Any birding expedition to Rooks County must include Webster Reservoir, whether it’s scanning the lake for water birds, scoping the mud flats for shorebirds, or hiking the roads or trails for passerines.  The lake is located just south of US-24 between 11 and 9 Roads.  The north shore of the reservoir is dominated by Webster State Park.  While there is a fee for entering, the state park offers some excellent overviews of the water, so it is wise to pony up the money.  Access to the south shore is from N Rd.  This is a dirt road but is often in good condition for most vehicles except in the harshest weather conditions.  The south shore has a few overlooks and offers some nice riparian areas to check for passerines.  Depending on water levels, the south shore often produces the best shorebirding on the lake.  Waterfowl can be abundant during migration as can shorebirds.  The riparian areas around the lake also seem to attract good numbers of migrating songbirds.