----------------------------------------------------- DuPage County, Illinois RBA for January 2, 2005 Date: January 2, 2005 Location: DuPage County, Illinois Number: 630-406-8111 Coverage: Western suburbs of Chicago Editor: Eric Secker DuPage Hotline Site: http://www.bcnbirds.org/hotline/ Official DuPage Birding Club site: http://www.dupagebirding.org ----------------------------------------------------- Highlight Species: VARIED THRUSH ** LARK BUNTING ** NORTHERN GOSHAWK SAW-WHET OWL NORTHERN SHRIKE SNOW BUNTING (DuPage Co.) LAPLAND LONGSPUR (DuPage Co.) AMERICAN WOODCOCK ____ DUPAGE COUNTY ______________________________________ At Elsen's Hill on January 1st, a VARIED THRUSH was seen down by the river around 10am. The bird was hanging around mostly near the "sludge pond". Like last time, this bird was with a very large group of robins. The bird was reported as a probable female and likely not the same bird seen in the fall. On January 1st at Pratt's Wayne Woods a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen. A few SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along Munger Road. A couple LAPLAND LONGSPURS were also seen in the fields north of Route 64 and west of Powis Road (north of the DuPage Airport). A WILSON'S SNIPE was also seen at Pratt's Wayne on Jan. 1st. A SAW-WHET OWL was seen at the Morton Arboretum near Hemlock Hill on January 1st. A CAROLINA WREN was also seen along the Herritage Trail (near the Big Rock Station) on December 31st. At Springbrook Prairie on January 1st, highlights included AMERICAN WOODCOCK, NORTHERN HARRIER, and SHORT-EARED OWL. A NORTHERN SHRIKE also continues to be seen at Greene Valley F.P. On December 29?, the one was reported from the field south of the intersection of 79th Street and Greene Road. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was also seen at the landfill hill. ____ KANE COUNTY ______________________________________ The LARK BUNTING is still present at Aurora West F.P. as of December 26. It continues to be seen most reliably at the east end of the preserve near the power lines and feeding in the corn stubble in the adjacent farm fields. Recent highlights at SEBA Park in South Elgin (off of Route 31) include MUTE SWANS, a couple CACKLING GEESE, HOODED MERGANSER, SNOW GOOSE, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and GADWALL A CANVASBACK was seen along the Fox River south of Route 64 on December 31st. ____ UPCOMING MEETING _____________________________ On Thursday, January 13, Geoff Williamson and Walter Marcisz will present on "Gull Identification". The meeting begins at 7:30pm and social time starts at 7:00pm. For directions and details see the club website at <http://www.dupagebirding.org>. ____ UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS _____________________________ Sunday, January 9, 7:30 a.m. DesPlaines River. We will do a tour of the DesPlaines River between Joliet and Romeoville looking for waterfowl and other over wintering birds. A stop to warm up at Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet and view the feeder birds will be included. Meet at 7:30 am at the "Park & Ride" parking lot on Old Chicago Drive just east of IL-53 (behind the Ramada) about 1/4 mile south of I-55 in Bolingbrook. Bring your walkie-talkies as we will carpool. Leader: Urs Geiser, (630) 515-1712. Additional Trips and Information: http://home.xnet.com/~ugeiser/dbc/fieldtrips.html ____ DUPAGE BIG YEAR CONTEST 2005 ______________________ For Big Year updates or to learn more about the club's Big Year Contest, visit the link below. http://www.bcnbirds.org/hotline/bigyear/index.html _____________________________________ Thank you to everyone who called or emailed reports to the DuPage Birding Club Hotline. ===== The DuPage Birding Club Hotline DuPage County, Illinois (western suburbs of Chicago) 640-406-8111 mailto:dupagehotline@yahoo.com http://www.bcnbirds.org/hotline/