.
 

Common Loon photo courtesy John Heneghan

Chris Madsen on 4/8 reported: On the Quarry Park trail in Batavia this sunny but chilly morning, Golden-crowned Kinglets were more common than flies. Carla and I must have seen 40 of them. Other observations worth noting included six American Wigeons about half way between the quarry and Les Arends Forest Preserve and a very vocal Carolina Wren that was closer to Les Arends. The wren sang for five minutes while we conducted a fruitless search for a visual.
 

Golden-crowned Kinglet photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Marion Miller on 4/8 reported via e-mail: Rich and I were surprised by a Pine Warbler when we were removing the cap from Kane County’s newest Chimney Swift Tower at Jon Duerr FP. He was hopping around the near pines.
 

Pine Warbler photo courtesy Marion Miller

John Heneghan on 4/6 reported via e-mail: Had a Red Breasted Nuthatch today after not seeing one for a month and 3 Redpolls, last seen 3 weeks ago. Both at the feeders in the yard in Big Rock. 
 

Red-breasted Nuthatch photo courtesy John Heneghan

Common Redpolls photo courtesy John Heneghan

Bill Ahlgren on 4/5 submitted this photo of the Smith's Longspur originally found by Jay Sturner in North Aurora on 4/2:
 

Smith's Longspur photo courtesy Bill Ahlgren

Eric Secker on 4/5 reported via IBET: I visited a number of spots between Algonquin and Elgin yesterday after dropping my wife off at work.

Although a bit of ice and snow, birds were active due to the cold and I enjoyed being out in the sun birding mostly by car.

At Brunner F.P., there were 15-20 Horned Larks out in the field. It's worth keeping an eye on this spot for longspurs and pipits.

I also had nice flocks of Golden-crowned Kinglets at most spots by the water.

At Carpentersville Dam many kinglets were on the ground by the trail along with one Yellow-rumped Warbler, juncos, and sparrows. On the water there was one Ruddy Duck, a Common Goldeneye, and a few Common Mergansers. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk was also flying around the woods just north of the OTTO factory. Last week I also had a singing Carolina Wren south of the dam.

Marion Miller on 4/4 reported via e-mail: Spotted an immature male Yellow-headed Blackbird in a mixed group of blackbirds foraging in the fields along Seavey Rd.
 

Yellow-headed Blackbird photo courtesy Marion Miller

On 4/3 the Smith's Longspur continued on Patterson Avenue in North Aurora (Google maps link) according to numerous reports.

Jay Sturner on 4/2 reported via eBird: Found a Smith's Longspur on Patterson Avenue in North Aurora. "Male transitioning into breeding plumage. White outer tail feathers, buffy belly, white shoulder epaulet (not always visible), etc. Took to the air several times before hunkering down in the grass."

Bob Andrini on 4/2 reported via phone: White-fronted Geese at Tanner Road marsh. He adds that the pelicans are still at Carson Slough.

Laureen Spera on 4/1 reported via e-mail: American White pelicans spotted on 3/31 at Carson's Slough in Sugar Grove.
 

American White Pelicans photo courtesy Chris Madsen