(Late) Rock Cut State Park & Chapman Road in Kane County Sunday 6-7-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

A long day's birding resulted in my not being able to do this report
on time but here it is now & it's a long one. Picked up Bob Erickson &
met at Dave Johnson's place at 6 am to head out to Rock Cut State Park
north of Rockford. After more than 5 hours there we also made a stop
at Chapman Road to search for the Swainson's Hawk although I didn't
think that would work at such a late time. I was wrong!

Rock Cut State Park (started at 7:20 am & stayed 5 hours & 45 min
including a lunch break)

WILD TURKEY (1-M & 1-F)
Canada Goose (16)
Mallard (2)
YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO (H-1)
Ruby Throated Hummer (1-M)
Turkey Vulture (4, soaring)
Red Tailed Hawk (1)
Red Bellied (3) & Downy (3) Woodpeckers
Flicker (3)
Eastern Pewee (5)
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (1, calling)
Eastern Phoebe (2)
Great Crested Flycatcher (3)
Eastern Kingbird (2)
Tree (2), Rough Winged (1), Cliff (2) & Barn (8) Swallows
Blue Jay (1)
Chickadee (5)
W.B. Nuthatch (3)
House Wren (6)
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (2)
Eastern Bluebird (2-AD with 2 young)
Wood Thrush (H-2)
Robin (15)
Gray Catbird (10)
Brown Thrasher (H-1)
Cedar Waxwing (1)
Warbling (3), Yellow Throated (H-2) & Red Eyed (5) Vireos
WHITE EYED VIREO (1, maybe 2?) (FOY)
Ovenbird (1)
Northern Parula (H-1)
Yellow Warbler (4)
Redstart (2-M)
YELLOW THROATED WARBLER (2)
Common Yellowthroat (4)
CERULEAN WARBLER (1, found by Bob)
KENTUCKY WARBLER (1, singing) (FOY)
Cardinal (3)
Rose Breasted Grosbeak (2)
Indigo Bunting (H-1)
Field Sparrow (2)
Song Sparrow (3)
Eastern Towhee (3)
ORCHARD ORIOLE (1-M)
Baltimore Oriole (2)
Eastern Meadowlark (2)
Red Wings (6), Grackles (10) & Cowbirds (6)
Goldfinch (2)
House Sparrow (2)

If I did that right I should have listed 56 species at Rock Cut.

Then to Chapman Road by 2:05 pm just in time to see what looked like
the SWAINSON'S HAWK fly low & go into the grove of trees where it has
its nest. Dave is good at picking out stuff like this! Then 30 min
later out it flew giving good looks as it circled higher & higher. So
much for my theory of having to arrive by 8 am & wait for the hawk to
leave for the day's hunting but I am glad I don't have to try again.

So 60 species at my 2 locations plus 3 roadside additions including a
Bald Eagle for a day's total of 63 species. Bird-Of-The-Day will be
the Kentucky Warbler as that was our main target for the day.
Runners-Up to the Cerulean Warbler & the Swainson's Hawk.

Thanks go to Dan W & Brad G for directions on where to find some of
these birds at Rock Cut!

Al Stokie
In Winnebago County Sunday with a short stop in Kane County for good measure