We have completed collecting data from our field teams for the 4th Rock Cut State Park Christmas Bird Count. Here are the results. Part of our group of Birdfreaks The first three years: Year 1 – 47 species, 11,952 birds Year 2 – 44 species, 3,637 birds Year 3 – 32 species, 1,072 birds Year
Continue reading Rock Cut State Park Christmas Bird Count Year 4 – Final Results
For the fourth year now the Birdfreak Team has run the Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count. We started the count in 2008 and each year we have attempted to refine where we send counting parties. Downy Woodpecker The Birdfreak Team took a couple good-sized preserves and also checked Rock Cut State Park briefly (to assist
Continue reading Fourth Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count – Initial Report
October 15, 2011 at Olson Beach, Rock Cut State Park, Winnebago County, Illinois Cooper’s Hawk in flight (birdfreak.com file photo) About ten to twelve members of the NCIOS turned out at Rock Cut State Park on Saturday morning with the purpose of counting migrating hawks. It was a sunny morning but a brisk wind over
We just found out that one of our favorite birding spots, Rock Cut State Park, may have officially designated birding trails. Two women are working to establish four birding trails, one to highlight each season. The trails would be restricted to foot travel only to allow for birders, including groups, to have it to themselves.
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
Sunday, December 14th, was our first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) of the winter. The Rock Cut State Park CBC [count code ILRC] is a brand new count, covering Rock Cut State Park and much of Boone County Illinois. The Birdfreak Team is completely in charge of creating, organizing and compiling this new count. Groups were
One of our favorite birding spots is Rock Cut State Park. It consists of over 3,000 acres of prime birding habitat and attracts a lot of visitors (which is good and bad). This photo is HDR – High Dynamic Range – which is a unique way to photograph by merging various exposures into one, “high
Common Loon This morning we were bound and determined to make a short trip to Rock Cut State Park. By the time we arrived, it was fiercely snowing. We were rewarded with not one Common Loon, but ten as well as a dozen Great Blue Heron. Photography was a challenge, but we managed to get
