Heather Secker on 10/28 reported via IBET: I was surprised to see a somewhat tame Ruddy Duck in the inlet of the Fox River near the downtown Batavia McDonalds today (off of Wilson). It appeared to be following some of the mallards around.

Christopher Cudworth on 10/24 reported via IBET: The following notable species were present this afternoon in Kane County (Dick Young/Nelson Lake Marsh) Forest Preserve in Kane County:
Gadwall: 38
Ring Necked Duck: 16
Wood Duck: 18
Black Duck: 6
Pied Billed Grebe: 2
Coot: 150+
Canada Geese: 350+
Green Winged Teal: 15
Virtually no passerines about. Too windy. All the ducks were tucked in against the north end of the main lake, behind the cattails.

Karen Lund on 10/24 reported via IBET: At 8:20 this morning there was a bald eagle on the ground in a field on the south side of Route 72 east of Big Timber Rd. just west of the town of Gilberts. It was feeding on a canada goose.

Judith Graber on 10/23 reported via e-mail: Had over a dozen pine siskins on my thistle feeder in Batavia this am (10/23/07).

Jon Duerr on 10/23 reported via IBET: Tuesday 4 Horned Grebes in winter plumage were at Nelson Lake (Dick Young) Forest Preserve. They were swimming with a raft of Ruddy Ducks. Neither species was seen yesterday. L. Scaup, Ring-neck, Gadwall, Mallards, A. Coots and 3 Pied-bill Grebes were also present. A Merlin swept the sparrows from the approach trail! Dick Young FP located 2 miles west of Batavia.

Christopher Cudworth on 10/21 reported via IBET: A WINTER WREN is hanging out again in our backyard in Batavia. Same pattern as last year. Hung around for a week or so eating spiders out of a twine garden ball. We also had a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER working the dying ash tree in our neighbor's front yard.
On my 30 mile bike ride this morning from Batavia out to County LIne and back through Kaneville, I found plenty of HORNED LARK, one WATER PIPIT, a batch of 12 MEADOWLARK and many mixed flocks of CANADA GEESE, large and small varieties.

John Heneghan on 10/20 reported via IBET: There were 5 Sandhill Cranes in a small flooded field on the East side of Wenmoth Rd South of Fabyan Pkwy this afternoon. There were also a pair in a field off Nelson Lake Rd.

Jay Withgott on 10/18 reported via IBET: On the morning of 9 Oct., in the course of 1 hour at Fabyan Park on the Fox River in Batavia (Kane Co.), I came across an impressive density and diversity of birds, including the following mix of breeders & Sept. migrants held back by the warm weather combined with Oct. species brought down by the cold:
1 Blue-headed Vireo
1 House Wren
1 Carolina Wren (or are these common here now? It's been a long time since I lived here.)
15 to 20 Tennessee Warbler
3 Nashville Warbler
1 Northern Parula
1 Palm Warbler
2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Jon Duerr on 10/16 reported via e-mail: Nelson Lake north of viewing platform, a N. Mockingbird was seen and heard from a 3/4 dead Boxelder in the marsh. The bird was heard singing a  varied song but very softly. I think it was singing to itself! It when moved higher so it could be seen. Seen 1:30 Tuesday. A flock of White-crown Sparrows were along the path. All of this was 200 yards north the of platform where the path turns to the east.

Christopher Cudworth on 10/13 reported via IBET: I've personally been buried with obligations related to some health issues for my wife, but every birder out there will appreciate that during my first run in two weeks this morning (in Batavia) a robin-sized bird with black wings and white windows flashed in front of me and landed in a tree where I could watch it work it's way up the trunk. One of my favorite species: a (yellow-bellied) sapsucker. A simple reward after being pent up in the house for a couple weeks, but a pleasure nonetheless.