319. American Bittern

Date         April 24, 2021

Location    Wilkinson-Renwick Marsh Nature Preserve, De Kalb county, IL

As I stated in the entry for #320, the whole reason for coming to this preserve was to try to get this species. I was fairly confident that I would eventually get it after talking to Joe, but I had been birding for over an hour and was headed back to my car, thinking it would have to be another day.

While I take credit for walking slowly and attentively, he still alluded me. I saw him as he flushed from just off the side of the path on the right (walking toward the parking lot) in the last area of water before getting to higher ground and the old train station. He flew into the sea of reeds and of course vanished from sight.

So I could have had a better look, but I at least did see him flying off. You usually  don't see them at all, just hear them. (See my entry for Least Bittern #228)

Cornell: American Bittern

318. Sora

Date         April 24, 2021

Location    Wilkinson-Renwick Marsh Nature Preserve, De Kalb county, IL

I arrived about an hour after sunrise on a cool Saturday morning and headed up the path. A little before the viewing platform on the left, I heard a brief whinny from further on up the path. It wasn't much, but I had recently studied his song, so I was pretty sure it was a Sora. An interpretive sign listed this species as a breeder there.

About a half hour later I was talking to another birder who was very familiar with the site and I mentioned that I thought I had heard a Sora earlier. We continued to talk, and about 10 minutes later we both heard the same whinny call. He said that that usually got the others started, but it remained silent.

Cornell: Sora

317. Swamp Sparrow

 Date         April 21, 2021

Location    Wilkinson-Renwick Marsh Nature Preserve, De Kalb county, IL

I received a notification that an American Bittern had been spotted at this site, and seeing as it wasn't too far from my home (about 30 minutes drive time), I decided to go check it out.

The place is a relatively small preserve surrounded by farmland, like an oasis in a desert. One of the several interpretive signs there explained that settlers were unable to drain the area for farming, so they just left it. It later was the site of a train station. You can see the ruins of the station. The walking path itself is simply a straight path with swamp on either side -- i.e. the remnants of a straight train track. There is one grassy path to the right a short distance from the parking area. This is where I first saw this species.

I was looking down to the left of the path and noticed a sparrow in the swampy area. At first I thought, what's a Chipping Sparrow doing down there? The habitat didn't fit, you see. It then dawned on me that this didn't look precisely like a Chipping Sparrow -- some similarities, yes, but definitely different. I realized that it was a Swamp Sparrow and that the habitat did indeed fit quite well.

While I didn't hear the song on this evening, I visited again a few days later and heard and saw lots of these.

Cornell: Swamp Sparrow

316. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Date         April 2, 2021

Location    Emiquon Preserve, Lewistown, IL

Over by the office at the south end of the parking lot, I saw some movement in one of the trees across the entrance road. I saw a Tree Swallow and this sparrow, very obvious with the dark cheek patch. The rusty cap was also distinctive.

The sparrow appeared to enter into a cavity of the tree while the swallow sat there watching. I wonder if the sparrow was ejecting the swallow from the nest site, or maybe the swallow was contemplating the same?

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

315. Greater White-fronted Goose

Date        April 2, 2021

Location   Emiquon Preserve, Lewistown, IL

Several large flocks in loose formation flew over from the west to the east as I stood on the west shore looking east at the water. I heard a bunch of unfamiliar calls, which were like Canada Geese but higher in pitch. I was able to get a good enough look at them flying over, and I confirmed the sound with my birding app on my phone.

Greater White-fronted Goose