On Chimney Swift stakeouts on the evening of 9/29: Jon Duerr reported 240 at Lincoln School in St. Charles and Marion Miller counted 3,394 at the post office in Geneva.

Jon Duerr on 9/28 reported via eBird: 3,800 Chimney Swifts in downtown Geneva at the Post Office. First bird entered at 7:03; show ended at 7:09.

Bill Ahlgren and Daryl Coldren on 9/27 reported via eBird: In separate reports, both saw 14 American White Pelicans at Nelson Lake.

Amanda Parrish and Jude Vickery on 9/27 reported via eBird: In separate reports, both saw 4 Snow Geese with a large flock of Canada Geese, one near Pingree Grove, the other near Hampshire.

Lisa Williams on 9/26 reported via e-mail: Today was raptor day at Nelson Lake. Spotted a Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon and juvenile Bald Eagle. Also saw my first Dark-eyed Junco of the season.
 

Juvenile Bald Eagle photo courtesy Lisa Williams

Peregrine Falcon photo courtesy Lisa Williams

Walter Lutz on 9/24 reported via e-mail: Snowy Egret @ Judson U. (Elgin) on the fox River this morning.
 

Snowy Egret photo courtesy Walter Lutz

Liz Gerity on 9/24 reported via e-mail: Two flocks of Sandhill Cranes overhead at Headwaters park in Campton at about 7:15 am this morning.

Chris Madsen on 9/22 reported: Our fear that Fall warbler migration had ended was put at bay when Carla and I visited Jon Duerr Forest Preserve this mid-afternoon. There was a flurry of activity in the areas to the west of the parking lots. Nine warbler species included many Yellow-rumps, a Northern Parula, and these Bay-breasted and Cape May.
 

Bay-breasted Warbler photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Cape May Warbler photo courtesy Chris Madsen

Theresa LeCompte ob 9/22 reported via e-mail: While hiking up the road at Johnson Mound this morning, I was lucky enough to overhear the conversation between two BARRED OWLS that lasted for a delightful six minutes.

Walter Lutz on 9/20 reported via e-mail: Le Conte's or Nelson's sparrow at Muirhead F.P tonight. Unfortunately couldn't make a positive I.D.

Marion Miller on 9/18 reported via e-mail: Our backyard (Batavia) Pokeweed keeps bringing the birds in. Swainson's Thrush yesterday, Cedar Waxwings today and a new yard bird: Gray-cheeked Thrush. Thanks to Jon Duerr who shared the "magic" of the Pokeweed plant when we first went out on a bird walk.
 

Gray-cheeked Thrush photo courtesy Marion Miller

Marion Miller on 9/15 reported via e-mail: Thirty-three people showed up to watch a spectacular show of 4000+ Chimney Swifts entering the Marberry Cleaners chimney in St. Charles on Thursday evening. The first bird in was at 7:18p and last in at 7:26p. We won over at least 3 people walking to their cars to stop and watch awhile and learn about Chimney Swifts.
 

Chimney Swifts photo courtesy Gordon Garcia

You can learn more about these birds in Kane County by visiting Marion and Rich's Facebook page Chimney Swifts Over the Fox Valley.

Cathy Martens on 9/14 reported via e-mail: I saw a robin fledgling hiding in the bushes in my yard in Campton Hills this morning. This is by far the latest I have ever seen a robin fledgling. In fact, most of the neighborhood robins have been gone for weeks now.

Chris and Jackie Bowman on 9/13 reported via e-mail: Our outing today at LeRoy Oakes provided brief camouflaged looks at a good variety of birds.  Ten warbler species were seen, best being Connecticut & Golden-winged.  We also saw two Broad-winged Hawks, Carolina Wren, two Olive-sided Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, Tufted Titmouse & Red-breasted Nuthatch.  The blooming Touch-Me-Not are abundant and beautiful!
 

Broad-winged Hawk photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Sue Wagoner on 9/11 reported via e-mail: We were enchanted by this large Argiope trifasciata (Banded Garden Spider) on Mary O's Bliss Woods walk Sunday, September 11. We did see some interesting birds also, including an Olive-Sided Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager female or immature, and an immature Red-Tailed Hawk that had caught a squirrel.
 

Banded Garden Spider (Argiope trifasciata) photos courtesy Sue Wagoner. Dorsal view top, ventral view bottom.

Jackie Bowman on 9/5 reported via e-mail: We had an interesting experience today at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles. While walking back to our car at about 2:00pm, something flew right past us and swooped up onto a branch. The reddish coloring and the flap of the wings was like nothing we had seen before....because it was something we had never seen. An Eastern Pipistrelle! What a neat way to end our walk.

Eastern Pipistrelle photo courtesy Jackie Bowman

Dave Abernathy on 9/5 reported via e-mail: On 3 Sep 2016 at about 6:38 p.m. four Sandhill Cranes strolled across Deerpath Road in Batavia Township, about a mile south of Main St.

Walt Lutz on 9/3 reported via e-mail: Young Cape May warbler @ Jon Duerr F.P. Saturday evening. Other warblers seen: Black & White, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Tennessee.
 

Cape May Warbler photo courtesy Walt Lutz

Marion Miller on 9/3 reported via e-mail: Rich and I enjoyed the beautiful evening on Saturday by our first Chimney Swift roost we found 4 years ago at 425 N. River St in Batavia.  We watched 198 Swifts enter the crumbling small chimney.  It turned into a mini hawk-watch too.  We had a fly by Osprey, Peregrine Falcon and 2 Nighthawks. Two Black-crowned Night-herons were also present.  One was a juvenile and was actively moving along the island's shoreline catching and eating many small fish when we first arrived.

Jon Duerr on 9/3  reported via eBird: Watching 1050 Chimney Swifts at dusk enter the chimney at Marberry Cleaners in St. Charles.

John Mayer on 9/2 reported via e-mail: Found this Great Horned Owl this morning at Paul Wolf Forest Preserve.
 

Theresa Le Compte on 9/2 reported via e-mail: Last night, my husband and I staked out a CHIMNEY SWIFT roost at 419 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora that the Millers had located nearly a week ago. We observed approx. 774 SWIFTS entering the chimney on the 1920's apartment building from 7:40 pm to 7:55 pm.

Even though this poor male NORTHERN CARDINAL has seen better days, he persists with the parental duties of feeding his young. (Picture taken through living room window of my Aurora home)
 

Northern Cardinals photo courtesy Theresa Le Compte