Corrected: Marion Miller on 3/25 reported via eBird: Found a Common Loon off Boy Scout Island in St. Charles on Sunday afternoon.
 

Common Loon photo courtesy Marion Miller

Diane Hansen on 3/23 reported via e-mail: I wasn't going to stop today at my usual spot above the South Elgin dam but as I drove by something caught my eye. When I turned around and went back I saw a common loon.

Wanting to get a closer look I scurried closer each time it dove. When I was as close as I was going to get I looked down over the guard rail and right below me was a muskrat.
 

Common Loon photo courtesy Diane Hansen

Muskrat photo courtesy Diane Hansen

Roland Muts on 3/21 reported via e-mail:  Yesterday (3/20) around 4.30pm spotted three sandhill cranes roaming around on the golf course. Two very active, in courtship probably, also trying to chase away a third crane.

Today (3/21) it seems like two cranes are still hanging out in the same spot, in courtship. Behavior observed through binos was spreading of wings, vocalizing loudly, touching each others beaks. Very cool to see!

Area would be Sugar Grove, at Hankes Rd and Golf View Rd. They were very loud around 4.30pm (two days in a row now)

Roland Muts on 3/19 reported via e-mail: Today, 3/19/18, around 12pm central, a large flock (75 or so) of Sandhill Cranes flew over Sugar Grove, roughly towards the northwest. They were flying high, flock breaking up into three or four groups, trying to reconnect.

They were too far away for me to see if there were any whooping cranes hiding in the group.

Alan Magerkurth on 3/18 reported via eBird: Wading in a pond near the intersection of Randall Road and Main Street in St. Charles, a Great Egret.

Jay Sturner on 3/16 reported via e-mail: On Wednesday, March 14th I arrived at Nelson Lake/Dick Young Forest Preserve to find twenty-five American White Pelicans circling low over the lake. A minute later they landed, most of them skidding to a stop on the ice while others found spots in the open water or at the edge of the cattails. Definitely the highlight of the morning, though a decent variety of waterfowl were highlights as well. Lots of feather colors on the lake that morning!
 

American White Pelicans photos courtesy Jay Sturner

John Heneghan on 3/12 reported via e-mail: Had 10 Redpolls this AM at the feeders. Latest they have stayed in the yard in Big Rock. Also, male Goldfinches are starting to change. 
 

Common Redpolls photo courtesy John Heneghan

Alex Peterson on 3/12 reported via e-mail: To my amazement, a sharp-shinned hawk hunted and ate his dove meal in my Campton Hills yard one afternoon last week. He spent over an hour on the ground eating, then hopped up on the fence with his prey for a few minutes, and finally flew off.
 

Sharp-shinned Hawk photos courtesy Alex Peterson

Eric Secker on 3/11 reported via eBird: From Fox River Shores Forest Preserve, a Hermit Thrush. "Brown thrush with red tail. Seen at close range."

Regina McNulty on 3/9 reported via IBET: A NORTHERN SHRIKE was in the top of a tree by the horse trailer parking area in Campton Forest preserve. Well seen.

Theresa LeCompte on 3/8 reported via e-mail: I birded Almon Underwood Prairie yesterday morning with the highlight being a mixed flock of migrating blackbirds that chose to stop at the preserve. Although the flock was predominantly male and female Red-winged Blackbirds, there were also Brown-headed Cowbirds, a few Rusty Blackbirds and Common Grackles. The din created by the nearly one thousand birds was almost deafening, yet most enjoyable.

Theresa LeCompte on 3/5 reported via e-mail: There were at least 10 Rusty Blackbirds feeding in the flooded area east of the bike path at Les Arends this morning. And was a bit surprised to spot one Red-breasted Nuthatch further north along the path.

Carla Jaffe on 3/3 reported: American Woodcocks at Ferson Creek Fen in St. Charles.

Eric Secker on 3/2 reported via eBird: At Fox River Shores - West, an American Pipit. "Seen in the field along the trail then flew off n.e. calling."