Marion Miller on 8/30 reported via e-mail: After reading K. Schneider’s 8-27 posts, Rich and I went to check out the east side of Nelson Lake/Dick Young FP on the afternoon of 8-29 and I returned the morning of 8-30. Between both visits were seen: American Redstart, Chickadees, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Catbirds, a single Red-winged Blackbird, Indigo Bunting, House Wren, Hummingbirds, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinch, and a Cormorant.
 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak photo courtesy Marion Miller

Sue Wagoner on 8/29 reported via e-mail: I had a wave of some brilliant and very active American Redstarts work my backyard this morning... about 8 of them by the feeders and shrubs and sparring with each other in midair. These "yellowstarts" are female and/or first year males. Also seen seen and heard- (when are they NOT heard?) - a Red-eyed vireo, and "my" persistent hummingbird.
 

American Redstart Photo courtesy Sue Wagoner

Bryan Hix on 8/29 reported via e-mail: Took a drive early this morning to check out my usual spots. Not a lot of activity this morning in most places. However I did drive out west of Hampshire and came back by the Coon Creek Sod Farm for a look. I saw dozens of Kildeer, but noticed another bird amoung them and managed to snap a few quick shots. It was a solo Buff-Breasted Sandpiper, which is a first for me. All the other flooded spots I have been visiting the past couple of weeks are now bone dry. Hopefully we get some rain soon to freshen them up again.
 

Buff-breasted Sandpiper photo courtesy Bryan Hix

Ken Schneider on 8/27 reported via e-mail: This morning, along the east side of Nelson Lake/Dick Young FP, I sighted 35 species, including two small flocks of warblers mixed with chickadees and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. Warbler species included Magnolia, Tennessee, American Redstart, and over 20 Black-throated Green Warblers. Had a Least Flycatcher at the north corner of the east side trail, and saw at least 4 hummingbirds. Also heard and saw two Swamp Sparrows singing.
 

Black-throated Green Warbler photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Least Flycatcher photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Walt Lutz on 8/26 reported via e-mail: I too, tried my luck at Jelke & Tyler Creek F.P. Thursday morning. Jelke was very quiet so I moved on quickly and found Tyler to be fairly birdy on the lower half by the pavillion. Lots of the usual including a ruby-throated hummingbird and a couple Coopers hawks. A few warblers I couldn't positively i.d.

On a side note, kudos to Dundee Township for the establishment and development Jelke Bird Sanctuary. I think it's going to be a rather special little place in a year or two. Already lots of minnows, frogs, some turtles and many, many dragonflies.

Bryan Hix on 8/25 reported via e-mail: Stopped at Tyler Creek FP this morning and yesterday evening for about an hour each. Very quiet except for Blue Jays, Cardinals, Catbirds, and Chickadees. I was really hoping to spot some migrating warblers. Left there and went to Voyagers Landing FP and saw many Nashville and Yellow Warblers near the last parking lot to the north in the choke cherries and white oaks. There were many more warblers that were difficult to identify with their fall plumage. There were also flocks of Cedar Waxwings, 4 Baltimore Orioles, and Downy and Red-bellied Woodpecks seemingly everywhere. Lastly went by the Jelkes Creek Bird Sanctuary and briefly walked the path by the lot and saw a small flock of Green-Winged Teal, Canada Geese, and an unidentifiable larger shorebird that was flushed and flew over to another one of the ponds.

Pete Moxon on 8/23 belatedly reported via phone: On August 17 and 18 at Tyler Creek FP in Elgin, Pete had a total of 14 species of warblers: Wilson's, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, 35 - 40 Tennessee, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Blackpoll, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Bay-breasted, Nashville, Redstart, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided. All were seen on the upper level of the preserve. Said he has never seen this many warbler species this early in the season.

(This sandpiper ID was changed from a Least to a Baird's) Bryan Hix on 8/22 reported via e-mail: Not a lot of activity in the shorebird category. However, I did find a small fuddle with this Baird's Sandpiper just off Randall north of 90 and a few solitary sandpipers off Tyrell Rd. in Gilberts. Hoping to get out this week to see what other migrants are starting to move south.
 

Baird's Sandpiper photo courtesy Bryan Hix

Solitary Sandpiper photo courtesy Bryan Hix

Jack Pomatto on 8/22 reported via e-mail: I had an interesting sighting on Sunday, 8/22/10 on the west side of Elgin. I saw what seems like a very early group of migrants today. A group of four Red-breasted Nuthatches were feeding enthusiastically this morning in a spruce tree and a variety of other vegetation.

Sue Wagoner on 8/20 reported via e-mail: This Ruby Throated Hummingbird female (or young) has been visiting my yard daily for quite a while, getting quite bold when I am around. Even these little dynamos have to stop and stretch every once in a while!
 

These Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos courtesy Sue Wagoner

Ken Schneider on 8/18 reported via e-mail: During a brief walk at Jones Meadow Park in Batavia this morning, we saw three Warbling Vireos and an immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

On August 16 at this location, in the field at the NE corner of Mooseheart and Deerpaath, we we photographed a color-banded Sandhill Crane that had been banded at six weeks of age in Lake County last year. We are awaiting more information about this bird's history from Jeff Fox, who banded it. It had three bands on each leg: Reading down, green with white letters A, B, H bands on right leg, and yellow-white-silver on left leg. Interestingly, it was a loner, not associated with the two cranes that appear to have been residents in the Jones Meadow wetlands this summer.

According to Brad Semel, Natural Heritage Biologist at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, "the bird was banded on 6/28/2009 at N42 15.606 W87 53.353 in Lake County, IL (you can cut and paste this number into Google Earth and it will take you to the precise banding location). This is actually the site known as Middlefork Savanna. It is a natural area managed by the Lake County Forest Preserve District. The bird weighed 1770g at the time of capture, and was about six weeks of age, just prior to being able to fly. The silver band on the left leg is from the US Fish and Wildlife Service with the number 0679-02076."
 

Warbling Vireo photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Sandhill Crane photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Ken Schneider on 8/17 reported via e-mail: At Les Arends this morning, Mary Lou and I saw lots of robins and waxwings, and got photos of Yellow-throated Warbler and two Tennessee Warblers along the bike trail. We also had a small flock of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers near the last parking lot. The light was very poor for photography. Photos for documentation are on my FLICKR page.
 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher photo courtesy Ken Schneider

White-breasted Nuthatch photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Ken Schneider on 8/17 reported via e-mail: Chimney Swifts are tending to vociferous chicks in the chimney of our daughter's home in Batavia. I found them almost impossible to photograph as they came in and (especially) out of the chimney on feeding missions. This one was diving down.
 

Chimney Swift photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Marion Miller on 8/15 reported via e-mail: Rich and I went out to Prairie Green, Geneva on 8-15 and saw what we believe is a Black Tern (being novice birders perhaps our ID is off). It looked like a juvenile and was a slender gray/silver bird with long pointed wings, black narrow bill, short black legs, a dark shoulder bar, and a black irregular cap that came around to the side of the eye. The bird was flying, similar to a swallow, but was larger and would swoop over the waters with his head held down. We also saw Egrets, American Coots, Great Blue Heron, and many Swallows in the marsh area. On the way to Prairie Green we took Keslinger and saw 2 juvenile Turkey Vultures in the dead trees at the west end of the field next to the DelNor outpatient buildings on Keslinger.
 

Possible Black Tern photo courtesy Rich Miller

Possible Black Tern photo courtesy Rich Miller

John Heneghan on 8/14 reported via IBET: We have had a pair of hummingbirds around the porch most of the summer. Yesterday we had 5 or 6 hummingbirds at the feeders. I wonder if hummingbirds are starting South?

Julie Long on 8/12 reported via e-mail: I am reporting for my friend, Liz Safanda, who several times this week (Aug.8 week) has seen 2 adult sandhill cranes with a juvenile along Randall Rd in Batavia. They have been on the opposite side of the road from the eagles nest and have been fairly close to the road.

Rich Miller on 8/10 reported via e-mail: Marion and I went to Hawks Bluff the afternoon of 8-8 to view the eagles. We saw both juvenile eagles flying and perching near the nest. Four red-tail hawks, two of them juveniles were seen and heard often. We saw Wood Pewees, Indigo Buntings, Robins, Carolina Chickadees, American Goldfinch and Catbirds by the viewing area. In the wooded areas along the path we say a Downy Woodpecker, Northern flicker, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. The surprise for the outing was a juvenile female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that I spotted circling the trunk of a tree.
 

Val Faupl on 8/9 reported via e-mail: Seen 8/8/10 Sunday afternoon in the area of Rt. 30 pass and Rt 25 in Montgomery flying down the Fox River Southbound to Oswego was a mature Bald Eagle. We used to see the eagles in our area very often in the winter, but then they left us we assumed that these were the ones that began to nest at Mooseheart this spring? We wonder if this eagle was one of the parents coming back to just go for a flight to old stomping grounds?

Scott Cohrs on 8/8 reported via IBET: At about 6 this morning there was a Baird's Sandpiper on the soccer/football fields of West Side Park on Peck Rd. I saw it on the field closest to Peck Rd. under the south goalpost. I did not see it when I was walking back to the car at about 6:30. Perhaps it is the same bird that Beau and Fran saw later in the morning about a half mile south?

I bumped into Pete Moxon when I got back to the parking lot. As we were there talking, an Upland Sandpiper flew over our heads and appeared as though if it was coming down for a landing. We lost it when it came below the skyline, and we never did see it on the soccer field. It may have landed in the taller grass by the pond. I did not walk out there to try and relocate it.

As Beau mentioned, no Western at the flooded soccer field. In fact, that area is drying up quick. I did have a few more shorebirds there early, but nothing unusual. There is obviously some turn-over at this spot.

FYI, this morning I heard of a positive report on the Mottled Duck from earlier this week, which is about 6 days later than the last report I knew of previously. I have checked the original spot several times the last week with no success. However, there are numerous areas south on Peck Rd. that could easily hold that bird, including Prairie Green and the pond at the corner of Peck and Kaneville. I just never have time to check them all.

Beau Schaefer on 8/8 reported via IBET: We...headed out to Scott Cohrs' soccer field fluddle at Peck Rd. and rt. 38. Did not see the western sandpiper. In fact, there were only 4 shorebirds present, but one of them was a nice, buffy BAIRD'S SANDPIPER which gave good looks at its flattened body shape when looking head on at the bird. Also we passed a nice mudflat at Burlington Rd. and Rohrsen Rd. which had a lot of birds and bears watching. Unfortunately, nothing unusual, but good good numbers of PECTORAL and LEAST SANDP'ERS and a few SEMIPALMATED SAND'ERS. 2 GREATER Y'LEGS, a few LESSER Y'LEGS, and 1 SOLITARY SANDP'ER were also present.

Scott Cohrs on 8/6 reported via IBET: This afternoon there was a Western Sandpiper present at the flooded area of the soccer fields on the west side Peck Road, just south of Route 38. There was a small assortment of other species present as well, including a Pectoral, several Semipalmated Sandpipers and several Lesser Yellowlegs.

While the bill was the easiest way to pick this bird out, it still had hints of red in the scaps and a very faint cheek patch. I think all of the Westerns I have seen in Kane County have been in full basic plumage, so this was a bit of a treat.

Ken Schneider on 8/5 reported via e-mail: Back from the heat wave in Florida, we welcomed the cool 68 degrees on our first morning in Illinois. The mosquitoes at the east end of Nelson Lake were ferocious. We did see three Caspian Terns, a lone Yellow Warbler, a Bald Eagle, and heard pheasants calling. Several Common Yellowthroats, Indigo Buntings, goldfinches, cardinals and Swamp Sparrows were singing as if it were spring again. We heard no Sedge Wrens at all, and saw no other warblers. A juvenile Swamp Sparrow posed an ID challenge until we saw its yellow gape and heard Swampies singing nearby. I photographed a Red-winged Blackbird in rather striking plumage that appears to be an immature male, and an Indigo Bunting that flew right up to an Eastern Kingbird and began singing in its face. Near our condo at Orchard & Randall in North Aurora, there were about 100 Killdeers gathered in the disturbed fields.
 

Ron Dickenson on 8/5 reported via e-mail: The eaglets are still hanging around the nest waiting for the adults to bring them food.
 

Marion Miller on 8/3 reported via e-mail: On 8-1 Rich and I went to Hawk’s Bluff to check on the Eagles. Both juveniles were viewed, one flying, as well as one Adult flying into the nest. We also saw 2 Baltimore Orioles in the choke cherry trees to the north of the eagle viewing area. We spotted 2 Blue Jays on the Oak trees in the woods and 3 flycatchers in the large Oak tree near the path. We are having a hard time identifying the flycatchers if they were Eastern Wood-Pewees or Willow Flycatchers or both. Indigo Buntings, a Hummingbird, Cat birds, Cedar Waxwing, Robins, and a juvenile Red-tail Hawk were also seen.