Rock Cut State Park Birding

Rock Cut offers one of the best birding areas in Winnebago County mostly because of its size. Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and consisting of over 3,000 acres, the park is three times as large as the biggest forest preserve in the county. Add in the two man-made lakes, a wide variety of habitats and you have quite a canvas for birding possibilities.

Winter hours (November - March) 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m

January: Icy roads and snow mixed with peace and solitude make this an excellent time for winter birding. Parts of Pierce Lake (the largest of the park's two lakes) sometimes remain open and it is possible to see a variety of ducks, geese and gulls.

In 2008, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen mid-January.

February: As winter drags on, this is a good time of year to find Pileated Woodpeckers, and maybe an owl or two (Barred and Great Horned). Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, American Tree Sparrows, and Common Redpolls are a few of the species you might find on the trails. Ducks, geese, and gulls are also prominent.

March:

Summer hours (April - October) 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.