Yeanette
Johnson on 2/28 reported via IBET: Lisa and I spent the day birding in
our very own Kane County. We were pleased to find SANDHILL CRANES
stomping around their usual haunts! Tanner Road Marsh held one pair, as
did Denny Road Marsh (Carson Slough). Yeanette
Johnson on 2/26 reported via IBET: A nice walk along the Fox River [at
Les Arends Forest Preserve in Batavia] today gave Lisa G. and I looks at
the following: Karen Land on 2/26 reported via IBET: Heading off to our usual Saturday morning grocery shopping down Randall Road, we spotted 2 adult Bald Eagles perched just above their old nest on the Mooseheart property at 8:30 this morning. They were not there when we returned an hour later. My partner drives this way daily to and from work and sees them several times during the week. Kim Girard on 2/26 reported via e-mail: 8 a.m. on Sat., Feb 26 at my home in Wasco area - a dozen male Redwing Blackbirds at my feeders. They have chased away the Mourning Doves and a Red Bellied Woodpecker, and they are squabbling with each other for seeds. Seems so odd to see them against the snow! Eric Secker
on 2/23 reported via IBET: I met up with Pete Moxon and checked a
number of spots along the Fox River...today. Kurt Frieders on 2/23 reported via e-mail: I just looked out my window (in Aurora township) and noticed there were no birds at any of my feeders. This only ever happens when there is a hawk very nearby. Seconds later a large hawk appeared just five feet out my window right between the birdbath and all of the feeders. It was a large hawk, but definitely not a red-tail hawk. After looking in my book I discovered that it was my first up close sighting of a red-shouldered hawk. He stayed for about ten seconds before flying away. I'm glad I happened to be standing at my window at that time. "Bob" on 2/21
reported via IBET: One Snow Goose was feeding with a flock of
Canada Geese on Freeman Road in North Kane County Saturday
afternoon. Julie Long on 2/20 reported via IBET: My neighbor told me last night that he and his family heard and saw a small group of sandhill cranes (10 or so) flying very high to the north yesterday. They were above our neighborhood in Wild Rose subdiv. which is just west of the Fox R. and just n. of downtown St Charles (between Randall and rt 31). I was hoping others had seen or heard them to confirm what he said. I don't think the birds will like today's weather, especially in Wis. Marion Miller
on 2/19 reported via e-mail: Rich and I walked along the Batavia River
Walk Saturday afternoon for one of our GBBC sites and we where surprised
to hear and see a single male Wood Duck among a raft of Mallards.
Yeannette
Johnson on 2/18 reported via IBET: Spent this fine day birding along
the river with Sue W. We started out at Quarry Park and birded to Les
Arends! Here is our list... Ed and Trudy Vedral on 2/18 reported via e-mail: This morning we had (2) male Red Wing Blackbirds in our yard and (1) Grackle. It was nice to hear the Red Wings calling this evening while they were getting ready to roost for the night. Although we saw only (2), I heard a lot more this evening. Kathy Andrini on 2/18 reported via phone: A possible sign of spring? Five Turkey Vultures flew over their car today as they drove through downtown Geneva. Kurt Frieders on 2/16 reported via e-mail: As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I've had a lot of Canada geese hitting my fields (in Aurora township) the last few days. There are even more flying around today than the previous two days. Right before I was about to step into my car I heard a familiar call to my ears, but a very foreign one on my property. I looked up and saw a flock of specklebellys (white-fronted geese) flying right over my head. It is only the second time ever I have seen specs from my property. There were ten of them in the flock. From the barring I could see on them, they looked to be a flock of mature birds. Kurt Frieders on 2/16 reported via e-mail: I just saw my first pair of spring birds at one of my feeders (in Aurora township). I'm not terribly excited about the species because they are brown headed cowbirds, but I'm happy to see spring birds nonetheless. Last week I had my first common redpoll visit the feeder. Pine siskins, northern cardinals, house finches, house sparrows, dark eyed juncos, black capped chickadees, downy woodpeckers and mourning doves continue to be daily visiters to my feeders. With the snow melting off of my fields, Canada geese are starting to feed in them again. Eric Secker on 2/14 reported via IBET: Sally and I stopped along the Fox River today by the Otto Factory in Carpentersville. There were a couple BALD EAGLES visible from the Otto Factory parking lot on the east side of the river including an adult and an immature bird that put on a show flying around over the parking lot. Also, there was an adult THAYER'S GULL flying around with the other gulls by the Otto Factory (between the old railroad bridge and Huntley Rd. / Main St.) I wonder if this is the same bird that was present back in mid December? Also along the river, we had two AMERICAN COOTS and a few COMMON MERGANSERS. Joe Lill on 2/14 reported via IBET: ...on Sunday I had one male Pintail and two male Gadwalls on the Fox just south of North Ave. in St. Charles, near the bike trail/pedestrian bridge. There's a parking lot on the west side of the river at that spot, too. Karen Land on 2/14 reported via IBET: I have a youngish White Oak outside my family room window, it still has most of it's leaves on but they are going fast. Today about 2 pm, about 40 waxwings kept coming to the oak flying quickly from the pines from my back lot line. In the past I have had the waxwings spend the night within the cup the oak leaves create. Also saw a few robins today. Karen Land on 2/13 reported via IBET: This morning while returning from grocery shopping via Randall Road, we spotted 2 adult Bald Eagles sitting outside of the nest they occupied this past summer on the Mooseheart property John Janunas on 2/12 reported via
e-mail: Had this shot from a rare sunny day on the Fox.
Ed and Trudy Vedral on 2/12 reported via e-mail: Today we have 8 female Red Wing Blackbirds in our yard, but we have not seen any males this year. At least a dozen Robins and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings were here also. Kathleen O'Deen on 2/12 reported via e-mail: A gorgeous adult Bald Eagle flew right over my house being chased by a juvenile bald eagle on 2-11-11 about 3pm. I live at larkin & edison in Elgin. Looks at though they were just having a little fun. Jim Narovec
on 2/11 reported via e-mail: Juvenile Eagle in a tree on the
islands between the Otto buildings in old Carpentersville on 2/11/11
around lunchtime. I saw 4 (2 pair) by Otto and one further south in W.
Dundee.
Bob Andrini
on 2/11 reported via e-mail: This White-throated Sparrow made
an appearance at our bird feeders after the sun had gone down. I think he
forgot to head south for the winter.
Julie Long on 2/8 reported via e-mail: There was a yellow rumped warbler with a small flock of nuthatches, woodpeckers, and brown creepers at Jon Duerr forest preserve parking lot on Monday, Feb. 7. Steve Beckle on 2/6 reported via IBET: Sunday at 2 PM I was on the small suspension bridge over the river south of Wilson St. [in Batavia] directly across from the water plant, observing the GB heron on the west bank south of me about 75 yards. A mature bald eagle flew over me heading south and perched in a tree on the east bank about 400 yds downstream from me. Ed and Trudy Vedral on 2/5 reported via e-mail: Today we had a female Red Wing Blackbird by our ground feeder. She is quite shy. Karen Land on 2/5 reported via IBET: We hadn't seen any eagles i a few weeks but then we only have time to look on the weekends. Today we had to run a few errands in downtown Batavia and while sitting in traffic on the Wilson Street Bridge, a Great Blue Heron flew over twice, once up river then back down. There is open water from just north of the bridge to below the Waste Water Treatment facility were they release clean effluent into the river. We drove south on Shumway Ave from Wilson and just behind the old Tri-Com building one of the immature bald eagles was sitting in a tree less than 30 feet away. While we were taking some photos, the GBH flew over us again. This was about noon on Saturday (today) John Janunas
on 2/5 reported via e-mail: An argument over a branch on the Fox
River.
Walt Lutz on 2/4 reported via e-mail: Friday midday: 3 Bald Eagles and 2 Mute Swans south of the South Elgin dam. 1 Bald Eagle at the Elgin dam. Nesting Great Horned Owl At Rutland Forest Preserve. Mark Bowman
on 2/2 reported via e-mail: After working for hours cleaning up the
snow and putting out a little bird food, I was sitting at my desk fixing
the suet feeder that the deer and squirrels keep pulling down! I saw
something come into the maple tree which ended up to be an unusual visitor
to my feeders, A HAIRY WOODPECKER. It was a female and she was very
attractive. I grabbed my camera and quickly took a few shots.
Unfortunately, I did not have it on single focus and got only one good
shot. Hopefully she will visit on occasion
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