Hi,
I'm from northern Illinois, Rockford to be exact. You might try going to
the Sand Bluff Bird Banding station, where I used to volunteer. Fall
migration is underway and they will be open on the weekends, until
Thanksgiving. It is on a major flyway and is well worth the visit!
The Station is located on the Wisconsin border, northwest of Rockford. The
phone number there is 815-629-2671, but they are only there on weekends.
There is also a birder friend of mine located in Rockford. His name is Tom
Little and he can give you more extensive information on finding the bird
banding station as well as other good birding areas. His email address is
birds19 at aol.com. I'm sure he would be very happy to hear from you.
Good luck and good birding!

Judy Hall