@jmorth
J, do I recall correctly that you once stated you would love to see some Sandhill cranes in your area? They do migrate through your state. I've been doing some research & it seems the ones who winter in my state go right on up through Illinois as part of their annual migration route.
Check these links out:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...
On this link, scroll down to where it says Range, Migration & Nesting map & click on it.
https://www.savingcranes.org/s...
Perhaps you can catch them as they come through or if you have some vacation time coming, go to their resting area in the NE of your state.
They have begun to leave Florida.