Illinois Birds

IBET Least Tern / Whimbrels

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:36:33 -0500

An adult LEAST TERN flew in and landed with the shorebirds out in the
flooded field at the north end of Spunky Bottoms at 9:00am this
morning. It was alternating between resting and feeding on the wing
(and was a real treat to see so close). It

IBET McKee Marsh (Blackwell Forest Preserve, DuPage County) 5/25

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:41:10 -0500

Below are the results of today's DuPage Birding Club's trip to McKee Marsh. Fillmore Dryden, who birds the marsh almost every day, started a bit earlier and saw about ten more species.

Of special interest, the merganser was a female with six youngsters. Many of the other birds seemed

IBET Golf Course

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:19:59 -0500

Ibeters,

The N/W part of the golf course along the fence line near Montrose was really birdy. Especially, the area where they mowed the grass. There were a lot of Flycatchers though none sang for me. Warblers seen were Yellow Breasted Chat, Connecticut, Blackpoll, Magnolia, Yellow, Common Yellow, Blackburnian, Wilsons, Redstart,

IBET Coots in the Chicago River

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:15:52 -0500

Pair of coots in the Chicago River by Wolf Point (right downtown), by
the northwest base of the Franklin Street Bridge.
Peter Bullock
Waukegan

IBET: CBG 5-25

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:05:03 -0500

The Chicago Botanic Gardens was quite birdy this morning with 70 species.

Highlights were a late LECONTE'S SPARROW, 8 species of shorebird including
a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, 14 species of warbler including 2 CONNECTICUT, 1
MOURNING and a WORM-EATING, 4 vireos (the migrants being 2 PHILADELPHIAs
and 1

IBET YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO, Geneva, Kane County

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:46:41 -0500

I finally have a day off to plant my garden and clean out our garage. All
of a sudden I see something swoop in the garage and land up above the shelf
just a few feet from my head. Much to my amazement it's a "LIFER" for me,
a YELLOW BILLED

IBET Re: Montrose - May 25

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:02:22 -0500

Two other warblers can be added to Dave's list bringing total to 15 species: MAGNOLIA WARBLER and N. WATERTHRUSH(seen by Michelle Devlin)

As for the Black-billed Cuckoo, first time it was spotted by Al Stokie not by me

CrRaig Thayer Chicago

--- In (email address filtered), David Antieau <dkantieau@...>

IBET Montrose - May 25

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:46:03 -0500

Dear birders,
Highlights at Montrose, today, included both Cuckoo species. Black-billed was seen well on two different occasions. Yellow-billed was clearly heard and seen flying away. I think Craig Thayer found the Black-billed Cuckoo both times.
There were at least 13 species of warblers present. The best, Connecticut, was not seen by

IBET 155 N. Wacker Drive this morning

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:35:39 -0500

My train was on time so I had a few minutes to hang out with my favorite Gray Catbird, who recognizes me now and seems to like the camera. There are still at least two Catbirds here and a few White-Throated Sparrows. As I was about to leave, I heard

IBET N Grant Park White-winged Dove Chicago

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:52:47 -0500

Fellow Ibeters,

Cyndi Lubecki, Scott Hierbaum and I are looking at a White-winged Dove at Bicentennial Plaza in the locust trees by the LSD and just W of the funny orange and yellow trees in between the
Two tennis courts and east of the picnic area and broad leafed maple

IBET Midewin today

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:03:14 -0500

Same as Anne Straight at Lost Mound - very high winds making hearing and
seeing birds difficult. But I did see:

House wren, feeding young in a nest in the trunk of a tree (arrived back at
the tree with several very large insects). More than one heard in the grove
of trees I

IBET Some Lost Mound Birds (Former Savanna Army Depot)

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:34 -0500

Stopped at the Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Miss. today as I had to go to Hanover.With the high winds today it was hard to hear or see the birds. Some of the birds were: NO. MOCKINGBIRD, DICKCISSEL,LARK SPARROW, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, ORCHARD ORIOLE, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
EASTERN

IBET Lake-Cook Audubon walk at North Pond on Thursday

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:44:26 -0500

Hi all.

>From 7am until approximately 9am, five people walked around the Caldwell
Lily Pond and the North Pond as part of a Lake-Cook Audubon scheduled walk.
The following birds were seen and/or heard by some or all of the group:

Adult and juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron

Green Heron

Caspian Tern

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Wood Duck (m and

IBET Common Nighthawk

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:53:42 -0500

I saw a single Common Nighthawk flying north yesterday at about 7pm. It was
very high almost at the point of non identification. Its flight style,
silhouette was a giveaway. This was in my back yard in Orland Pk.

Wes Serafin

Orland Pk

SW Cook County

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET 5 Dickcissel Rollins this afternoon

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:42:08 -0500

While jogging at Rollins at 2:30pm I had 5 separate males singing all at the NE corner of the 3.6 mile loop near the Drury Lane lot. One was right next to the bird observation station!

Good birding!
Jim Solum
(email address filtered)
Gurnee
Lake Co.

Sent from my HTC TiltT 2, a Windows® phone from

IBET Danada FP & Herick Lake FP

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:36:01 -0500

Started at Danada at 10 am with the woods primarily inhabited by residents of interest would be a Blue-winged warbler possibly heard for a mere instant. They have done considerable restoration to the understory here and maybe there will be some new nesters. Around Rice Lk there were

[IN-BIRD-L] Wolf Lake Terns (5-24-12)

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:11:14 -0500

An adult BLACK TERN and a 1st-spring FORSTER'S TERN were flying back & forth across the state line at Wolf Lake (Chicago, IL/Hammond, IN) during my visit to the State Line Road dike from 3:00 - 4:00 pm on Thursday (24 May 2012). A few Caspian Terns were also in

IBET Wolf Lake Terns (5-24-12)

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:11:14 -0500

IBET Lake County Wilson's Phalarope

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:38:06 -0500

Joe Lill and I had a Wilson's Phalarope on Peterson Road just south and a little west of the Lake County Fairgrounds, west of Rte 45. There's a large pond in a flooded field. There isn't very good access, but you can pull off on the south side

IBET Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose Beach

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:36:35 -0500

Ibeters . . .
For what it's worth, I have seen 22 Buff-breasted Sandpipers at
Montrose Beach since 1989, but this one was the first I have seen in
the spring, all the rest were in late August and September.

John Purcell / Chgo / Cook

IBET Long Day At Montrose:Peregrine, Osprey, Buffie, S.B. Dowitcher, Blk Bellied Plover & Connecticut Warbler Thur 5-24

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:02:29 -0500

Hello Bird People,

Folks have already kept everyone posted on the Buff Breasted Sandpiper but
there were quite a few other other good birds seen today at Montrose. I
won't say this was my best day ever at Montrose but it was a pretty good
day & was definitely my longest day there. I

IBET Montrose - Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:27:29 -0500

I can't match those really nice multi-species shots that Steve posted, but
here are a few more pictures of the BB Sandpiper from this morning:

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/picken/7263616842/in/photostream>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/picken/7263616842/in/photostream

Multiple shots, so please scroll down. Thanks!

John Picken

Chicago

From: (email address filtered) [mailto:(email address filtered)] On Behalf Of
Steve Spitzer
Sent: Thursday,

IBET Montrose - Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover and Pink Gull

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:56:37 -0500

HI Birders,
There was nothing exciting or unusual besides the birds listed in the title. Pictures of them can be seen at the link.
http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topicP784.0
Steve Spitzer
Chicago - Cook

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET Re: Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:59:21 -0500

Buff-breasted was still on beach at noon. A Black-bellied Plover was also present

Sue
Cook Co

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET Mockingbird, Lake County

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:42:47 -0500

Early this morning there was a Mockingbird right along the southern part of the road that goes through the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve in Lake County. About an hour later on the way back I couldn't find it so I don't know if it's still in the area or if

RE: IBET Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:29:38 -0500

Hi all,
There was some discussion this morning about seeing a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in spring at Montrose. For what it is worth, I did see one on May 25, 2006, one day later than today's date.
Interestingly, I also saw a Red Knot at Montrose on this date in 2008. Keep checking

Re: IBET Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:29:08 -0500

Indeed the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still around after 7:30. It was showing extremely well (and keeping the photographers happy) when I saw it just before 8 near the pier. I only took a brief walk through the Hedge--as Jill mentioned there were lots of Empidonax flycatchers. Slightly late migrants included

Re: IBET Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:54:45 -0500

The buff breasted and a number of other shorebirds are reported to have left by about 7:30; however, it's possibly still around. When Craig Thayer and I first saw it at 6:30, it was joined by a short billed dowitcher. We alerted others who got to see those (as well as some semi-palmated

IBET Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:12:24 -0500

Bob Hughes reports a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER on the beach near the fishing pier this morning at Montrose in Chicago.

Matthew Cvetas
Evanston, IL

IBET Montrose Birds - 5/23/2012

Wed, 23 May 2012 21:41:44 -0500

Hi Birders,
The beach was slow today, but there are a few young Killdeer pictures at the link. Plus some kind of flycatcher from the upper area.
http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=50780.0
Steve Spitzer
Chicago - Cook

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET Governor's State University today

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:22:51 -0500

I was there to view and photograph the sculptures in the Nathan Manilow
Sculpture Park, so my birding was incidental, but I did see:

Great blue heron (2)
Great egret (1)
Tree swallow (2)
Redwings (dozens, many in scolding mode as I passed by)
Yellow warbler (1)

--
Ed McDevitt
Executive Director, Public Art Chicago - The Mapping

IBET Grassy Ridge Meadows/Paul Douglas F.P. Wed 5-23

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:12:01 -0500

Hello Bird People,

Before I went to the above mentioned location I spent a while at the Deer
Grove F.P.'s but although I found (mostly heard, not seen) about 25 species
only one species was a migrant. The rest were all either summer or year
round residents. The one migrant was a male Magnolia

IBET Canterbury Park, Libertyville 5/23

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:13:42 -0500

Hey all,

I shot out to Canterbury park in Libertyville this morning at about 6:00 AM. Highlights include 2 WILLOW FLYCATCHERS and an ALDER FLYCATCHER (all heard singing), as well as a singing HENSLOW'S SPARROW. I would be ecstatic if a couple bred here. I also saw my first Song Sparrow

IBET: White-rumped Sandpipers at Techny Basin

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:53:37 -0500

There were two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERs at Techny Basin at 12:30 PM today
along with 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERs and 4 SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERs. All the birds
were feeding along a mudbank in the river basin south of the path that
circles Techny Basin.

Michael Hogg
Northbrook, IL

[Non-text portions of

IBET Great Lakes report 5-23-12

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:46:44 -0500

IBET Filled Sat. tour of SE Chicago birding sites

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:09:15 -0500

Just a note to say that the Saturday special trolley tour to introduce
people to the birding spots in the Lake Calumet Region is filled. Thank you
for your interest in this fund raising event for the Southeast Environmental
Task Force.

Carolyn Marsh, Whiting, IN

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET Fulton County today

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:41:14 -0500

Saw these at Carlson Lake this morning:

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER - 5
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - 75
HUDSONIAN GODWIT - 1
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
DUNLIN - 25

A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was singing in the south campground there at
Anderson Lake. It was by the first bathrooms south of the office.

Two STILT SANDPIPERS and lots of DUNLIN were out

IBET Join COS for Jackson Park field trip, Saturday May 26

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:24:08 -0500

Please join COS at Wooded Island this Saturday morning.

Leader: Randy Shonkwiler, (email address filtered)

Meet at 7 AM at the Clarence
Darrow Bridge. Parking lot just east of bridge, or just south of Bobolink
Meadow, or elsewhere in Jackson Park.
Our target birds will be neo-tropical migrants: warblers, vireos,
flycatchers, thrushes. We

IBET Bobolink Photo Series from Midewin, Will Co.

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:34:04 -0500

This morning I made a quick run into the bunker fields at Midewin and found several Breeding Plumage Bobolinks. The morning sun lit them up nicely. The Males were guarding their territories and singing loudly for me. Here's a quick little series of the Male Bobolinks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rattlinantler/7256107704/

Don Blecha
Coal City/Grundy

IBET Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:29:34 -0500

Yesterday a Yellow-breasted Chat was singing at the north unit of Illinois Beach State Park closer to the nuclear power plant than its usual area. The day before there were 3 Dunlins at the mouth of the Dead River and a few Semipalmated Plovers along the beach.

Mark Wallner
Pleasant Prairie, WI

IBET Ryerson 5/23 am

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:27:33 -0500

Went to Ryerson this morning to see if there were any new arrivals. I was only
there for an hour and did the SE loop. Didn't see or hear much unusual except
for a peet-ZAH'ing ACADIAN FLYCATCHER and a singing CANADA WARBLER near the
Brushwood boardwalk.

Good Birding!
Beau Schaefer
Libertyville, IL

IBET Re: Is this an Upland Sandpiper?

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:56:54 -0500

Janet,

It is a Yellowlegs, and the "big" look to it (kinda long neck, square head, long face), and the rather heavy, upturned bill make it a Greater Yellowlegs.

Cheers,

-greg neise
Berwyn, IL

--- In (email address filtered), Janet Haugen <janeth13@...> wrote:
>
> I saw the bird shown in the link below at Cuba Marsh

IBET: Green River SWA, Lee County

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:52:32 -0500

Carol and I went down to Green River SWA this morning hoping to pick up a few migrants and hopefully some bitterns. What a disappointment from last year when there were bitterns, herons, egrets, etc. Water levels are down and someone has gone into the large pond, off

IBET Montrose Beach

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:22:49 -0500

HI Birders,
I checked Montrose Beach between 3 and 4 PM today.All birds were on all parts of the beach at one time or another. There were at least a dozen Sanderlings in various plumage states, and at least six Dunlins, which were hard to count. Three Semipalmated Plovers, one Semipalmated

IBET Is this an Upland Sandpiper?

Tue, 22 May 2012 20:07:41 -0500

I saw the bird shown in the link below at Cuba Marsh today. I assumed it was a Solitary Sandpiper, since they've been common there lately.

When I got home and looked at the photo, the yellow legs seemed to indicate that it wasn't a Solitary, but there doesn't seem to

IBET Black-billed Cuckoo Prospect Heights (Cook County)

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:08:49 -0500

There's a Black-billed Cuckoo Prospect Heights perched in a tree in my backyard in Prospect Heights (Cook County) right now, Tues., May 22 6:00 pm. Yard bird #98!

Cyndi Lubecke

IBET Waukegan Beach, IBSP-South & North Units Tues 5-22

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:53:19 -0500

Hello Bird People,

After 4 days in a row doing nothing but Montrose I decided a change was in
order so I covered some of the regular N.E. Lake Co locations. After I was
finished I wondered if maybe I should have stayed at Montrose. My species
total for the day was 55 &

IBET Hooded Warbler - Wright Woods (Lake County)

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:31:22 -0500

Vicki Buchwald and Ann Harness report that the male hooded warbler is still
at Wright Woods, north of the parking lot and by the outhouse, apparently
singing non-stop. A female hooded was also seen briefly.

Karen Lund
Genoa, DeKalb County
(email address filtered)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

IBET Jarvis

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:39:16 -0500

Greetings,

Thanks to Fran Ms recent video of an Acadian Flycatcher several days ago, I was birding Jarvis this morning when I heard the same song. I was able to locate the Flycatcher and watched it sing for about 30 seconds. I finally feel comfortable enough to put this bird on

IBET Hickory Creek FP: 22 May '12

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:10:12 -0500

I birded Hickory Creek FP (Will County) this morning from 6:00-9:45 a.m. I went there hoping to find chats and white-eyed vireos of which I found/heard none. Much better though were 4 CANADA WARBLERS (3m, 1fm), 2 MOURNING WARBLERS (males; seen and heard) and a CONNECTICUT WARBLER that was singing no more than 15