Yesterday three of the Four Elles joined the DuPage Birding Club outing to Starved Rock in LaSalle County, Illinois. Although the fourth Elle could not join us, she participated in the same field trip with two of us last year. We met a large group of birders at the Lock and Dam across the river from the main entrance to Starved Rock State Park, where we watched birds on the Illinois River from the comfort and convenience of the deck behind the visitor’s center.
Common Mergansers flying on the Illinois River
The Bald Eagle pictures are from this location. The birds were not always close enough, but they were active and in general viewing them turned out to be the highlight of the trip.
There were not many species of waterfowl, but we did have a couple Great Blue Herons, one of which is flying below.
Great Blue Heron
We then caravanned across the river to the visitor’s center adjacent to the lodge at the state park, where they have well-stocked bird feeders. There were many Blue Jays, not willing to sit still for the most part; this one looks pretty cold.
Blue Jay
On and around the feeders, White-Breasted Nuthatches were common, like the one below.
White-Breasted Nuthatch
And invariably, we saw Downy Woodpeckers. And Tufted Titmouse, Dark-Eyed Junco, American Tree Sparrow and Black-Capped Chickadees, although less available for good shots.
Downy Woodpecker
After lunch, the field trip took off for Lee County instead of further down the river this year, a change driven as much by the weather as the opportunity to search for a previously reported Snowy Owl. We scanned field after field like the one below. Unable to keep up with the 4-wheel drive vehicles in the blowing snow on the roads, after an hour or two we turned homeward and did not see the eventual Snowy. Luckily there are still opportunities closer to home.
Lee County farm field
(Last weekend on another field trip, I saw a Snowy in Bolingbrook but could not get a decent picture. Three individual birds have been spotted near this location, so there may yet be a chance to return and try again.)
Bolingbrook Snowy Owl
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A great collection of different species, etc. Lisa. By the way, since you like to travel, one place you should put on your ‘bucket’ list is the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. You would go wild looking at the diverse collection of species, quail, raptors including several hawks, eagles, ducks and all kinds of waterfowl, egrets, herons, you name it, it is there. I would love to back there someday. Fantastic! 🙂
Thanks, Bob. I’m really happy to see almost any bird this time of year. ! I’d love to go back to Bosque too. I was there a couple years ago, February to be exact. Maybe next year for New Mexico. Right now looking forward to Texas in April!
Oh, Texas! Another great place to go! 🙂
I had forgotten you were headed there. 🙂
You surely are brave to be at open field in such cold weather conditions. Good shots Lisa! 🙂
Thanks, HJ. Yeah, we’re supposed to be used to it up here but I’ll be glad when this arctic front lifts, to put it nicely. 🙂
I mean here. 🙂
🙂
Wow, those eagle shots are fantastic! I would have been so excited to see the eagle going into a dive.
Thanks, Jason! Seriously I’ve been closer to eagles on the Mississippi, but these guys were particularly active so that made it worthwhile. I’m just glad some of the shots came out sharp enough!
Excellent shots of the eagle. I am sorry that the snowy owl didn’t oblige.
Thanks very much. As for the owl, even though we have had a lot of Snowies, they are still dificult to find and even more difficult to photograph. Hats off to the guys who have all day to find them and then the huge lenses to capture images.