Sue Wagoner on 10/31 sent this: This large sparrow has been visiting my feeder the past few days... is he an immature white crowned sparrow, or white-throated sparrow? What do you think? (Answer forthcoming)

White-crown or white-throat? Mystery immature sparrow photos courtesy Sue Wagoner. Click on the photos for a larger view.

Swamp Sparrow photo courtesy Bryan Hix. Click on photo for larger view.

Bryan Hix on 10/30 reported via e-mail: Went out to Binnie Marsh early last week on a frosty morning and found swamp sparrows, song sparrows, a large flock of white-throated sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, GC kinglets, flocks of cedar waxwings, flocks of robins, catbirds, one immature male common yellowthroat, several cardinals, and sandhill cranes.

Darrell Shambaugh on 10/27 reported via IBET: I was hoping for some diving ducks on the quarry lake at Big Rock Forest Preserve this afternoon, but there wasn't a duck in sight when I strolled out to the quarry. The only bird I could find was a BELTED KINGFISHER. There were some cool birds in the brush at the end of the closed road that goes from the parking area to Jericho Road including an EASTERN TOWHEE, a FOX SPARROW, 3 SONG SPARROWS, 4 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, 4 CARDINALS, and a HOUSE FINCH. I found a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET along Jeter Road south of Jericho Road.

Hermit Thrush photo courtesy Sue Wagoner. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Sue Wagoner on 10/21 reported via e-mail: About a week ago what appeared to be a sharp-shinned hawk (or a very small cooper's) was perched on a 12-foot stump in my back yard... it suddenly flew directly to the telephone wire about 15 feet away and there was an explosion of feathers! From the ones I gathered it seemed to have been an unfortunate goldfinch. Action was too fast for photos!!

Yesterday I saw my first backyard Hermit Thrush and he was more cooperative at posing, although appearing very "nervous" with constant wing-flicking and foot-tapping. He did find some goodies under the dead leaves before he left.

Darrell Shambaugh on 10/20 reported via IBET: I spent this afternoon Nelson Lake (Kane County, west of Batavia on Nelson Lake Road) and Shabbona Lake (DeKalb County south of Shabbona). The weather was beautiful, and the birds were out enjoying the day.

The highlight at Nelson Lake was a pair of BALD EAGLES. I was at the overlook on the west side of the lake, taking in the NORTHERN PINTAILS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and MALLARDS when a large bird took off from an oak about 50 yards north of the overlook. I was hoping for an owl, but was completely surprised to see an adult BALD EAGLE flying out over the lake. Then another Bald Eagle took off from the same tree. One eagle was in full adult plumage and the other was not quite a full adult; it had a white head and tail with a few dark feathers, and a few white spots on its body. As the eagles flew over the lake all the ducks took off. I found a few GADWALL and about a dozen BLUE-WINGED TEAL as the ducks flew around. The eagles flew off to the west end of the lake, out of my view. About 10 minutes later all the ducks took off again. The Bald Eagles returned, flying around the lake. They flew off towards the southeast, heading over the trees and the houses.

There were about 30 TREE SWALLOWS and 15 CHIMNEY SWIFTS flying around Nelson Lake. Land birds included a PALM WARBLER, 2 HERMIT THRUSH, SONG, FOX, WHITE-THROATED, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. There was a HUGE Snapping Turtle on a muskrat house in the pothole by the parking lot off Main Street. This thing was massive. It was stretched out on top of a muskrat house enjoying the nice day. Earlier on the blacktop path I had found the smallest snapping turtle I've ever seen. Its shell was less than 2 inches in diameter. I tried to get it to eat a millipede, also on the trail, but the turtle wasn't interested.

Christopher Cudworth on 10/19 reported via IBET: A flock of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS was in the far southern portion of the west side woods [at Nelson Lake/Dick Young Forest Preserve] yesterday/Sunday/ October 18.

Also seen in a west side prairie walk to Audubon Bridge and back:
HARRIER
SONG SPARROW
SWAMP SPARROW
RED-TAILED HAWK
VESPER SPARROW
CHIMNEY SWIFT (1)
CANADA GEESE
MALLARD
GADWALL
GREAT BLUE HERON
RING BILLED GULL
WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH
ROBIN
RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
GOLDFINCH

Darrell Shambaugh on 10/18 reported via IBET: I birded the Fox River Bike Trail from Les Arends to Fabyan Forest Preserve Saturday. Besides swarms of CEDAR WAXWINGS and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, I saw a NASHVILLE WARBLER about 3 tenths of a mile north of Les Arends, 3 BELTED KINGFISHERS, a BROWN CREEPER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD at the water treatment plant by the railroad bridge. There was a GREAT EGRET in the Fox River between Glenwood Park and Batavia.

At Hupp Park, in Aurora at Orchard Road and Illinois Avenue, two DUNLIN and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER were on the mudflat at the south end of the pond. Among the several hundred CANADA GEESE there I found 6 CACKLING GEESE.

On Hankes Road by Orchard Valley Country Club a COOPER'S HAWK was scaring the robins.

Chris Bowman on 10/13 reported via e-mail: Driving down Randall Road in Batavia, spotted a beautiful Blue-Morph Snow Goose feeding in the grassy area between the water retention strip and "the Great Escape" pool store across the street from Target ---- It was with about 30 Canadian.

Jack Pomatto on 10/13 reported via e-mail: 10/13/09 at Blackhawk and Tekakwitha F.P. 's the northerly winds last night brought in large numbers of Yellow-rumps and a flock of Tennessee Warblers. A few Nashville Warblers were also in the mix. A fleeting look also showed a likely immature Bay- Breasted Warbler.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-crowned Sparrow were also present.

Karen Land on 10/10 reported via IBET: My yard has been very active the last few days with bluejays, chickadees, finches, cardinals but just now the sun broke out on this gray gray day (5 pm) so I went out onto my back step to savor the lowering sun and the fresh air. Suddenly, 5 juncos pulled up a few feet away. Sigh. This fall/winter is too soon.

John Heneghan on 10/10 reported via IBET: We had a brown creeper on the pin oak [in Big Rock] this AM along with a seemingly greater number of chickadees and finches at the feeders. I am still amazed at the number of blue jays. I am hoping with the number of mature oaks in the area to get red headed woodpeckers this winter.

Yeanette Johnson on 10/7 reported via IBET: Some late morning birding at Nelson Lake & Tanner Rd Marsh produced the following for Lisa G and I:

RING-NECKED DUCK
RUDDY DUCK
GADWALL
NORTHERN SHOVELER
MALLARD
BALD EAGLE
NORTHERN HARRIER (4)
COOPER'S HAWK
RED-TAILED
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
AMERICAN KESTREL
SANDHILL CRANE (3)
CHIMNEY SWIFT
TREE SWALLOW
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
CEDAR WAXWING
BLUE JAY
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
AMERICAN ROBIN
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
GREAT EGRET
PIED-BILLED GREBE
CANADA GOOSE

Darrell Shambaugh on 10/7 reported via IBET: I visited Ferson Creek Fen (Rt. 31 a couple miles north of St. Charles) and Les Arends Forest Preserve (Route 31 on the south edge of Batavia) after work today. Ferson Creek was pleasant, but not particularly birdy. Les Arends had a ton of birds along the stub trail that goes to the Fox River.

Highlights at Ferson Creek Fen were a BELTED KINGFISHER, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, EASTERN PHOEBE, and several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

Les Arends highlights:

~60 AMERICAN ROBINS
~14 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
1 BLACK-TRHOATED GREEN WARBLER
1 TENNESSEE WARBLER
1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
3 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
1 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
1 WINTER WREN
~6 NORTHERN FLICKERS

I didn't see any Osprey at either place:-(

John Baker on 10/7 reported via e-mail: I saw three Long-billed Dowitchers at Sauer Family Farm Forest Preserve about noon today.

Bob Andrini on 10/6 reported via e-mail: Here are some pictures of an 'unusual' hummingbird that appeared in Batavia recently (it flew away on Monday). We didn't want to cause the big problems that occurred in Beloit a few years ago and decided that until we could identify the bird we would 'keep it quiet' (it left before we could identify it properly).  Best guess at this time is that it is an aberrant form of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
"Aberrant" hummingbird photos courtesy Bob Andrini. Click on photo for larger view.

Ken Schneider on 10/5 reported via e-mail: We walked briefly in Hawks Bluff Park, in Tanglewood Hills subdivision, Batavia. Saw several warblers, including three Yellow-rumped and two Tennessee. Heard an Eastern Wood-Peewee. Saw my first Dark-eyed Juncos. Noted that they are not strictly “slate-colored,” as at least one had coloration tending towards pink-sided race. A Blue-headed Vireo gave us nice views.

Dark-eyed Junco (L) and Blue-headed Vireo photos courtesy Ken Schneider. Click on the photos for a larger view.

Bald Eagle photo courtesy Ken Schneider. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Ken Schneider on 10/1 reported via e-mail: Mary Lou and I spotted an adult Bald Eagle roosting in a large tree across Nelson Lake to the SSW of the east platform. I walked around to the south side of the lake and got several eye-popping views. This was the third photo-op of the four eagle sightings at Nelson Lake this summer. Lots of White-throated Sparrows and several warblers, mostly Palm and Yellow-rumped, but also had Tennessee and yellowthroat.