Bird sightings

I had some nice opportunities for some great wild pheasant photos this evening but blew it each time:mad:. This is the best I could do:(





Anyway, I checked on a small 20 acre area of CRP a friend owns. This time on the lower part of the county. The habitat looked very good compared to what I saw last week in the northern and north western part of the county.

Bird sign was everywhere. Birds looked great. Their roosting bowls/"pots" were loaded with droppings. That's a good sign--obviously they're finding plenty of food. Great news for January.
 
The past week;

My dad has a nice rooster staking out his territory/habitat next to his house (by the kid's playground of all places).

He saw another rooster on his way over to my house yesterday.

A client told me he has a pair of pheasants (in the habitat) behind his house.

All sightings were here in McHenry County so it's welcomed news.:)
 
heard a rooster as I was running the pooch this past week behind the McDonalds a couple hundred yards. Caught me off guard...
 
Friend was mowing around fields last week in Crawford County (despite my efforts for him not to) and said he saw a few groups of quail and more rabbits than he could count. I also heard good reports of quail in Indiana, a friend of mine has had them in his back yard all summer and seeing many on the county roads where good cover is near in Sullivan County.
 
Thanks for the update. That's good news. I'm thinking where there's higher nesting habitat the bird numbers should be okay this fall. Areas where birds have no alternative but to utilize lower ground may be down. There's been way to much rain around this part of the state. One of these days I'll get a few hours to check on the birds around here. Has anyone else been seeing anything as far are chicks/broods?

--Nick
 
My farm buddy has been seeing some nice size coveys of quail while combining beans and corn near good cover. a couple coveys of about 15 birds. This is in Crawford County.
 
Not the greatest photos here but this is a wild pheasant (McHenry County) that I've been observing since the spring of 2015. I nick-named him "stripe" due to the reddish coloring running down the middle of his rump. I saw him again a couple weeks ago as he ran across the same bean field. Unfortunately he didn't give me an opportunity to get a picture.

wild illinois pheasant fall 2017 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/151633916@N05/

wild illinois McHenry County pheasant fall 2017 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/151633916@N05/

I'll add this one too. Another wild pheasant from McHenry County--fall 2016

wild illinois pheasant mchenry county 2016 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/151633916@N05/
 
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On the far end of the northern part of the county I saw a nice rooster walking along a hedgerow last week. I turned around to get a picture but he split. On Tuesday, southern end of the county, I saw around 10 pheasants in two different fields feeding. A couple hens, the rest roosters. This has been an easy winter thus far. I think they'll be coming out in good condition this spring:thumbsup:
 
Great to hear on birds. I think now that SD has gotten some moisture all the pheasant range should be coming into spring on a good note.
 
Been doing some teal hunting in Lawrence county and seeing a fair amount of quail. Jumped a few coveys and some pairs. Does anybody know if there any wild pheasants in this part of sate? I haven't seen any but there is some good looking habitat around.
 
Ok, I answered my own question. Talked to neighboring property owner near where I hunt in Lawrence County and he said he see a pheasants. Also believes they have been getting more birds over the last couple years due to some WRP projects that have taken place in the area. Nice to hear some good news on birds!!
 
Down in Lawrence County moving a tree stand and jumped two coveys of quail, first about 12 birds second had 8 birds. In Crawford County a farm buddy had a covey in each of two corn fields when he combined.
 
Was in Iroquois Co last weekend and talked to a few farmers. Bird numbers are certainly up from the dismal numbers last year. They all saw birds harvesting and some quite a few.

Also they were all taking about the bee pollen patches that the state paid for (I think) that added lots of cover, especially in the northern part of the county. Lots of good bird cover that wasn't around a years ago. Makes me happy.

Did see one hen standing in a winter wheat field on my drive from Chi to Iroquois. Plenty of deer too. A couple big ones.
 
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