Bill Ahlgren on 5/30 reported via e-mail: The wild Turkey has returned to our neighborhood today 5-30-18. She was eating under our feeder while I was mowing. Couldn't care less about me being there.
 

Jay Sturner on 5/30 reported via eBird: Locating two Blue Grosbeaks on the Kane County side of Fermilab.  "Heard female type calling from car. Got out and saw it and then saw the adult male. Audio obtained, will upload soon."

Walt Lutz and Jim Shotsberger on 5/28 reported via eBird: Seeing a Northern Mockingbird also at Freeman Kame Nature Preserve. "Grayish bird , white below Long tail with white wing bars. Flew over and landed on a tree above our heads. I've seen numerous down south."

Jay Sturner on 5/28 reported via eBird: Observing two flyover Cattle Egrets at Freeman Kame Nature Preserve.  "Small and stocky with short legs, thick yellow bills, and areas of orange feathering. Flew side by side going north over the preserve. Flight pattern noticeably different than Great Egret."

John Heneghan on 5/25 reported via e-mail: I made a Flicker box 6 years ago and put it up in the yard in Big Rock. Checked the box this AM (5/25/18). Happy to find 6 baby flickers.

Walt Lutz on 5/23 reported via e-mail: Great Blue Heron @ Jelke tonight - swallowed it whole.
 

Great Blue Heron photo courtesy Walt Lutz

Marion Miller on 5/23 reported via eBird: While birding at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve this evening had a Mississippi Kite. "Raptor with distinctive kite-shaped wings (long with pointed tips) noted as flew towards us and high
overhead. Only seen from below, gray with light gray head and black distinctive eye. Flying NW with minimal wing beats. Familiar with Mississippi Kite shape and flight from our Southern Illinois birding trips." She also reported an Eastern Whip-poor-will. "Heard "whip-poor-will" vocals beginning at 8:40p. Third year for this species at this site."

Debbie Wisser on 5/22 reported via e-mail: On Sunday afternoon, I had a new bird visit my yard and neighborhood. A Connecticut Warbler! I was able to get a very brief look at it before it decided to stay out of sight. It stayed in the area all day Monday singing periodically from under the bushes in my yard and the neighbor's yard.

Today, at Burnidge, I was able to see another Connecticut Warbler. I'm making up for not seeing one in a few years. There were quite a few warblers still hanging around at Burnidge today. Another treat was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

The Mute Swans that took up residence at Burnidge had their seven cygnets out feeding away from the nest.
 

Connecticut Warbler photo courtesy Debbie Wisser

Mute Swans photo courtesy Debbie Wisser

Jay Sturner on 5/20 reported via eBird: Finding at the Dauberman Road fluddle (see below), more Brewer's Blackbirds and a Ruddy Turnstone. Then, searching the backroads, Jay saw an Upland Sandpiper flying above, then briefly landing in a field along County Line Road near Big Rock.

Rich and Marion Miller on 5/19 reported via eBird: Locating 2 Brewer's Blackbirds in  fluddle off Dauberman Road south of the tollway. "Male and female medium size blackbirds with black bill. Smaller size and bill than a Common Grackle. Male had very noticeable bright eye, almost white and feathers were glossy. No color sheens were really noticeable because of it being an overcast day. Female was dark with dark eye. Neither bird’s bills were thick or cone-shape like a Cowbird. Both birds bathed in fluddle, preened and then flew off together."

Ken Schneider on 5/17 reported via e-mail: On May 15 I walked the southeast portion of the block at Breton & Patterson in North Aurora for about 20 minutes then drove around checking out the sign posts and found sparrows and Bobolinks but no Lark Sparrows. The latter did show up the next morning but only saw one. The Killdeer had small chicks.
 

Lark Sparrow photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Bobolink photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Killdeer chick photo courtesy Ken Schneider

Mike and Pam Preston on 5/16 reported via e-mail: Seeing an Indigo Bunting in Lily Lake on May 12.

Eric Secker on 5/16 reported via IBET: It's loaded with both bugs and warblers south of the [Carpentersville] dam. Walk down the path south all the way to where it turns to dirt. There are a couple dirt paths past that also. Blackpoll Warblers were thick with many at eye level and at times ten or more in my field of vision at a time. I counted and estimated conservatively 60 Blackpolls just in this one area. Also 11 Bay-breasted, 6 Blackburnian (most higher in the trees), and other regulars. Not as much diversity but still about 15 species of warblers and it was already getting warm. There was also a singing Prothonotary which I eventually saw when it flew north of the dam by the parking lot.

Anthony Lombardo on 5/16 reported via e-mail: A first for me here in St. Charles but recently spotted a pair of Bald Eagles circling Saint Mary’s Park.

Sandy Davison on 5/15 reported via e-mail: Saw the Great Horned Owlets on Mother's Day in Geneva.
 

Great Horned Owlets photos courtesy Sandy Davison

Barb Vrchota on 5/15 reported via IBET: I want to share this with anyone who may go to Oakhurst FP in Kane County...

I went to a spot I usually do not go to and I was happy to find some good warblers. Today I saw two Canada's, two Wilson's and lots of Nashville's and Redstarts. Yesterday I had a Mourning warbler creeping in the shrub layer, as well as the Canada's. There seems to be a a lot of birds in that spot. I'm sure I missed many good birds, because I have a short time to bird before I head to work.

This spot is an area southwest of the lake. The garden plots are just to the east. Fifth Avenue is just south. Its not very big, but there are lots of big and a thick shrub and understory layer.

Brendon Lake on 5/15 reported via IBET: Just had a Northern Mockingbird hanging out at the cable car platform at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin. Kane County

Jackie Bowman on 5/15 reported via e-mail: I snuck out of the house this morning while Chris was sleeping...look what I found in our backyard! Yard-lifer - female Summer Tanager!
 

Summer Tanager female photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Eric & Sally Secker on 5/14 reported via IBET: We visited Jon J. Duerr today after the rain stopped around 11 a.m. Warblers were extremely active including finally my first good wave of Tennessee singing in the oaks and over 20+ Blackpolls. Later in the afternoon we also visited Les Arends. We had about 22 species of warblers at both sites. Both sites had Wilson's and Canada. Jon Duerr had a Mourning Warbler near the northeast section of the parking lot. Also a very close Prothonotary on the island by the bridge. Les Arends also had two Olive-sided Flycatchers. I don't have time to post the full lists here but they are on eBird.

John Winkates on 5/14 reported via e-mail: Heard and saw a male Blackpoll Warbler in our St. Charles backyard this morning.

Deb Dirst on 5/13 reported via e-mail: While looking for the lark sparrow along Patterson Ave I saw a bobolink but not the sparrow.

Linda Wininger on 5/12 reported via e-mail: While out on our screen porch in St. Charles watching the rainstorm, a ruby throated hummingbird zoomed up and hovered for a second by the flag; probably attracted to the red color- first I’ve seen this season. Not 3 minutes later, a flash of blue caught our eye; it was an immature indigo bunting come to eat at our thistle seed feeder. We don’t recall ever seeing them around here. Beautiful color.

Roger Amery on 5/12 reported via e-mail: At Hanfford F.P., east of Merril road north of Route 47, I saw common yellowthroat warblers, a grasshopper Sparrow, eastern bluebirds, red headed woodpecker, Gray catbirds, a Cooper hawk, a red tailed hawk, and a flying pass over by a double crested cormorant.

At the eastern most part of Fabyan F.P., there were red bellied woodpeckers, yellow rumped warblers, ruby crowned kinglets, white breasted nuthatches, many golden winged warblers.

Sue Wagoner on 5/11 reported via e-mail: Walking through Fabyan Forest Preserve on May 10, I saw the usual residents and migrants, including two Blackburnian Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and many Baltimore Orioles. The highlight was this Olive-sided Flycatcher seen deep in the woods of the east side, high in the trees, hawking insects.
 

John Heneghan on 5/11 reported via e-mail: I put up a Flicker box 6 years ago. I have watched the Flickers go in and out of the box. I would fill the box with pine chips in February. Last Spring I thought they would nest in there. Turns out a squirrel was using it. I thought a squirrel was using it again this Spring. Apparently not, as the flickers have been going in and out. They have been hammering the inside the last 5 days. I looked in the box this AM (Friday), 5 eggs. After I got down, about a minute later, the male returned to the box. The box is on a telephone pole in the back. There are a pair of bluejays nesting in a near Spruce. This will be interesting. looking forward to seeing baby.

Ruth Walker on 5/11 reported via e-mail: We saw a beautiful male redstart hopping in the dogwood outside our window this morning 5/11.

Wally Levernier on 5/11 reported via eBird: At Fabyan Forest Preserve Japanese Gardens, a Blue Grosbeak. "Female - large grosbeak type bill. Overall reddish brown with wing bars. Much larger than nearby indigo buntings."

Eric Secker on 5/11 reported via eBird: At the Carpentersville dam, a Worm-eating Warbler. "Singing. Brief but distant views rule out chipping sparrow. Across the river from the trail south of the dam."

Chris Madsen on 5/10 reported: Carla and I birded the bike path this morning from Quarry Park in Batavia to Les Arends Forest Preserve. Warblers were abundant. We had both "winged" warblers - the blue- and golden-. Others of note included Bay-breasted, Cape May, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Black & White, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, Nashville, Tennessee, and Northern Waterthrush. No kinglets! We also recorded our first-of-year Scarlet Tanager.

In the afternoon we dropped down to North Aurora to look for Ken Schneider's previously reported Lark Sparrows. We saw three(!) in the field along Patterson Avenue west of its intersection with Breton. While searching for the Lark Sparrows, we came across our FOY Grasshopper Sparrow.
 

Lark Sparrow photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Grasshopper Sparrow photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Tim Balassie on 5/8 reported via eBird: Locating a Prairie Warbler on 5/7 at Harley's Woods near the intersection of Route 38 and Beith Road. "Bird heard, not seen. Song tone a buzz. Buzz ascending from first note, increasing in rapidity at end"

Linda and Bill Ahlgren on 5/7 reported via e-mail: Harris's Sparrow on our patio last Friday Morning at 6:45 Am hanging with the 8 or more White-crowned Sparrows. WCSP still present on Monday 5/7/18. Found by my wife Linda.
 

Harris's Sparrow photo courtesy Bill Ahlgren

Walt Lutz on 5/7 reported via eBird: At Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, Eastern Whip-poor-will. "Heard its distinctive call faintly in the distance from the main entrance gate. To my knowledge this is the 3rd year in a row one (or more) has occupied this location."

Ken Schneider on 5/7 reported via eBird: Lark Sparrows on Breton Avenue in North Aurora. "We have been monitoring this site for Lark Sparrows daily over the past 2 weeks in hopes of seeing this species return after it was discovered by Mary Lou and then nested here last year. Yesterday I was quite certain that I saw it from a distance as I was driving along Breton Road, based upon large sparrow size with long wide tail and impression of white on its tail as it disappeared in the distance. Mary Lou and I returned this morning and after finding Killdeer with tiny hatchlings where we parked, near the corner of Breton & Patterson, we slowly walked north along Breton. A pair of Lark Sparrows flew across the road in front of us and settled down in the field to the west. They walked along close together and picked at a clump of grass rootlets and had some in their mouths. The (presumed) female then flew back across the road and landed on a post. The male quickly followed and they briefly copulated-- too fast for a photo op."

Brendon Lake on 5/7 reported via eBird: A continuing Canvasback at the Pingree Grove water treatment plant.

Walt Lutz on 5/6 reported via e-mail: Prothonotory Warbler today at Rutland Forest Preserve.
 

Prothonotary Warbler photo courtesy Walt Lutz

Marion Miller on 5/6 reported via eBird: At a fluddle on Route 47, across from the north entrance to Waubonsee College, a White-faced Ibis.
 

White-faced Ibis photos courtesy Marion Miller

Roger Amery on 5/6 reported via e-mail: Today at Les Arends I saw one yellow warbler, many palm warblers, many yellow rumped warblers, two prothonotary warblers, one American redstart, two Baltimore Orioles, one wood duck, and two brown thrushes I couldn’t identify. At Les Arends this afternoon I saw two black and white warblers.

Diane Hansen on 5/5 reported via e-mail: I did a walk at Burnidge around 6:00 p.m. Friday and went along a dirt trail at marker 27. I was hearing a faint whistling call from high up in the trees but never did identify its source. At one point I stopped and looked right above me to see a Common Nighthawk on a branch. That was a fun surprise. I also saw my FOY Common Yellowthroat and what I think was a Field Sparrow.
 

Common Nighthawk photo courtesy Diane Hansen

Roger Amery on 5/5 reported via e-mail: At about 1:30 PM today, I saw my first Virginia rail at a pond north of the soccer field at Peck Farm.

Doreen Anderson on 5/3 reported via e-mail: Mr and Mrs rose-breasted grosbeak stopped by my feeders on 5/2.
 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak photo courtesy Doreen Anderson

Diane Hansen on 5/2 reported via e-mail: I saw a Lark Sparrow on the dried up grass of the old ball field in SEBA Park around 9 a.m. Wednesday. I was also able to identify a Cape May Warbler from some poor photos taken along the trees where the path heads into the woods.
 

Lark Sparrow photo courtesy Diane Hansen

Sue Wagoner on 5/2 reported via e-mail: Wonderful to begin seeing migrants in my backyard. There is hope yet for a birdy spring! In the past few days I have had Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hairy Woodpecker male and female, singing and feeding White-throated Sparrows, a Baltimore Oriole and a Lincoln's Sparrow.
 

White-throated Sparrow photo courtesy Sue Wagoner

Baltimore Oriole photo courtesy Sue Wagoner

Julie Long on 5/2 reported via eBird: A Worm-eating Warbler at Les Arends Forest Preserve.

Bill Ahlgren on 5/2 reported via eBird: A Kentucky Warbler at Les Arends Forest Preserve.

Jay Sturner on 5/2 reported via eBird: A Bell's Vireo at Nelson Lake.

Rebecca Perfect on 5/1 reported via e-mail: Four male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks arrived together at my Campton Hills feeder today.

Wally Levernier on 5/1 reported via eBird: A Bay-breasted Warbler at the Japanese Gardens at Fabyan Forest Preserve.

Debbie Wisser on 5/1 reported via e-mail: The south winds brought many new arrivals and migrants to Burnidge Forest Preserve this morning. Eastern Kingbird, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo were all first of the year sightings for me. Migrants included many Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, as well as Nashville, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white and Northern Waterthrush. Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush were also seen. It was a beautiful morning to be out!
 

Palm Warbler photo courtesy Debbie Wisser