Rock River Drift 10/6/26 Deer

Came around a bend at sunrise. Looked behind me and something big was standing in the dark shadows, staring right at me, a Big Buck along the Rock River. This was a decent day. Birds are moving through, most left, but some heron have showed up, one was a Black Crowned Night Heron and another is a Green Heron and lots of Blue Heron around. I started my drift right at sunrise, so it was still mostly shady and they is where I saw this buck watching me. He didn’t mind me at all. There has been 3 bucks hanging around together and they are used to seeing me. That is one reason I try to go out at least a couple times a week, so wildlife gets used to me.

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9/11/2026 Rock River Drift

While launching I heard a few shots from goose hunters. I saw 2 eagles perched while running up river, then went by some duck hunters, then started a slow drift. Because of the hunters I decided to drift as slow as possible because the hunters would have everything spooked near them, they were in a hub for wildlife, not a good place to hunt and causes a lot of distress for wildlife. Against all odds, I noticed movement up ahead a good distance. As I got close, I saw it was the same 3 bucks I have been seeing. They looked at me, but then kept feeding. That is one reason I like to keep going, even if I don’t get many photos, the wildlife gets used to seeing me.

After the deer, I saw the 3 hunters. They didn’t have a boat or a dog that I could see. Down river a mile I saw a young male wood duck, a few Turkey, then ran back up to do another drift and saw on eagle perched in that same spot, I got one scenic photo, a Belted Kingfisher, a dead catfish with 2 turtle feeding on it; a Killdeer, another Kingfisher, then I came upon a fawn with a doe and last was a Cormorant flyover.

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9/7/2026 Rock River Drift

Kingfisher always make it worth the trouble. Cardinal that is molting (shedding old feathers), a doe and fawn while running up river at first light, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, Redtail Hawk, Kingfisher, Otter, more Kingfisher.

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9/1/2026 Rock River Drift

Rock River drift was a good one. The heat finally let up some. I saw Kingbirds, a pair of Bald Eagles, Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Turkey and Great Blue Heron.

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8/27/26 Rock River Drift

Rock River drift was worth my trouble this day. I saw a few eagles, an Otter, Blue Heron, Whitetail Deer, Pileated Woodpecker, songbirds and a Redtail Hawk.

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9/6/26 Eagles

A pair of eagles were flying around together yesterday:

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8/25/26 Rock River Drift

It was a good day for song birds and Blue Heron! Also I Redtail Hawk. Chickadees, Kingbirds, Flycatcher and more.

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8/23/2026 Rock River Drift

Another slow day. I did see a few Great Blue Heron, Yellow Billed Cuckoo Bird and a Belted Kingfisher.

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8/22/2026 Rock River Drift

I finally had a good day. Not great, but I saw a few wildlife. I saw my first fawn of the year with a doe while running up river. I was surprised to see how young it was being late August. Then when I drifted down, in that same spot was 4 bucks!. I also saw Kingfisher, Eagles, Heron and songbirds. I also saw some newly hatched Wood duck chicks and some Orioles and Warblers. The vegetation is so thick this year I can’t see many songbirds.

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8/21/2026 My Garden

Butterflies in my garden in Sterling Illinois

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