We Birdfreaks tend to slow down in July when it comes to birding. Between cookouts and family reunions, music in the park and swimming, the summer can slip by in a flash. Today was the perfect time to head out to Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, Illinois. Jennie and Dakota are here visiting from
Tag: birding Illinois
Birding at Montrose – Lincoln Park in Chicago
I finally had an opportunity to bird the popular migrant trap in Chicago known as Montrose. Operated by the Chicago Park District and part of Lincoln Park, Montrose is a mixture of habitats adjacent to the Lake Michigan. The park has grown from the famous “Magic Hedge” to a rather large area of trees, shrubs,
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May Migration Begins – Blue-winged Warbler and More!
To kick off the month of May and all its glorious migrating birds I birded Saturday morning (May 1st) with Tim Young, my closest friend since 2nd grade. We hit up two forest preserves in Winnebago County and were pleased to find several great birds. The biggest highlights for photography purposes were a Blue-winged Warbler
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A Rattle of Kingfishers
This past Saturday I birded Rock Cut State Park with my great friend, Tim Young. It was the first day that really felt like Spring in terms of birds. Everywhere we looked were birds we hadn’t seen since last year. All around us we were welcomed to wonderful songs and sightings. I did a bit
Rockford Peregrine Falcon and Other Saturday Birds
This past Saturday I was itchy to get out and take some bird photos. Birding has been slow and timing a good weather day around my ever-busying schedule has been difficult. I had gotten info that a Peregrine Falcon was hanging around downtown Rockford, Illinois so thought I’d take the
Illinois Beach State Park Field Trip Roundup
Birding was S L O W. But we had a nice group of 12 birders and the weather was pleasant for November. Here’s a recap of what we saw. Common birds were even lacking and hard to find. Several Blue Jays worked the oak trees along our main trail along the Dead River. We followed
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Nesting White-eyed Vireos – Photos Galore!
I took the new dog Bella hiking at one of our favorite places: Rock Cut State Park. After discovering a snake (Bella sniffed but was otherwise indifferent to it) we struggled to find any birds that were photo-friendly. Nothing! Thankfully, near the end of our hike, we were alerted by a commotion of scolding from
Eagles and Gulls on the Illinois River [with video!]
Today we participated in a Rockford Bird Club (NCIOS) sanctioned field trip to Starved Rock State Park (near LaSalle/Peru, Illinois) to search for odd gulls and Bald Eagles. Of course the wind was blowing hard, making for a fun battle against the cold to filter through the hordes of gulls. But before the search could
Continue reading Eagles and Gulls on the Illinois River [with video!]
