Marion Miller on 10/27 reported via e-mail: Rich and I were able to spot the Peregrine Falcon on the ledge of the Elgin Tower Saturday afternoon.  Always a cool sight to see these birds on their urban cliff ledges.
 

Peregrine Falcon photo courtesy Marion Miller

Bob Seltzer on 10/26 reported via e-mail: Last week saw a mature bald eagle flying low over the Valley Creek subdivision north of Royal and then circling high over the land between the subdivision and the Big Timber Metra station. It was there for two days. Sorry about the late report.

Peggy Blair, Jenny Flexman, and Barb Zumpano on 10/22 reported via eBird: A Trumpeter Swan at Nelson Lake.

John Heneghan on 10/21 reported via IBET: We had Pine Siskins show up this AM (10/21/18) at the feeders in Big Rock (Kane). Also, we still have 4 Red breasted Nuthatches. Last year, Siskins and Tree Sparrows showed up the 2nd week in September. Red Breasted Nuthatch (1), did not show up till November.

Bill Ahlgren on 10/18 reported via eBird: Still has a Ruby-throated Hummingbird hanging around his Batavia yard.

Walt Lutz on 10/17 reported via eBird: Finding 2 Whooping Cranes in a fluddle on Lenschow Road on Tuesday morning.

Jon Duerr on 10/17 reported via eBird: Locating a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve. "yellow shading throughout breast, whole lower mandible orange, slightest eye ring, yellowish wing bars, viewed from approx. 25 Ft."

Timothy Balassie on 10/16 reported via eBird: Seeing 2 Canvasbacks at the ponds in the Cambridge Lakes subdivision in Pingree Grove on 10/14. "Two specimens: male with all white wings and back, with a red head and large black bill. Second bird seemed to be a juvenile, with darker back, chest and head."

Lucy DeLap on 10/16 reported via IBET: We've had a pair of Red-Breasted Nuthatches visiting our feeders [in East Dundee] for the last week or so. We've had them in the past but haven't seen them in quite a number of years. So fun to see the red-breasts alternating with the white-breasts and the chickadees!

Chris Weishaar on 10/15 reported via IBET: We had our first of the year red breasted nuthatch visiting our suet and tray feeders [in St. Charles] this afternoon. This is the earliest sighting in our backyard.

Jay Sturner on 10/15 reported via eBird: Finding a Semipalmated Plover in a fluddle on Walker Road. "Fluffed up like a ball. Smaller than Killdeer. Brown back, single breastband, yellowish legs."

Sue Dettman on 10/8 reported via eBird: Seeing a Northern Mockingbird in the northeast quadrant of Elgin.

John Heneghan on 10/5 reported via e-mail: Saw a Blue Goose in the corn field on Municipal Dr. north of Rt 30 in Sugar Grove. 10/5/18
 

Blue Morph Snow Goose photo courtesy John Heneghan

Julie Long on 10/1 reported via eBird:  Came across a Yellow-throated Warbler at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve. "Without my binocs I expected the bird to be a black and white warbler due to its feeding behavior creeping along the tree trunk of a hackberry and with the black and white showing on the sides of the bird. However when I got my binocs up the bird turned and I could clearly see the bright yellow throat and the black facial pattern and black steak along the side of the yellow throat. Unfortunately it flew before I could get my camera on it. "