FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL BIRDFEEDER

As you begin to read this newsletter, the migration of the warblers, shorebirds, and all those wonderful forms of avifauna have passed through our area and given us great opportunities to go out and looking for them. Now summer looms ahead with its combination of nesting birds and subsequent eruption of this year’s crop of new life (immature birds). As in past years our monthly meetings will turn into field trips to different preserves throughout our area (check the summer activities in the newsletter).

We are excited to see the new building arise at Peck Farm that will continue to hold our meetings. Geneva Park District has been a great host to our meetings and different activities – for those who are interested, many of our members assist in the butterfly house during the summer, and I’m sure they could use more volunteers to help them out.

Four organizations have offered to be sponsors of KCA and offer us discounts on bird food and bird related items at their stores. In order to get the discount simply bring a copy of the IAS magazine with your address label on it, and they will honor the offer. Here are the official sponsors:

Northern Shrikes have been found in Kane County each year for the last 9 years. These observations come from my birding journal. I have seen them in Kane since the 1960’s but sadly I did not keep regular birding notes until in the 1990’s. With the creation of the Kane County Audubon web page (www.kanecountyaudubon.org) and greater use of the internet, reporting Shrike observations was greatly expanded during the 2007 – 2008 winter. More than 30 sightings were reported from 17 locations. Multiple sightings were made at Aurora West, Nelson’s Lake, Burnidge Forest Preserves and Fermi Lab. To see a map of the locations, go to the KCA website (the shrike count section). The one time only sightings occurred mostly in early December and the second half of February.

The thermometer struck three below zero as three of us (not everyone on KCA is crazy) left Peck Farm to look for birds along the Fox River. We stopped off at Red Oak Nature Center and did a very quick walk down to the observation platform to see what birds might be in the icy water: what a surprise to see a Great Blue Heron standing on the shore (looking very cold). With the wind coming right off the river into our faces, we didn’t stay long. In the warm car we continued down toward Oswego and to our surprise we saw some Common Mergansers, and two magnificent Bald Eagles (both adults), along with the assorted Mallards and Canada Geese. After stopping off at Harners for some nourishment and hot coffee, we ended the day at a bird feeder in Batavia looking at Pine Siskins. For the day we saw 20 species – not bad for a day of birding – below zero.

A small group of KCA members carpooled to the beautiful Starved Rock area. We all had our own aspirations, (good picture opportunities, a life bird, a bird for the year list, or maybe just to return north with the same number of people that we had when we went south. Our 1^st stop was at the lock and dam. We did see eagles, but no unusual gulls. We continued to the lodge and saw more KCA members as well as long standing friends from all over Illinois. We managed to see 30 species including a fleeting glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker – at least one life bird and a few picture ops. As we headed home, we witnessed 3 Redtail Hawks fighting for “the girl”. It was a pretty good way to end the trip. We all agreed it was a very good day.

It is getting close to spring isn’t it????? Not if you looked around at the people bundled up in coats, hats and gloves, but you can’t keep a dedicated birder in the house on a sunny day – no matter how cold it is. We were rewarded with 29 species of birds. Goldeneye and Buffleheads both displayed mating rituals as well as many pair of Downy Woodpeckers hammering out their territories. One of the special treats was an Eastern Bluebird and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Surely spring is around the corner no matter what the weather feels like.

Easter Saturday dawned with a fresh blanket of snow, icy roads, and bone-numbing winds. Still a small, but undaunted, group made the trek to Crabtree Nature Center, Barrington. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had yet another weather card to play. The target birds for the day were migrating waterfowl – but Crabtree Lake was still completely frozen over. The only water birds practicing their triple axels on the sheet of ice were geese and gulls. As a consolation prize, Crabtree’s many feeders offered up the usual late winter feeder fare. Plan B, Baker’s Lake Nature Preserve, a few miles to the north and east of Crabtree produced mixed results:  another lake that was frozen, but Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons had arrived at the rookery. Tough times call for tough measures. Plan C was implemented. The group caravanned down Rt. 59 to West Chicago and the newly-discovered ‘Pella Ponds’. The target birds were located: Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Mergansers (Common, Hooded, and Red-breasted), and Horned Grebe were all swimming in the open waters of the ponds. The total for the morning: 32 species.

Although the day began with cold high winds, and the first hour we felt as if we should have stayed in bed, we finally did have good looks at some of those spring birds. The winds kept the swallows low on the river so our tenacious birders saw all five species: Barn, Bank, Tree, Northern Rough-winged and Cliff. In a quiet corner of the pond we had one of the best ever views of a Sora Rail. Best of all, for those who made it to Glenwood Park, a first spring male Summer Tanager. He gave us such great views that had I realized I had my camera sooner, I could have had a photo. By the end of the morning we had seen only three species of warbler: Black & White, Yellow, and Yellow-rumps. It is spring and there will be more warblers to come.

Following are the dates, times and places for our upcoming activities. If there are any questions, please contact the trip leader or Bob Andrini. Summer meetings change to walks. We meet at the location of the walk at 6 PM. Many members will bring a supper and meet at 5:30 for some socialization and bird talk.  The Potluck in September will also start at 6 PM. It is important for participants to dress properly for the walk, and should bring bug spray (just in case).

Participants from 18 Kane County communities submitted 108 checklists totaling more than 5,000 birds of more than 50 species. Aurora’s bird counters captured the trifecta as they tallied the most birds (1,061), submitted the most checklists (22), and recorded the most species (29). This year the House Sparrow took top honors as the most counted species (748), last year the Canada Goose was the most counted.       

As with many of you, we have seen many Coopers Hawks during our field trips and also in our backyard.  This past summer I asked a question via the internet for people to report sightings and numbers of Coopers Hawks in their back yards – and here are the results: 27 observers sent in sightings and a total of 43 birds were reported – from as low as one to as many as five hawks. I realize that this was not a scientific survey, but gives us an indication of their abundance. Knowing that Coopers is a ‘bird hawk’ (mainly living on birds – and presumably those coming to our feeders, one wonders what affect they are having on our feeding populations).  For this next year, starting in Jan. try to keep an eye out for these hawks in your yard.  Try to keep records of what time of day, and if you see them get prey (try to ID the prey species if possible). If you are really good, determine age (newborn, adult) and sex (based on size). Also record any behaviors of the hawks you see. Next year, I will once again ask for comments. Thanks for participating.

Many of our members have committed to a monthly donation for the new IAS office at the Adams House in Springfield. To help in the rebuilding effort, we have conducted raffles at our meeting each month – with part of the money going to the Adams House fund. As of this time, we have sent almost $1000 in the effort. If you haven’t seen the construction of the building on the IAS website, take the time to look at it. This fall the annual meeting will take place in Springfield, and we can all take a tour of the facility. I have seen the ongoing constructions, and feel that this is a building we will all be proud of. If you haven’t made donation for the building, please consider it.