Cougar in Northern Illinois!
December 28, 2010
Article in: Outdoors and Travel
This picture is from a trail camera near Stillman Valley, less than 10 miles southwest of Rockford, Illinois.
It’s a cougar!
We will be trying to find more information on cougar sightings in the area.
3rd Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count Recap
December 27, 2010
Article in: Bird Conservation
I started the Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count three seasons ago. This year we had large preserved lands CLOSED due to hunting so we were limited. However, the main location of Rock Cut State Park was open and well-covered.
Here are the highlights!
We counted 1,072 birds of 32 species. Of these there were 47 American Robins and 94 Cedar Waxwings that were feasting on berries. We did not have hardly any open water so waterfowl was disappointing.
Raptors were also fairly low but we did get 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 3 Bald Eagles. We did have one owl species, 2 Great-horned Owls.
Our teams found 7 Eastern Bluebirds, 1 lone Song Sparrow, and 24 Horned Larks. Brown Creepers (2) and Red-breasted Nuthatches (1) were decidedly low.
Unfortunately, our species totals and numbers has gone down each year.
Year 1 – 47 species, 11,952 birds
Year 2 – 44 species, 3,637 birds
Year 3 – 32 species, 1,072 birds
Note: Our first year we counted a LOT of Canada Geese which inflated the numbers.
Hopefully next year the weather will be warmer, I’ll be able to scout more ahead of time, and we’ll have more areas open for counting!
Sorry no photos. Too cold and not enough hands to find birds, record them, and photograph them.
Bird Photography Weekly #122
December 26, 2010
Article in: Bird Photography Weekly
Join in now on the 122nd edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!
Help spread the word with these badges:
Copy this code to place this badge:
<a href="http://birdfreak.com/category/bird-photography-weekly/"><img src="http://birdfreak.com/images/bpw-sharing-logo-wide.jpg" width="225"/></a>
Copy this code to place this badge:
<a href="http://birdfreak.com/category/bird-photography-weekly/"><img src="http://birdfreak.com/images/bpw-sharing-logo-smaller.jpg" width="125"/></a>
Merry Christmas 2010
December 25, 2010
Article in: Updates
The entire Birdfreak Team wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!!
Back Row, Left to Right – Stacia, Eddie (Birdfreak), Jennie, Susie
Front Row, Left to Right – Bella, Sammie, Allison, Dakota, Lily (on Dakota’s lap)
Phriday Photo – Sign in the Forest Preserve
December 24, 2010
Article in: Photography
This sign is at Sugar River Forest Preserve in Winnebago County (northern Illinois). It’s directed at campers and is fairly large (and funny).
2010 Rockford Christmas Bird Count Recap
December 22, 2010
Article in: Bird Conservation
Although we don’t have the final numbers for the whole count (yet) here is a recap of what we saw on the 2010 Rockford Christmas Bird Count.
We started the day in single-digit temperatures and really didn’t advance into double digits. My feet were practically frozen from the start but after a battery of American Tree Sparrows and a hovering Rough-legged Hawk, I started to warm up a little.
We had the pleasure of birding with Illinois State Representative Dave Winters on property he owns and is personally restoring to pre-1950s conditions (of which he has aerial photos of). After our first big trek, Mr. Winters invited us in his house for coffee and hot cocoa. That was just what we needed to warm up fully and continue our pursuit of birds.
We continued on more of Winters’ property and headed through an open area plus two large patches of coniferous trees. Here we found our only Red-breasted Nuthatch and four Eastern Bluebirds. I also flushed a Barred Owl, our only owl of the day.
Next, we headed to the house of a fellow bird club member to look for a Spotted Towhee that had been coming to their feeding station. It had been seen for awhile but not since two days prior. We struck out! But we did see a ton of birds, warmed up a second time, and had spectacular looks of a male Purple Finch.
Warmed up again, we decided to hit the trails of Sugar River Forest Preserve. The woods were beautiful but rather quiet. We picked up a Brown Creeper but not much else.
Sugar River
After that we made it to the Kepotah Hunting Club where a group of elderly gentlemen welcomed us graciously and we watched their bird feeders for awhile. A lot more birds, but nothing new to the list.
Our group finished with 34 species and a fun day.
It was too cold for photography . . . the only pictures I took were with my iPhone.
Bird Photography Weekly #121
December 19, 2010
Article in: Bird Photography Weekly
Join in now on the 121st edition of Bird Photography Weekly!!
Help spread the word with these badges:
Copy this code to place this badge:
<a href="http://birdfreak.com/category/bird-photography-weekly/"><img src="http://birdfreak.com/images/bpw-sharing-logo-wide.jpg" width="225"/></a>
Copy this code to place this badge:
<a href="http://birdfreak.com/category/bird-photography-weekly/"><img src="http://birdfreak.com/images/bpw-sharing-logo-smaller.jpg" width="125"/></a>
Christmas Bird Count Season is Upon Us!
December 15, 2010
Article in: Bird Conservation
We are preparing for two upcoming Christmas Bird Counts this weekend: Saturday, December 18th [Rockford] and Sunday, December 19th [Rock Cut State Park]. The weather looks to be cold but not as bad as past counts.
If you haven’t signed up for a count, head on over to Audubon and sign up to one in your area!
Here’s a wonderful map of the majority of count circles in Illinois and date/contact information.
Ermine
When we are out counting we always try to keep an eye for other cool creatures besides birds.
The Birdfreak Volvo during a count in 2009
