Illinois Birds

Lesser Black-backed Gull

2007-11-25T07:09:00.000-06:00

It sure was an interesting day at Independence Grove today. In the "South Pond" of the grove mixed in with the several dozen Herring and Ring-billed Gulls were two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

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Black Scoter

2007-11-24T07:08:00.000-06:00

While at Independence Grove this morning, Jeff and I flushed this Black Scoter from the shoreline while looking for a mysterious grebe (which turned out to be a Pied-billed Grebe with some sort of issue that caused it to continually turn in circles while seemingly attacking something on its right flank).

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Pelican at Independence Grove

2007-11-24T07:07:00.000-06:00

This morning Jeff and I went to find the American White Pelican that Jim Solum had seen at Independence Grove. Jim thought it would probably stay for the night.....it did!

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American Kestrel

2007-11-23T07:06:00.000-06:00

Another one of those times when its good to have the camera handy!! I was driving back from the Hawk Watch (sadly the last time this year) and saw this American Kestrel on power lines by the side of the road. I stopped as quickly (& safely) as I could and snapped a few photos while it completely ignored me....

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Crossbills and Redpolls

2007-11-10T22:05:00.000-06:00

I got a fantastic opportunity to access the protected area of Illinois Beach State Park's South Unit today with a group of 20 birders. We were looking for the Clark's Nutcracker, which unfortunately was not seen. But! And not really a consolation prize were about 70 Red Crossbills and 4 Common Redpolls!

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November Hawkwatch

2007-11-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

Great day at the Hawkwatch today! Four Rough-legged Hawks and three Red-shouldered Hawks and twenty-one Red-tailed Hawks migrated over the Hawk Watch site today. We had great views of some of the Red-tails and an interesting time watching a Red-tail and Rough-legged Hawk together giving great views of the subtle differences between them when seen as silhouettes.

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Purple Finch at Home

2007-11-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

I have been saying for a long time that Purple Finches are far less common than is indicated by many of the checklists of the Chicagoland area. I have rarely seen them while out birding and see few reports of them. So I was very surprised to see one sitting on my feeder this afternoon at home!

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Northern Shrike at Hawkwatch

2007-11-02T21:01:00.000-05:00

Its hard to have a bad day at the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch. Even when there are few raptors there are always other birds to observe. Today was no exception with a Pine Siskin, two flocks of Snow Buntings, an American Pipit and 'the' Hawkwatch Northern Shrike....

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IBSP Pelicans

2007-10-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I just about to leave the Hawk Watch to go to the airport and just as I was leaving, Paul saw an American White Pelican in the distance. I was torn as to whether to stay to wait and see if it would come closer or leave. That day I had to leave. Today I was at the Hawk Watch and again about to leave when a flock of SEVEN pelicans started heading towards us. This time, I stayed....

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Gray Saturday

2007-10-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

I got up at 5:30AM this morning with every intention of going out and getting my photography fix. Forecast said sunny skies in the morning, turning overcast later in the day. Well I don't know what their idea of later was because it was gray at 5:30AM and stayed that way all day!

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Birding Weather

2007-10-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Below are some weather maps from the National Weather Service that show weather that can affect either you day's birding or bird movements (especially during migration). Below the maps are legends showing what all the symbols mean.

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Using Radar to see Migration

2007-10-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

Using some of the available doppler radars, it is possible to 'see' bird migration. Two of the common radar modes used are Base Reflectivity and Radial Velocity. Below are two of the common images looped so you can easily see the radar images (the current image with be shown).

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Sunny Sunday

2007-09-23T07:22:00.000-05:00

Not many words to go with this post. All the birds below were at Glacial Park in McHenry County this morning. It was a great day to be out!

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Volo Bog Sep 22 2007

2007-09-22T07:21:00.000-05:00

This is a follow-up post to the Great Horned Owls that I posted earlier. A productive day at Volo Bog with several species I didn't expect to get including Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-Shouldered Hawk and Blue-headed Vireo. Of the fall Warblers, I saw Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Magnolia, Tennessee and Yellow-rumped...

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Volo Great Horned Owl

2007-09-22T07:20:00.000-05:00

I got off to a lzay start this morning but the weather was too nice for me to stay at home. Because of the time I stayed local and went to Volo Bog thinking there may be some fall warblers. There were some warblers - most common were the Yellow-rumped but I also saw Common Yellowthroat and Magnolia Warblers.

As I continued I saw large numbers of Swainson's Thrushes and both Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos. However I was attracted by two Great Horned Owls I could hear calling in the distance....

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Rollins Sep 20 2007

2007-09-20T07:19:00.000-05:00

After spending more than a week out of state working I really wanted to pick up my camera again (it was getting lonely!). I decided to go to Rollins hoping that the water levels had dropped enough to allow some shorebird habitat. The shorebird tally was very low but I did pick up a few other interesting birds...

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Amazing Godwit Migration Recorded

2007-09-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

A Bar-tailed Godwit has made an incredible 7,200 mile non-stop journey from Alaska to New Zealand in 8 days according to the USGS Alaska Science Center who had placed a satellite tracking device on the bird along with 15 others in February this year....

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Ruby-throated

2007-09-04T07:17:00.000-05:00

Following up on my post yesterday about "my" hummingbirds, I spent some time today seeing if I could get some better shots of the hummingbirds as they came to my feeder. While trying to photograph them I learned that there are at least five different individuals as I could tell differences in their plumage....

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My Hummers

2007-09-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

I am not sure how many hummingbirds frequent my feeders or even whether the birds that I do see are the same ones, but I do know that I can look out at just about any time of day and see a hummingbird within a few minutes...

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Hawkwatch August 31 2007

2007-09-01T06:25:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch for 2007. The last time I did it, it was very cold (like freezing) and I saw very few raptors. That was at the end of the season last year. Fortunately today was much warmer and we saw a number of raptors...

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Rollins Savanna July 4th 2007

2007-07-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

I got a text message from Jeff at 6AM to say he was on his way to Rollins and could I meet him there. I sent back "yes" and headed over to meet him and Carmen. Carmen (from the west coast) had a little time to try to pick up a few more life birds before heading back and when I arrived a few minutes after them, he already had the first for the day - a Sedge Wren....

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Lowden Miller July 1st 2007

2007-07-01T19:34:00.000-05:00

A long, productive day from our trip to Lowden Miller State Forest today. Jeff, his friend Carmen and I headed out early (up at 3AM) to get as many of the breeding warblers and other breeding species at the forest. We ended up with a pretty good haul too....

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McHenry Dam June 30th 2007

2007-06-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

I was going to go to Pleasant Valley out in McHenry County this morning but on the way I decided to go to McHenry Dam instead! At least I was in the right county! Before I even parked I heard the Pine Warbler warbling away in the [believe it or not] pine trees near the entrance....

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Glacial Park June 29th 2007

2007-06-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

Got out early for my weekly jaunt to Glacial Park for the breeding bird survey. The weather was supposed to be clear but it clouded over pretty early today. Nevertheless I was able to add a new species to the survey....

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Digital Processing

2007-06-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

There are two questions I get frequently: "what equipment do you use?" and "what program do you use to edit [process] your images?"

At great risk of offending anyone who has asked, I think people believe that if I have expensive equipment, I will automatically get good photos. I don't believe people have the same views on software but they are keen to know what I use....

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My Bluebirds

2007-06-23T06:23:00.000-05:00

Last year I put a bluebird nest box in my back yard hoping that I may be able to create a home for the occasional Eastern Bluebird that I had seen. I wasn't sure there was enough open area for them but like so many things, if you don't try, you don't know....

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Photo of the Week - Week 24

2007-06-18T05:15:00.000-05:00

This week's photo comes from Glacial Park in McHenry County - one of my favorite areas. This Red-tailed Hawk rose up over the trees and flew over the field I was in giving me a great opportunity to get a few shots off before drifting off over the trees on the other side of the field.

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North Branch June 17th 2007

2007-06-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

I went up to the North Branch for the first time today. Its right up next to Wisconsin and is an area being developed by the McHenry County Conservation District. Access is currently by permit only....

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Birds of Illinois 2008 Calendar

2007-06-13T11:32:00.001-05:00

I have finally published my first work! A calendar of Birds of Illinois for 2008. I've been thinking about publishing something for a long while now but it wasn't until yesterday that I finally got around to it. Click on the calendar image above or here to see more information or to buy the Birds of Illinois 2008 Calendar.

Here's a preview of the images I used in the calendar. The images for each month were taken in Illinois in that month so represent what birds are present at that time of year. The photos were taken over the last three years and reflect hundreds of hours in the field in all sorts of weather.

I have absolutely no plans to make photography my vocation - I've always believed that would take a lot of the fun and spontaneity out of what I do. I will use the small proceeds [if any] from any sales to help pay for my website, www.birdsillinois.com.

Glacial Park May 12th 2007

2007-05-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

I knew the weather was going to be good for birding today so I got up early and headed to Glacial Park in McHenry County to see what new migrants had turned up. It was a little cool when I arrived at 6:30AM but clear blue skies and birds everywhere.....

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Volo Bog April 30th 2007

2007-04-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

I was on vacation last week (I'll post more on that soon) but despite taking about 1,000 pictures I still needed to get out again this afternoon and take advantage of the warm weather and good light. Volo Bog is close so I headed there...
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April Big Day

2007-04-23T06:45:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I headed out this morning to see what we could see and maybe make something of a Big Day out of the day. To be honest we had no set plan but we did have a vague idea of what we were going to do if we were going to make a big day....
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Rollins Savanna April 15th 2007

2007-04-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful Spring morning at Rollins Savanna. I still have a ton of 'real work' (the stuff I get paid for) to do but I snuck out for a couple of hours in the morning to see the Yellow-headed Blackbirds that Jim Solum had recently reported. They were there, being very vocal (not a pretty sound but its unmistakable!)...

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April 10th

2007-04-12T10:08:00.001-05:00

With the forecast for the next few days not looking good and with sunny weather this morning, I took a trip back out to Huntley to see if the Bonaparte's Gulls were still there. They were not in the same flooded field as I had seen them on Sunday but there were three of them at the intersection of Union & Rte 47...[Read More...]

Purple Finch & Winter Wren

2007-04-07T19:54:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I headed out to Coral Woods in McHenry County today. Its not a very large preserve but it does have a variety of habitat. After seeing several of the usual suspects like Eastern Phoebes, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern Bluebirds, and more, we heard a bird singing that we couldn't immediately identify. I thought it may have been a Purple Finch but then as we approached we heard — then saw — Fox Sparrows. I had pretty much written off the possibility of seeing both Fox Sparrows and Purple Finches but Jeff agreed that it seemed as though there was a call that was similar but not the same as the Fox Sparrows coming from a slightly different direction.

But, we didn't hear the song again so kept on our way. Shortly
afterwards we saw a large group of Fox Sparrows and stopped to look at
them flitting through the trees and on the ground. While looking around
at the sparrows I saw a bird that wasn't
a Fox Sparrow and quickly identified this Purple Finch! We were both
thrilled to see the finch as it was Jeff's first for the state and my
first for the year. I believe that the numbers of Purple Finches in the
state (at least in the North-East) is very low and that populations are
very isolated. They are described as being uncommon - but I have seen
fewer Purple Finches that several of the birds described as rare, like
American Bittern, Bald Eagle, Black Terns, Northern Shrike and Pileated
Woodpeckers - to name a few.

We continued along the path heading back towards the parking lot and came across an even larger flock of Fox Sparrows, numbering well over twenty. Two Swamp Sparrows were mixed in. The Swamp Sparrows haven't gotten their full breeding plumage and are in a state of transitional molt.

We got back to the parking lot and heard a call that sounded suspiciously like a Great Horned Owl so we stopped and looked for a while. We didn't see any owls but while waiting we did see this Winter Wren hopping from log to log and making a chipping call from time to time. Here's a picture of the Winter Wren we saw!

On our way home, we were trying to add to the species list (already over 50) when I saw a bird on the water in Lily Lake in Lakemoor. We stopped to have a look and Jeff said "this would be a great lake for Loons". A few seconds later I said "its a Common Loon!" It turned out to be a beautiful breeding plumage Common Loon! Not a bad way to end the day - but, we weren't done yet. A Mute Swan and Great Egret were at Sullivan Lake adding to a pretty decent day birding. Now if it had only gotten above freezing today...

Maps of Coral Woods and the many other preserves in McHenry County can be found at http://www.mccdistrict.org/map.htm .

BirdsIllinois.com

2007-04-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do more with the web than just this blog so I've created a website, which will allow me to have galleries, guides and more. The new website is at www.birdsillinois.com.

I won't be giving up this blog - rather putting different content on the new website. If you get a chance to look, I'd love to hear your feedback! In particular, I'm interested to hear what you're looking for, i.e. stories like I've had on the blog, a 'field guide' with images, detailed information on birds, something else? Put simply, what would you love to have but haven't been able to find yet?

Rollins Savanna 3/25

2007-03-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

Lesser Yellowlegs

{Click on images for larger versions}
A windy but otherwise warm and sunny morning at Rollins Savanna yielded 47 species for me including my first Lesser Yellowlegs of the year (above)! Other notables include a Pectoral Sandpiper (below - also my first of the year), two flyover Common Loons, three Savannah Sparrows (appropriate for Rollins Savanna), one Eastern Phoebe, six Tree Swallows and two Wilson's Snipe. Below is the one and only Pectoral Sandpiper of the day.

Pectoral Sandpiper

There were plenty of waterfowl on the water and flying around including Blue and Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback and a Pied-billed Grebe. I have colloquially named the Green-winged Teal 'Super Ducks' because of the speed they fly around at - however when I got home I found they could also fly upside-down (see the picture below!!).

Blue-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal (aka Super Ducks)

Super Duck (flies upside down!)

There were plenty of Ring-necked Duck both on the water and in the air. This was one of my favorite water shots showing both the male & female together.

Ring-necked Duck

This was one of six Tree Swallows I saw today (my first of the season although I know they've already been seen at Rollins this year). They are especially handsome at this time of year in their shiny new plumage.

Tree Swallow

These Eastern Bluebirds had made their home in the hollow of a tree - something which I imagine they did very well before we came along and put nest boxes all over the place! This pair look like they've been set up for a museum display but I promise they're real! The male has some nesting material in his bill.

Eastern Bluebird

Finally, on the way back I flushed this Eastern Meadowlark that landed very close to me and allowed a few shots before it decided that 15 feet away from a human probably wasn't where it wanted to be. I looked where it flew up from for a nest but found no sign (yet!).

Eastern Meadowlark

Long-distance Migration

2007-03-22T07:39:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered how birds migrate? Where do they go and how far do they travel at a stretch? The people at USGS did and they have a project to track Bar-tailed Godwits from New Zealand to their breeding grounds in Alaska. Here's a quote from the USGS website.

This is the first attempt to directly track godwits on their northward migration.

We know that most of the godwits need to stop at the Yellow Sea region to gain enough weight to fly to their breeding grounds. They must also have enough reserves to establish nesting territories and lay eggs at a time when there is not much food to eat. How they get there from NZ, and how they behave when migrating from Asia to Alaska is unknown. Once the godwits are in Asia, do they ‘refuel’ at one site or move northwards stopping on their way? Hopefully all will be revealed shortly!

If you'd like to learn more including seeing actual migration tracks, visit their website at http://www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/shorebirds/index.html. I downloaded the tracking information into Google Earth to see some of the migration routes and learned that one of the birds flew 2,338 miles in 47 hours at an average speed of 49.5 miles per hour!

While we're highly unlikely to see any Bar-tailed Godwit here, we do occasionally see other godwit species and plenty of other migrants. How they manage this feat year after year is fascinating to me - and its not like they get training at it; they just do it! I've seen plenty of Bar-tailed Godwit in Australia and would love to go an see them in Alaska....one day!

Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis

2007-03-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Eastern Bluebird male

Another sure sign of spring are the increasing numbers of Eastern Bluebirds around. My previous post mentioned the pair that had taken up residence in my bluebird nest box (they're still there!). The two pictured here were photographed at Rollins Savanna where they had found one of the many nest boxes scattered around the area.

The thing I love most about this time of year (from a birding perspective) is that all the birds are in their 'summer clothes' as my daughter put it. And better than that, their clothes are brand new! At the end of the summer their plumage looks like its been through the wash too many times and is often frayed at the edges.

Eastern Bluebird female

Looking up information about the bluebirds, I found that the male does none of the 'work' associated with nest building. He will do a display at the nest box, go in and out of the box and brings a little nesting material....and that's it! The female does the rest of the work (its amazing how bird life can parallel real life!!).

Both these shots were taken with my new 'toy', which is my new camera and lens. I have more megapixels to play with and a longer lens to shoot with among other improvements. I've had the lens for five days and taken over 1,100 shots with it with plenty of 'keepers'.

New Arrivals

2007-03-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

Ring-necked Duck

I woke up yesterday and heard ducks on the catchment pond outside the back of my house. Interested to see how many and what they were I grabbed my binoculars and found these two Ring-necked Ducks sharing the pond with a dozen Mallard. Since the Ring-necked Duck is a diving duck, I didn't think they would find the fairly shallow catchment area suitable....apparently I was wrong!

The shot above was taken with a 2x teleconverter in low light conditions so isn't exactly a masterpiece but it was sure enough to confirm an ID and add a species to the backyard count. For some reason I keep trying to call the Ring-necked Duck a Ring-billed Duck. While researching this post I discovered that the Ring-necked Duck is named for a chestnut ring around its neck which is really only visible in the hand. Since the bird was named from specimens, this makes sense however the field mark I most often use is the ring around the bill, which quickly separates it from a Scaup.

Eastern Bluebird

The same morning I heard the subtle song of an Eastern Bluebird - the first I had heard this year in my backyard. As you can see from the picture above, a pair of bluebirds have taken an interest in the nest box I put up last year.

I checked back on my blog to see when the bluebirds had turned up last year and it was April 2nd when a pair started to occupy the box. If the pair I saw yesterday end up nesting there (which would be really cool), I'll have a new early-season backyard record!

The local American Goldfinches are starting to change color now - another sure sign spring is near!

White Goose?

2007-03-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting challenge for those of you out there who thrive on this stuff! If you don't thrive on it but you'd like to put your 2¢ in, you'll have fun too!

Here is a white goose that Jeff & I saw this morning at North Point Marina. It was initially flying around with two Canada Geese then after landing on the water, took off again on its own heading south along the beach.

Here's the Adobe PDF link: http://www.birdsillinois.com/slideshow/Goose shots.pdf. There are nine shots in the PDF file.

Rather than add any other thoughts or sightings to this post (we did see this bird on the water through my scope), please let us know what you think based on the photos (I'm trying hard not to lead to any conclusion!). The two possibilities are Snow Goose and Ross's Goose (or hybrid of one or the other).

Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna

2007-03-10T13:42:00.000-06:00

Eastern Meadowlark

A beautiful [almost] spring morning meant I had to get out and see what had arrived already. I headed out to Rollins Savanna, one of my favorite birding places and wasn't disappointed with the number of early migrants. The most numerous (and boisterous) was the Red-winged Blackbirds, which although attractive, don't hold my attention for long.

Somewhat less obvious were the pairs of Eastern Meadowlark that were calling from time to time. But it didn't take me long to locate them and start aiming my camera at them. I was particularly pleased with the shot above as not only is it a flight shot, but it shows the color on the back of the bird (click on the photo for a larger version).

Red-winged Blackbird

Here's one of the many male Red-winged Blackbirds that have already arrived. The male Red-wing's arrive first and set up territories before the females get here. This one like most of the others was letting me and everyone else know this was his patch!

Hairy Woodpecker

My final picture of the day was from Volo Bog and is this Hairy Woodpecker banking as she headed back for her tree. There were are pair of Hairy's flying back and forth along with a single Downy - boy the difference in size between the Hairy and Downy is obvious when you see them together!

I ended up with a little over 100 'keeper' photos, which is pretty good - I took over 200 initially! I even ended up with a little sunburn on my forehead....that will teach me to wear a hat next time!

Spring is in the air!

2007-03-04T17:04:00.000-06:00

White-breasted Nuthatch

Although astronomically Spring is still a couple of weeks away, its clear the birds are tuning up their songs and arriving in droves. I spent some time today at Chain O Lakes State Park near the park headquarters, which has a very large feeder full of mostly black-oil sunflower seed. It was — to say the least — a popular place today!

Full list (in memory order):
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
American Tree Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Red-tailed Hawk
American Crow
American Robin
Horned Lark
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch

I went to Chain O Lakes in particular because at this time in 2005 I had taken pictures of some early Sandhill Crane arrivals and I was hoping to see them again. There's probably a little too much snow for them this year, although I'm sure they will be here soon (actually I'm sure I heard some flying overhead but I couldn't see them).

I have found my photography provides me with a visual history of what I've seen and when — including the environment at the time (e.g. cloud cover, snow conditions, foliage progression). It will never be as complete as recording every trip's sightings but it provides some good insight into what to expect this year.

The Red-tailed Hawk below was one of a pair I saw today. This one was hunting over the main road through the park as I was on my way out and gave me excellent views against the fantastically blue sky — a nice way to end the day's birding!

Red-tailed Hawk

Common Goldeneye, Bucephala islandica

2007-02-25T08:37:00.000-06:00

Common Goldeneye — male (right) & female (left)

I had a great opportunity recently to get a photo of both male and female Common Goldeneyes (seen above). These — like many of our waterfowl — are mainly seen in winter. There are actually two reasons for this, the first being that they are more likely seen in flocks and flotilla's in the non-breeding season as they break up to breed, and the second is that many of them breed well north of us here in Illinois. While doing some research for this post, I noticed that many of the ducks head north-west instead of just north to breed, ending up as far north & west as Alaska.

The Common Goldeneye winters from just north of us, all the way to the southern coastline of North America. It, unlike some others, does travel virtually directly north and breeds mostly in Canadian territory from east to west coasts.

According to the Cornell Bird Guide, Common Goldeneye females often lay eggs in the nests of other females - even of other species such as Barrow's Goldeneye. On top of that, Wood Duck and Common Mergansers also lay their eggs in the nests of Common Goldeneye! What a tangled web they weave. Apparently the ducklings will often end up in a 'creche' after being separated from their biological mother for one reason or another. They are largely able to fend for themselves from hatching so need little more than some protection.

Common Goldeneye male

Continuing my recent hobby of sketching (actually, I believe this would count as drawing rather than sketching), above is a drawing of a male Common Goldeneye I drew recently. This one was a particular challenge for me as getting the shading detail in the head is not nearly as easy as I thought it should be!

2007 Illinois Gull Frolic

2007-02-10T10:47:00.000-06:00

Glaucous Gull (adult)

Today was the annual Gull Frolic at North Point Marina. What's a Gull Frolic you ask? Well, if you weren't there yesterday and therefore don't already know, its a chance to see many of the Illinois winter gulls and have experts there to tell them apart from the ubiquitous Herring Gull. The Gull Frolic also includes presentations and a chance to meet many of the great birders we hear about but infrequently see.

This was the first year I had participated in the Gull Frolic although I had a good idea what it involved. I didn't count but I would estimate at least 100 people attended. Many braved the arctic temperatures {as I did} to stand outside all day to watch the gulls. The experts were very helpful and willing to point out subtle differences - and to admit that sometimes its virtually impossible to tell the difference between some of the plumage phases on the different species.

Most of the interesting gulls are 'white-winged gulls', such as the Iceland Gull, the Thayer's Gull and the Glaucous Gull (above). Below is one of the many Thayer's Gulls. The Thayer's is lighter overall than a Herring Gull and its dark eye and lightly marked primaries give it away in a crowd. This bird is a second winter bird.

Thayer's Gull (2nd winter)

Below is an adult Thayer's Gull. This shot shows the primary feather pattern that helps separate this from a Herring Gull. The Gull Frolic is the only time that chumming is allowed at North Point Marina - and special permission must be sought to allow this. It was amazing seeing so many of the rare and not-so-rare gulls up close and active.

Thayer's Gull (adult)

Here is another of the exciting finds, a Great Black-backed Gull. Its not hard to see how this bird gets it name! This is a 3rd winter bird and looks almost like the full adult (4th year) except the bill still has a black band and the black wings & back are not quite as black as they will end up.

Great Black-backed Gull

Since the usual way we see interesting gulls is the slightly different bird in a flock of Herring Gulls or Ring-billed Gulls, the opportunity to see so many different varieties close like this is awesome. I will definitely be putting the 2008 Gull Frolic on my calendar! In all we saw Iceland Gull, Thayer's Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gull.

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis

2007-01-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

Dark-eyed Junco

The Dark-eyed Junco for me is the symbol of winter in North-Eastern Illinois. They are at my feeders all winter long. I can't help but almost want them to be gone, because that would mean that spring was well on its way!

I don't really think of Juncos as being in the sparrow family but they are absolutely a part of it. I often hear them twittering away in the undergrowth while walking through the winter woods. The quick diagnostic is the white outer tail feathers. The female is drabber and browner than the male - they are not difficult to tell apart.

We don't commonly get the other sub-species of Dark-eyed Junco but there are a total of six sub-species. We get the 'Slate-colored' form.

Here is a sketch of a photo I took last winter of a male Junco feeding on the ground below my feeders. They will readily feed on the feeders themselves and often stay in the bushes very close to my house.

Sketching or Why you haven't seen photos recently!

2007-01-20T09:32:00.000-06:00

Between work and the cold, or more importantly overcast weather, I haven't been out much. So, I have taken advantage of the time to learn a bit about sketching. Its not something I've done before but I thought it was worth a try. I bought a couple of books, a few pencils and some paper and started practicing. The first sketch I did was a couple of months ago. The one you see above I finished this morning.

The neat thing is I have plenty of material to work with: all the photos I've taken over the last few years! This sketch above is a Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler I saw in spring 2006. The interesting thing about this bird is that it doesn't match the typical hybrid crosses but is definitely not a full Golden-winged either.

The sketch to the right is a Green Heron I photographed in 2005 at Volo Bog. The pose was perfect for what I wanted to do. I am fairly pleased with both of these sketches and although I have a long way to go, I am happy that I can at least recognize what the birds are and capture something of their posture. As always, your comments and feedback are most welcome!

Northern Saw-whet Owl

2007-01-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

Northern Saw-whet Owl

I got a chance to spend some time today with Jeff and Pete. Pete knows the location of several different species of owl and today he showed us four different species including this Northern Saw-whet Owl, which was a life bird for me today!

The other owls were Great Horned, Long-eared and Barred Owl. The Northern Saw-whet, Long-eared and Barred are all rare in Illinois! We had an all-day birding session today netting 51 species, which is pretty good at this time of year. Some of the highlights (aside from the owls) were Tufted Titmouse, Canvasback, Marsh Wren and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

We saw two Barred Owls just after sunset. We saw both flying (separately) and also heard them calling to eachother - a great way to finish the day. I love the expression on the face of the Northern Saw-whet Owl. It seems to be asking "what are you doing down there?". Fortunately this bird allows fairly close approach but as a rule you should never approach wild owls as they may be disturbed enough to leave the area. Today was a great start to the count in 2007!

White-breasted Nuthatch

2007-01-06T13:04:00.000-06:00

White-breasted Nuthatch

For at least a little while this morning, the sun was shining. Unfortunately it didn't last long but I had not been out for a while between work, the holidays and the weather not cooperating so I had to get out this morning! That accounts for the delay since my last post! My apologies for that - I hope it won't happen again this year!

I spent a couple of hours at Volo Bog. There wasn't a great deal there but there were the ubiquitous chickadees and a very cooperative White-breasted Nuthatch. I first heard this bird and then saw it creeping up and down the branches and trunks of trees. To me, this shot is the 'classic' portrait of the nuthatch. Nuthatches are one of the few birds that feed moving down the trunk instead of up it, like creepers and others.

Their call is substantially different from most other birds - and certainly far less melodic than many. The 'ank ank' is very distinctive, similar only to the Red-breasted Nuthatch, which is more insistent. The White-breasted Nuthatch can be told from the Red-breasted by the lack of color on the flanks and chest and lack of black stripe through the eye. The White-breasted is considerably larger than the Red-breasted but this isn't always immediately obvious unless they're together.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T07:33:00.000-06:00

Christmas has crept up on me again this year (seem to every year). A week ago it seemed a long way away and tomorrow its here!

To all those who visit my blog, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May your New Year be full of excellent observations!

Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy & wise --
And a lot more likely to see cool birds!

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens

2006-12-17T15:39:00.000-06:00

Downy Woodpecker male

I get Downy Woodpeckers on my feeders all year round yet I never really get tired of seeing them. If I'm outside near the feeders when one is feeding, I often see it freeze, pretending to be part of the feeder or branches around it. They often let me get very close without flying away.

This one wasn't actually anywhere near my feeders but was nevertheless willing to let me get its picture before heading off. The male can be told from the female by the red patch on the back of the male's head. Its not terribly obvious in this shot, but if you look close enough you'll see it.

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest of American woodpeckers, which contrasts strongly with the Pileated Woodpeckers I saw on a recent trip in Georgia! The woodpecker's feet and toes are different than other passerines and are designed to help them hang onto trees in positions that would otherwise be impossible. Woodpeckers use their tail for stability, propping it against the tree for support.

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

2006-12-10T22:01:00.000-06:00

Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal... another of those signs that winter is here. Well, winter isn't technically here yet but its sure felt like it lately. For a bird that is bright crimson, the cardinal is surprisingly timid. The Northern Cardinal is present all year round but with no leaves to hide behind, they become far more obvious at this time of year.

This is an exceptionally red male cardinal. Apparently the reddest males eat faster and have better breeding success than duller males. This would suggest that eventually there should be more bright red males than anything else but that's not what I see out there. This particular male was one of several I saw at Volo Bog recently. The habitat is perfect for them there with plenty of scrubby areas to hide in.

The cardinal has been quite a hard bird to get decent photos of [for me] considering how numerous they are. I was therefore pleased to get this shot and some others I haven't posted here. With the temperature dropping it is likely I will see some cardinals at my feeders soon. Today I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker - the first for the season - at the suet. The nuthatches, chickadees and finches have already been regular visitors. I think the best thing about winter is that spring follows it!

Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis

2006-12-03T14:21:00.000-06:00

Sandhill Cranes with legs drawn up

{Click on the image for a larger version}

I was out this morning trying to take advantage of the beautiful light and snow cover when I snapped this pair of Sandhill Cranes flying over. I quickly realized that something was just not right - cranes are supposed to have their legs trailing behind them! When I got home, I spent some time hunting for information about cranes flying with legs retracted and found very little.

What I did find was that there had been a study some while ago that found a strong correlation between temperature and whether cranes (their study covered Sandhills, Whooping and Common Cranes) flew with legs retracted or not. As the temperature dropped below -3°C (about 26.6°F) there was an increasing likelihood that the cranes would fly with legs retracted. The lower the temp, the more likely they would retract their legs. The speculation is that had they taken off from water, the water on their legs and feet may freeze, causing problems for the birds, so they retract them to prevent that.

Some readers may have seen this quite regularly. For me, it was the first time so it particularly interested me. The article noticed that wind also played a role in the cranes' decision. This morning was cold - really cold - so it was no surprise they flew 'wheels up'. I noticed at least a dozen large flocks of cranes flying south today (as well as this pair).

Literature cited:
JUAN C. ALONSO, JAVIER A. ALONSO. Why Do Cranes Sometimes Fly With Their Legs Drawn Up? Journal of Field Ornithology Vol 56, Number 4 (Link to original article)

American Kestrel, Falco sparverius

2006-12-02T07:10:00.000-06:00

American Kestrel female

I went out for another day of owling after about 10" of snow. Not quite sure what I was thinking as I walked slowly through snow that at times was up to my knees in the little drifts. I looked a lots of holes in trees, clefts and branches but didn't see a single one!

On my way home, I stopped in at Glacial Park to see what may have been around. Along the entrance road - as there often is - was a single American Kestrel. There have been kestrels here as long as I can remember - they nested here this summer. This bird was hunting from the power lines, probably because the snow made it difficult anywhere else. I watched it almost catch a small vole or similar and also managed to get this shot of it flying.

I did all this from my car as I didn't want to disturb the bird (its hard enough to find food at this time of year without a heavy snowfall to contend with). Shoot from a car (essentially using it as a blind) is a recognized way of approaching birds without scaring them. The birds clearly don't see a car as a threat as large as a person. The added bonus is that it was a lot warmer in the car than outside!

This kestrel is a female, as can be told by the all rufous wings (males would have blue-gray wings) and rufous streaking underneath (the male would have blue-gray spots). The snow provides great 'fill-light', meaning the underside, which would normally be dark (as the sun is above the bird) is highlighted by the light reflected from the snow.

Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus

2006-11-26T20:40:00.000-06:00

Great Horned Owl

I made reference to this owl in my previous post. I had gone out looking for owls (not really Great Horned but as this was the only one I saw, Great Horned is fine!). This bird was at Pleasant Valley Conservation Area in McHenry County. They are however fairly common throughout our area in the right habitat.

Before seeing this bird, I heard it call. Not the usual 'hoot' call but a relatively quiet screech. Despite knowing which tree it was in, it took me a while to finally see it - and that was only because it flew to a nearby tree! Fortunately, it stopped there and allowed me to get a few shots off before moving to another nearby tree (this time not one I could photograph it in).

I really want to get out this winter and find more owls. There is clearly a technique that I haven't mastered yet as I know people who can fairly regularly and reliably find owls. I imagine part of the trick once you've found them is to remember that location and go back looking for them. A good start is to look hard at likely holes in trees. Like all birds, you shouldn't approach too close (especially not these as they sleep when we're awake!).

I have seen Great Horned Owls before - often mobbed by a flock of crows. Great Horned Owls eat a variety of prey including small mammals, small reptiles, nestlings of other birds and amphibians. Like several other birds, the Great Horned Owl does not make its own nest, but takes over the nests of other birds!

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

2006-11-25T18:37:00.000-06:00

Red-breasted Nuthatch

I went out this morning with the intention of finding some owls. Largely because I've had very little luck finding owls roosting and because I wanted to find some locations where they were likely to be. Ultimately I did find and photograph a Great Horned Owl (I'll post photos later) but interestingly for me, I also found several great locations to see Red-breasted Nuthatches.

For some reason I have not seen many Red-breasted until this month. However, this month, I've seen far more Red-breasted than the more common White-breasted. Of course a big part of the reason is that this is their winter range but they are around for an extended period. In any case, I was very pleased to find them today. I was even more pleased to photograph them!

Red-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted Nuthatches, like several other species, prefer spruce and pine trees to forage in. They are considerably smaller than their white-breasted counterparts, being 20% smaller on average, and weighing about half as much. The red breast is not surprisingly diagnostic, although they are most often seen clinging to trees and vegetation, which hides their breast. Another diagnostic mark is the eye stripe, which is not present in the white-breasted.

White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches seem to often be together with Brown Creepers and sometimes Chickadees. The red-breasted in particular seems to remain quiet while the white-breasted will call from time to time. The red-breasted's call is more insistent than the white-breasted, said to sound like 'ank ank ank'.

Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola

2006-11-19T21:18:00.000-06:00

Bufflehead

With the days getting shorter, there is proportionately less time to take pictures at this time of year. And it has seemed recently like the times I have available for photography don't coincide with the times when there's a significant amount of sun! Despite the weather I did get out recently and managed to get close to this Bufflehead at North Point Marina.

I won't hide that I wish this was an adult male bird because they are so much more attractive than this immature bird (which looks very similar to the female but has a less-distinct ear patch). Nevertheless, I was very pleased with the photos I got of this bird.

As I wrote in a previous post, the Bufflehead's name is a contraction of Buffalo Head, which I still think is a little mean. The adult male is a very attractive bird. The Bufflehead nest in holes left by Pileated Woodpeckers and is apparently largely monogamous. They will be with us most of the winter, returning to Alaska and Canada to breed in the spring.

BuffleheadAdult male Bufflehead are one of the most easily identified waterfowl, having a striking white and black head, while the females and immature birds are fairly distinctive but possible to confuse with female and immature Ruddy Duck at a glance. I have already seen hundreds of Bufflehead flying along the Lake Michigan 'coast'. Bufflehead are one of the diving ducks as can be seen in the picture above. They can stay down for a surprising amount of time and cover a surprising distance under water. They will often dive to avoid danger or if they are startled.

Snow Bunting, Plectorphenax nivalis

2006-11-11T11:37:00.000-06:00

Snow Bunting

Jeff and I started the day looking for scoters, jaegers, gulls and the recently seen Purple Sandpiper but apart from some nice views of Bonaparte's Gulls, we didn't score on any of the others. We did see a couple of Snow Buntings flying over but it was way to dark for shots at that time (oh, and they would have been a small smudge at best anyway as they weren't exactly close!).

Then we went hunting for Red Crossbills but struck out on those. However, we did see several Red-breasted Nuthatches and a flock of twelve Pine Siskins so I wouldn't call it a bad stop.

We then went back to the lake's edge at North Point Marina looking for more scoters, jaegers, etc. We never did find any of those but I did get a chance to get a little closer to some Snow Buntings! The Snow Buntings have been a bird I've been trying to find for a year or so - last year I always seemed to miss them but as we saw them in a few locations today, I think I'll get a better chance this season.

The Snow Buntings are a winter resident, moving north to breed. We see the non-breeding plumage at this time of year, whereas the breeding plumage is a simple white & black. One day I'll go and see them in their breeding areas...but not this year.

-- Snow Buntings Part 2
I went back to North Point Marina today (Sunday) to try and get better shots of the Snow Buntings. I was under the [mistaken] belief that the weather forecasters knew what they were talking about when they said the clouds would break up. However, despite the lack of sun, I did get some closer shots of the Snow Buntings today. The picture above is one of them.

It was fascinating watching how they feed, what they feed on and their general behavior. After a short while I could see a distinct pattern and used that to my advantage: the birds tended to feed south along the road, so I got a little further south of them and waited for them to come to me! In the end, I got to within about eight feet of the birds, of which there were ten.

Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk

2006-11-03T20:44:00.000-06:00

Bald Eagle and Red-tailed HawkAnother day at the IBSP Hawk Watch yielded a total of
233 raptors of ten species including 188 Red-tailed Hawks and 4 Bald Eagles. This shot represents one of those rare times when a Bald Eagle and a Red-tailed Hawk are close enough to get in one shot.

Its not hard to see the significant size difference between them. And yet, at a mile or so distance, its not always quite so easy! We first spotted these birds a LONG way out. In fact, the only bird initially visible was the eagle. Then, as if they just beamed in, three, then five Red-tailed Hawks appeared with the eagle. In reality, they appeared because they were initially so far away and so high that they were invisible, even to high power optics!

There was no animosity between these birds as they approached - still at significant height - and finally went over, literally right above us. Unfortunately that doesn't happen all that often (the directly overhead part) so it was great to see them there. This particular Bald Eagle is an adult, which can be determined because of the white head and tail and otherwise dark brown body and wings.

Other raptors seen today were as follows:
Turkey Vulture - 2
Bald Eagle - 4
Northern Harrier - 11
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 11
Cooper's Hawk - 4
Northern Goshawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 7
Red-tailed Hawk - 188
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
American Kestrel - 1
Total - 232

Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii

2006-10-29T16:42:00.000-06:00

Cooper's Hawk, juvenile{Click on photos for larger versions}
I thought I had done all my hawk watching yesterday while spending a second day in a row at the IBSP Hawk Watch but on my way to Rollins Savanna this morning I saw this Cooper's Hawk perched on power lines. I stopped the car on the side of the road with little real hope of getting a photo as often when stopping near a perched raptor, it will fly off. As you can see, this one didn't!

Cooper's Hawks are considerably larger than their cousin the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Both are in the Accipiter family, as are Northern Goshawks. They all have the same basic body shape and can look very similar in flight (trust me on this one!). The average Cooper's Hawk is 16.5" long, with a wingspan of about 31" and weighs about one pound.

Cooper's Hawk, juvenileTrying to separate Cooper's from Sharp-shinned in flight is something I've become accustomed to while volunteering a the Hawk Watch. The size, flight pattern, head and body shape, tail shape and how the bird looks in flight are all factors. Large 'Sharpies' and small Cooper's Hawks don't quite overlap in length but come close enough to mean size is not a reliable measure - and even hard if there's nothing to compare it to.

This bird is a juvenile, having thin streaks on its breast rather than the red horizontal banding that would be present in an adult. Also, the back is brown instead of blue-gray in an adult. Finally, the eye is yellow instead of the orange or red of an adult. As you may be able to tell from the front and back-on shots, the bird did fly, but not far, stopping again giving me another opportunity to photograph it. Finally it headed straight towards and over my car (wondered what it was doing for a second) and into someone's backyard.

I have often seen Cooper's Hawks at Rollins Savanna. Its impossible to tell if this bird is a resident (possibly fledged in the area) or a migrant. There have often been (and were today) Northern Harriers at Rollins Savanna as well as a pair of Red-tailed Hawks. I just read that in a recent study, 23% of Cooper's Hawks had healed fractures of chest bones due to their crashing through undergrowth after their prey (usually small birds & rodents).

IBSP Hawk Watch, Vesper Sparrow & Northern Shrike

2006-10-27T15:01:00.000-05:00

Northern Shrike{Click on the images for larger versions}
The weather wasn't exactly perfect [to say the least] for watching hawks today (strong NE winds and heavily overcast skies - the clouds won't bother the hawks but the NE winds pushes them away from the lake) but as has often been the case, there's more than just hawks to watch. This Northern Shrike has been somewhat resident for some while now at the general area of the Hawk Watch. This was the first time this season that I have seen one and as hawk watching was slow, had an opportunity to get this photo.

The Northern Shrike is rare in the Chicagoland area but is definitely a frequent visitor and I expect there will be others in the area this winter. This bird flew from tree-top to tree-top throughout the morning and appears to be quite happy to stay for an extended period.

A little while after seeing the Northern Shrike we also saw this Vesper Sparrow fly onto the path near the Hawk Watch. When I first saw it, I did a bit of a double-take as I did not expect to see a Vesper Sparrow. I've seen some cool birds at the hawk watch but I thought Vesper Sparrows should be well gone by now. There is one record on eBird for a Vesper Sparrow this late in Illinois. I don't have access to the official records so hopefully someone will let me know the latest record.

Vesper SparrowVesper Sparrows are also rare in Chicagoland although I suspect more accurately they are rarely seen. I have seen more this summer than in all previous years but I have also looked hard in areas that are ideal for them - in particular areas with roads/paths or other open ground near cover. I believe they are relatively common in McHenry County as I have seen several there.

Needless to say, I was pleased to see both the Northern Shrike and the Vesper Sparrow. The hawk count by the time I left was three Sharp-shinned Hawks and one Turkey Vulture -- but that's OK, because that's what Hawk Watching is all about. The count is valid and the data important whether it be 1,000 or 1.

Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus

2006-10-24T18:29:00.000-05:00

Purple FinchThe Purple Finch has been one of those birds I've been looking for but seemed never to find. I've seen some birds in the past that I thought may have been Purple Finches but was never sure. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I came upon this bird with 3-4 others at Volo Bog this afternoon.

Although the Purple Finch is listed as 'uncommon' in the Chicagoland area, either I'm looking in the wrong places or its less common than that (I can think of some other birds listed as rare that I see more often!). I'm certainly not complaining about the list...what I'm probably seeing is the documented decline in Purple Finches as they are being squeezed out by the introduced House Finches.

I have House Finches in my feeders all year around and keep looking out for Purple Finches but so far, I've not seen any. I did see my first Dark-eyed Juncos this season at my feeders today. Its nice to have them back!

Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus

2006-10-22T20:11:00.000-05:00

Horned GrebeJeff and I went out today to try to get a couple more state birds for him. We ended up with a day of about 70 species - not bad at this time of year. We started at Fermilab looking for the recently seen Harris' Sparrow. Unfortunately we didn't see that but did see at least four Cackling Geese.

Jeff then convinced me to go to Saganashkee Slough, just in southern Cook County. We were hoping to see a Western Grebe, that Jeff had seen before but I had not. We arrived and were quickly rewarded with some excellent views of the Western Grebe. Those views were followed by views of this and other Horned Grebes, a single Red-necked Grebe and a good number of Common Loon on the slough along with some Ring-necked Duck and Scaup. . I was also rewarded with some excellent flight and sitting views of several Bonaparte's Gulls.

The Saganashkee Slough (how do you say slough anyway??) is a very large area and its a challenge to bird it even with a fairly powerful telescope. There are several spots to stop and view the lake and it was clear that what's needed more than anything is patience!

Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus

2006-10-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

Eastern TowheeWhat do you do on a sunny Sunday morning in fall? What else but go out birding! The call of the wild (well, as wild as Glacial Park is in fall) was too much so I went back there to a different area from where I recently found the Le Conte's Sparrows to see what else I could find. While Glacial Park isn't huge, it has a variety of different habitat from marshes and grassland to woods and glacial kames (hence the name!). The Le Conte's were in the grasslands so I headed for the woods.

It was still quite early and frosty so the birds were a little slow getting up but it was immediately obvious that there were plenty of sparrows around and also plenty of juncos, which I had not seen until Sunday. I sure made up for it though with over fifty of them on my walk around.

As I came to the woods I heard then saw this Eastern Towhee. I've been a little confused by these birds before as the first time I saw one was right at the top of a tree. Since then I've seen them where they normally hang out, low down and on the ground feeding in their preferred scrubby habitats. This one popped out long enough for me to get this shot - its not great but I wasn't totally disappointed.

The red eye of this adult male was very obvious in the early morning light. The towhee is actually one of the sparrows although somehow calling it a sparrow just doesn't feel right!

White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys

2006-10-12T07:22:00.000-05:00

White-crowned SparrowI went out with Jeff again Sunday to look at the Le Conte's Sparrows and see what else we could find. We didn't find anything spectactular but in the Washington St parking lot of Rollins Savanna were a good number of White-crowned Sparrows - mostly these first-winter birds like this one.

The most common call from these birds at this time of year is a 'pink' - fairly non-descript. However every so often you'll hear a feeble version of their regular call. I've read this is the first-year male birds practising their call...makes sense to me. The first-year birds have a brown/buff crown where the adults would have a black/white crown (hence the name!). The younger birds are supposed to have black streaking on the breast although to be honest until looking this bird up, I didn't realize there was a big difference.

White-crowned SparrowLike most other sparrows in our area, the White-crowned is migratory, breeding up in Canada. Its winter range ends approximately at the Illinois/Wisconsin border. I've certainly had white-crowned's visiting my feeders during much of winter.

Le Conte's Sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii

2006-10-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

Le Conte's Sparrow[Click on the photos for hi-resolution versions] I had not been to Glacial Park in a while and made up my mind yesterday that it was high time I went back. So, not very early this morning I headed there with no particular goal in mind other than to see what I could see.

I had not gone far when I was attracted by a mixed flock of White-crowned and Song Sparrows. While attempting to photograph them, I noticed a smaller, almost orange sparrow. I had recently seen a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow and thought it may have been another when I realized that it lacked the gray nape of the Nelson's and was in fact a Le Conte's Sparrow!!

I was particularly pleased to see a Le Conte's as I had not seen one in the past. I know they have been seen recently in other areas but I'm not much of a twitcher so I hadn't gone chasing them. Soon after I saw the first, I discovered that there were at least three Le Conte's as well as Lincoln's White-crowned, Savannah, Field and Swamp Sparrows.Le Conte's Sparrow

OK, so now I had seen this sparrow, I had to photograph it and knowing these little guys, it was more than likely I was going to get lots of photos of grass. However, much to my surprise and delight the birds decided to sit in some [relatively] good photographic areas and I managed to get these shots. Let me tell you, its just as well I shoot on digital because if it was film it would have cost me a fortune!!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula

2006-10-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

Ruby-crowned KingletI went back to Volo Bog this afternoon to see what else I could find to photograph (yes, it was a photography trip more than a birdwatching trip). It wasn't a great day - but for a Fall day I can't really complain.

I was struck by the number of Hermit Thrushes there again today - I've never seen so many in one place. As you can tell from the photo, also present were two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, including this male with its crest conveniently raised for my photo. I've seen the red crest on these birds many times but rarely as clearly as on this one.

Kinglets are tiny, similar to the Australian Thornbills (e.g. Yellow-rumped Thornbill as photographed by Alan Fletcher). The body shape and bill do differ somewhat but I can't think of any other American bird I regularly see that's closer. As with many fall migrants, these birds rarely call but occasionally one will hear the very high pitched tseeee call note.

Golden-crowned KingletI only saw 18 species this afternoon, which by all accounts isn't many at this time of year. However, I did get a few decent photos (IMHO) so it wasn't a complete bust. This Golden-crowned Kinglet was not with the Ruby-crowned although I have seen several mixed flocks recently. This one was with a flock of approximately six birds on the edge of an oak wood.

Brown Creeper, Certhia americana

2006-10-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Brown CreeperWith the weather being near on perfect yesterday, I could not resist the opportunity to go out and attempt to get some pictures of birds that I hadn't already seen.

As it turns out, the weather (clear blue skies with a light southerly breeze and about 70°F) and the birding were perfect, and while there wasn't a huge abundance of species, there were several that seemed determined to get within camera range - this Brown Creeper being one of them.

Many of my previous shots have been of the back of the bird as it hugged a tree. This bird, as you can see, stopped briefly for a portrait. I like this angle better than the otherwise typical side-on shot because you can see both the back and the profile of the head & throat. Understanding of course that birds rarely perform on cue, I was very pleased when this one stopped for this single shot (don't worry, I have others of its back!!).

This bird, along with many Hermit Thrush and a Carolina Wren, both Kinglets and tons of White-throated Sparrows, were all at Volo Bog State Natural Area, just off US 12 in Volo (south of Home Depot). This is a great area but for unknown reasons opens late (around 8AM) and closes early (last night 6PM). The area is managed from Moraine Hills State Park a little further south, which doesn't help. Hopefully it will remain open!

Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons

2006-09-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

Yellow-throated VireoJeff and I were on a mission today: to find additional species for his State List. We were expecting Tufted Titmouse and got both it and Pileated Woodpecker, so overall not a bad day!

We got some great views of some of the birds, like this Yellow-throated Vireo, which conveniently posed for a photo before disappearing. I don't see a lot of Yellow-throated and had only photographed them once before so I was very pleased to get this opportunity today.

This bird and 56 others were seen at Rock Cut State Park out near Rockford in Winnebago County. I've visited Rock Cut before but was most impressed today with the bird activity, especially early.

We were particularly pleased to see almost all of the regular woodpecker species, including Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker! After getting all those we looked for Red-headed, but dipped out today. Ah well, six out of seven wasn't bad!

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni

2006-09-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAnother day at the Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch today and another rare bird! I was on the phone (again!) when I saw this bird at a distance. I first thought it was a Henslow's Sparrow based on color but when I got the binoculars on it I realized it was a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow!! This was a 'lifer' for me, so again I was thrilled. This sparrow does turn up from time to time in the park and has recently been seen at Montrose.

The Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow is (and was) very secretive, reminiscent of the Henslow's Sparrow (another of the Ammodramus group). It would come part way up the grass stalks but never come out in the open. When it did fly, it flew low and dropped down low in the grass when it landed. This shot is far from a great shot of it but shows some of the ID points. Most obvious apart from the buffy color was the gray nape (not seen in the picture), making it a bird in adult plumage. This picture shows the buffy chest and white belly, small bill, dark crown, thin dark eye-line and grayish cheek.

Sparrows seemed the order of the day at the Hawk Watch, with Field, Chipping, Savannah, White-throated, Lincoln's and Song Sparrows all seen in the area around the hawk watch pavilion. Hawks today included an Osprey, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, an unidentified Eagle, a local Cooper's and Red-tailed Hawk and a Northern Harrier.

Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya

2006-09-22T17:08:00.000-05:00

Say's PhoebeThe weather was horrible at 8AM this morning when I arrived for my stint at the IBSP Hawk Watch so I drove around the area for a while, noting how many birds were still active despite the heavy rain and high winds.

Janice told me it would blow over in about an hour, so in about an hour I returned and while finishing up a phone call I saw a phoebe cross the path from the parking lot to the pavilion where the hawk watch is based. I looked at it through the binoculars and quickly realized it was not an Eastern Phoebe. So, I ended the phone call abrubtly(!), grabbed my camera and jumped out of the car.

I had not seen a Say's Phoebe before but I had seen pictures of it and had often wished I could see one to add it to my life list. As it turned out, today was the day! This attractive Says's Phoebe was struggling to stay on top of the mullein in the high winds and flew from mullein to mullein and eventually onto this milkweed where it posed long enough for me to get a few shots.

The bird headed south for a short time and I lost sight of it. However, my brief but satisfying look at this bird was more than enough for me...and to photograph it was awesome. If you ever needed a reason to go to the Illinois Beach State Park North Unit and help out with the Hawk Watch, perhaps this is it! Along with all of the regular raptor species, I have been lucky enough to see the Say's Phoebe and Lark Sparrow while watching for raptors! Other rare and uncommon species have been seen by other birders.

Say's Phoebe is rare enough not to be listed on the Chicago Ornithological Society checklist for Chicagoland Area Birds so I was thrilled to see it and be able to record it here. I understand it has been seen before in the area (but not by me!) from time to time.

Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus

2006-09-20T20:26:00.000-05:00

Another trip to Rollins Savanna this afternoon yielded at least six Rusty Blackbirds feeding along the edge of the water and in snags in the marsh. I suspect some of the flocks of blackbirds flying around also contained Rusty's but against the sun it wasn't always easy to tell.

I watched four of them feeding on the ground in the snags on the marsh and realized one had come much closer to me than the others. Its one of those moments when you get one - maybe two - shots before the bird leaves. This is the one shot!

I have rarely seen Rusty Blackbirds in photographable situations before so I was very pleased to get this shot. I had been standing in one spot for some time, which is presumably why this bird was willing to approach me. This is a female bird showing the colors that give it its name. The Rusty Blackbird males are virtually always dark and the females are only rusty when non-breeding.

Along with the Rusty Blackbirds, there were many Yellow-rumped Warblers and one Swamp Sparrow, which also posed for me today! I have seen many Swamp Sparrows at Rollins before but rarely such a good view as they are usually very secretive. I had to wait a considerable time for this one to pop up.

You can probably tell what the late afternoon light was like...the sky was clear blue and lacked the typical hazy horizon - perfect! As always, click on the photos for larger versions.

Rollins Savanna 9/16/06

2006-09-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Interesting afternoon at Rollins Savanna...six Black Terns were skimming around the lake. They seemed to be doing circuits of the lake, going from the large, open area, north to the dead-tree area and back, feeding the whole time. Occasionally they would sit on the stumps.

Next were this Pied-billed Grebe and Lincoln's Sparrow. I've seen the Lincoln's Sparrow here before but was pleasantly surprised to see it again. I was lucky to get so close to the grebe!

Finally, and just before sunset, I caught these Yellow-rumped Warblers coming down to drink and presumably roost for the evening. They too were here last week. These are both first-year birds.

Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch

2006-09-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

Red-tailed HawkI've been enjoying the company of the hawk watchers at this year's Illinois Beach State Park (IBSP) Hawk Watch. The IBSP Hawk Watch is run locally and reports sightings (with extensive details) to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA - http://www.hmana.org/). Hawks, like many other birds, migrate south at this time of year. Different species migrate at different times, both in terms of time of day and time of year. The data collected here will help us better understand hawk migration, what affects migration and how/when/where hawks migrate.

One of the challenges of Hawk Watch sites is raptor identification. There are many species being counted: Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Osprey (Pandion haliaeetus), Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi), Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), Merlin (Falco columbarius), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)....
and they all look a little different! Some are easy to tell apart - you don't confuse a Sharp-shinned Hawk with a Turkey Vulture very often, but you can easily confuse it with the slightly larger Cooper's Hawk. Once you've worked out what it is, ideally it will be aged and where possible sexed. All this, while determining that the bird is in fact migrating rather than simply being a local bird!

To try to give you a sense of what hawk watching is like, I have created a montage below with many of the hawks seen. The one on the left is of hawks, generally in good light and angles that show many of the defining features. The one on the right shows how they may often be seen - distant and little more than silhouettes! These birds are also not to scale. Why? Because they don't often fly together!
There are are seven species of hawk and eagle here, along with some 'fakes'. See if you can find the seven (Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrel, Northern Harrier and Bald Eagle). There's no prize (apart from perhaps pride) for picking all of them.

Hawk watching is very enjoyable, if not for the watching, then for spending time with other birders, sharing stories and trying to find and ID everything that appears. Unfortunately there are birds that never get ID'd and remain as unknown accipiter (UA), unknown Buteo (UB), etc. and even some that remain simply unknown raptor UR. Sightings, along with weather data are collected every day throughout the migration period, which peaks next month. I for one, will be there as often as I can!

1: Broad-winged Hawk 2:Northern Harrier 3:American Crow 4:American Kestrel 5:Cooper's Hawk 6: Sharp-shinned Hawk 7:Herring Gull 8:Red-tailed Hawk 9:Bald Eagle. The other small birds in the background are Herring Gulls

Click on images for larger views.

Rollins Savanna 9/10/06

2006-09-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sedge WrenAbsolutely pathetic weather for being out today but as it turns out it was great for birding. With the temperature a little below 60°F, 90% humidity and constant rain and drizzle, Jeff Skrentny and I headed out to Rollins Savanna to see what could be found. We started off slowly but things warmed up later, with six species of sparrow including the rare Clay-colored Sparrow and Vesper Sparrow as well as two Lincoln's Sparrows. Also present were Cape May, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers and three species of Wren: House, Sedge and Marsh Wrens.

We also had up-close and personal views of many Green Heron, particularly several juveniles that seemed determined to keep feeding despite us being within about a dozen yards of them. Two Northern Harriers, two Red-tailed Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk kept the birds busy this morning - the Northern Harriers in particular spending quite a bit of time harassing Green Herons.

Green Heron (juvenile)Speaking of Green Herons, we watched one that had impaled a large frog on its bill try to eat said frog...without success, eventually falling off its log into the water and coming up with nothing but weed (we felt bad for it after watching it try to eat the frog for several minutes). Note on the picture of the Green Heron the downy feathers still remaining on its head - this is obviously a very young bird!

Other interesting birds of the day included several Common Moorhen, Virginia Rail and Sora, a Downy Woodpecker that let us approach to within six feet or so (was along the path we were on). Three Cedar Waxwings paid us a visit as we walked along another path, flying across the grasslands and hovering over sunflowers a few yards in front of us, giving us some excellent views. In fact, for some reason, many of the birds we saw today either let us approach close or approached us very close.
As always, click on the images for larger views.

Digiscoping

2006-09-07T07:13:00.000-05:00

Semipalmated Sandpiper

I've read a lot about digiscoping but never really tried it (partly because I didn't have a spotting scope). But I recently fixed the lack of spotting scope with a lucky clearance purchase of a Meade ETX-90 Spotting Scope (for $150), which is a "Maksutov-Cassegrain" style (basically a mirror lens), which is short but very 'fat' (see image below). This type of scope is typically used as an astronomical telescope but with the 45° erecting prism (original images are seen back-to-front, so left & right are reversed - the erecting prism corrects that) it is very useful as a spotting scope. What's even better for me is that I can also use it as an astronomical telescope and can even change eyepieces to alter magnification!

American Bittern digiscoped at extreme distance

Before I go on, I need to tell you two things. First, I am brand new to this digiscoping thing so feel free to come on the journey with me but please read other articles on the subject before diving in yourself. Second, while I see digiscoping as a useful method of getting shots of distant subjects, for me it will never replace standard digital photography as the quality of the images does not so far compare with my Digital SLR.

ETX 125 (above) and ETX 90 (below) spotting scopes

So, on with the show. My new spotting scope allows me to attach my digital SLR camera to the back of it, making a 1,200mm f13.8 lens. Anyone who knows photography knows that to get a decent image with a f13.8 lens, you're going to need tons of light. My experiments so far with that method have convinced me that's never going to be a practical way of getting reasonable images. However, I tried pointing my wife's little Nikon Coolpix 3200 camera down the eyepiece the other day and started to see some potential with the images I was getting.

The key to the whole thing is getting the camera's lens lined up with the eyepiece's bright-spot, which isn't terribly easy without one of the mounts that are available to do that (which are generally designed for more traditional spotting scopes) but I did manage to get a few decent shots, including the Semipalmated Sandpiper above left.

So, this is where I'm at so far with it. For getting an ID shot on a distant bird, its going to be great. I hope it will be especially useful in winter with waterfowl (and the car window mount I got will hopefully keep me warm inside the car!). A solid tripod is absolutely necessary with this system, as it a bright day. For me, digiscoping definitely has potential and for $150, it came with a relatively cheap price tag.

Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor

2006-09-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Wilson's Phalarope, first yearI remembering hearing that birding in inclement weather was often the best birding and this morning proved that adage for me when at Rollins Savanna -- while getting very wet during the morning rain -- I saw this Wilson's Phalarope. I was scanning around the edge of one of the ponds when I saw what at first appeared to be a very pale Lesser Yellowlegs - but the color and movement was all wrong!

I'm glad I looked a little longer as it quickly became apparent the bird was a phalarope. It was being very phalaropey (not a word I'm sure!) running around wildly picking up insects from the top of the water. It started very close to a Greater Yellowlegs and then spent some time near a Lesser Yellowlegs while almost circumnavigating the entire pond.
Wilson's Phalarope, first year
I got the picture at the top right when it flew after some arriving Lesser Yellowlegs stirred up the feeding yellowlegs and the phalarope. It inexplicably (but most politely) landed on the shore in front of me and started feeding, seemingly ambivalent about by presence. I watched the bird (while continuing to get wetter) for about an hour and left it and everything else right where I found them.

Below are some other images of the Phalarope. You may be able to see the rain in some of the shots when it was particularly heavy and making little bubbles on the surface of the water. Its a miracle I didn't damage any of my equipment! Needless to say the conditions for photography were terrible but as the weather wasn't playing, this was the best I could do.

Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax

2006-09-03T11:08:00.001-05:00

Standing nearly 2-feet tall with a wingspan of nearly 4-feet, the Black-crowned Night Heron is a substantial bird, getting on for twice the size of the more often seen Green Heron (and more than twice the weight!).

This bird was a Fermilab feeding not far from a Green Heron. I've seen many before but it wasn't until I photographed it that the size difference struck me. The bird you see here is a adult bird, with the distinctive light gray wings and black back (and black-crown of course). When in flight, the contrast between the two colors is striking (and diagnostic for adults).

Immature birds are far less striking, being streaked grayish-brown with white spots on the wings. Although this is a night-heron, it isn't as strict at feeding only at night as its less common cousin the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. The Black-crowned Night Heron feeds mainly on small fish but also eats other invertebrates & amphibians. Illinois is close to the northern edge of the summer range for this bird and although farm from uncommon, it is not seen as often as the smaller Green Heron.

Bugs!

2006-09-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailI couldn't help snapping a few more of the butterflies and dragonflies I've been seeing lately. These were taken at Moraine Hills State Park recently. I'm amazed at the variety of dragonflies and butterflies and while none of these are rare, they seem very local.
Eastern Amberwing
The names of each are below the images, which now link to larger versions thanks to PBase, where I have uploaded several of my images. PBase is one of many online image storage solutions and the one I have chosen after looking at several of them.
White-faced MeadowhawkEastern Pondhawk

Rollins Savanna 8/27/06

2006-08-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

Stilt Sandpipers with Semipalmated & Least Sandpipers
Northern Harrier[As always, click on the images for larger versions] An interesting afternoon at Rollins Savanna, with several species of shorebirds and a visit from a Northern Harrier! This afternoon was my reward for completing all my work. When I left home, the weather was sunny but that didn't last long. Ah well, at least I got out!

I took great pains to get to a concealed location without disturbing the birds (which I managed to do) when this Northern Harrier stirred them up much better than I ever could. Still, I can't complain too much as it headed straight towards me, then flew directly over me - as close as I've ever been to a Northern Harrier!

After the harrier had gone and birds returned, I could see the birds suddenly getting very jumpy, then I could hear someone walking through the grass and looked up to see someone in a bright white shirt, camera in hand walking through the grass directly towards the birds I was photographing! I was, needless to say, rather disappointed on two fronts, first that he was there at all and second that he managed to scare ALL the birds by approaching so closely. I assume he had no idea I was there (I was well hidden) and decided not to let him know. I guess he didn't know that even though birds see only in black and white, white is white no matter who sees it! I won't say I've never scared a bird away when trying to photograph it but I do try not to disturb them too much...I guess he didn't share those sentiments!

When the birds did return, I caught the above Stilt Sandpipers (with three Semipalmated Sandpipers and one Least Sandpiper) landing not far from me. Perhaps he had gone and scared the birds somewhere else!?
Short-billed DowitchersShort-billed Dowitcher

I spent quite some time watching these Short-billed Dowitchers (making sure they were Short-billed first!) feeding with various other waders - mainly Stilt Sandpiper and Greater Yellowlegs. There were at least four dowitchers in all, these three feeding very closely together just for my photo!

Semipalmated PloverSemipalmated Plover

Then there were these two Semipalmated Plover, an adult and a juvenile bird. I have seen the same combination of adult & juvenile before and wonder whether it is the same two, or a coincidence?

Black Tern, Chlidonias niger

2006-08-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

Black Terns at FermilabAfter a successful morning finding the Buff-breasted Sandpipers and Baird's Sandpipers at the Kaneville Sod Farms and seeing an Osprey at Dick Young FP in Kane County (thanks to two other birders for pointing out this great preserve - thanks guys!), Jeff and I headed to Fermilab.

After a fairly non-eventful walk, we stopped to look over the lake and saw these three Black Terns fly in, fly around for a couple of minutes, do a bit of fishing, then fly on.

There appear to be two non-breeding adults and a juvenile bird (could this be a family group?) based on plumage. The Black Tern is very similar to the White-winged Black Tern, which I have seen in Australia (alas always in non-breeding plumage).

Black Terns are rare migrants through Illinois, breeding in Northern US and Canada and wintering in northern South American coastlines. After this we saw a large group of Double-crested Cormorant roosting in trees along the shore of one of the lakes.

Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia

2006-08-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

Spotted Sandpiper Adult breedingThe Spotted Sandpiper is alone in its species group in North America, and a group that has only two species in the world (the Spotted and the Common Sandpipers). In non-breeding plumage, the two are very hard to tell apart but fortunately, their ranges do not overlap and ours are always Spotted.

I have seen the Common Sandpiper in Australia and other parts of Asia and still have a habit of calling the Spotted Sandpiper a Common when I see it. The bird in the photo above is in adult breeding plumage, although it has lost some of its spots through molting, most of which it will do on its wintering grounds.

The images below are both juvenile birds, as can be told by the lack of spots and barring on the wings. Note also that the legs of the juveniles are yellow, while the adult breeding plumage bird often has dull legs (at least the bits that aren't covered in mud!).

Spotted Sandpipers are most often seen alone at the edge of water, sometimes with other waders but rarely in any numbers. The juvenile pictured below spent time with two other juveniles, although most of it was chasing eachother. Spotted Sandpipers are often found in similar habitat to Solitary Sandpipers, although, from my observations they prefer sand, mud and rocks rather than tree branches that Solitary sometimes stand upon.
Spotted Sandpiper juvenileSpotted Sandpiper juvenile

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla

2006-08-24T09:23:00.000-05:00

Semipalmated Sandpiper juvenileThe Semipalmated Sandpiper is another of the 'peeps', a group of small sandpipers and stint that look similar depending on plumage and the view you get of them. This Semipalmated Sandpiper was feeding with the Sanderling below on the beach at Illinois Beach State Park.

Semipalmated are fairly common and often occur with other shorebirds, particularly the Least Sandpiper, which is very similar but can often be identified by its greenish legs, which the Semipalmated lacks. The Semipalmated has a dark cap in its juvenile plumage, which this bird is in. They are often fairly trusting, allowing you to approach within a short distance. They are not as active as Sanderling, nor as large, being only 6¼" long.Semipalmated Sandpiper juvenile

This bird, along with the Sanderling below, approached me while I sat still on the beach. These pictures are close to full-frame, with only minor cropping for the web. It is amazingly difficult to manually focus on a bird so close, so I switched to auto-focus for these shots (usually I manually focus everything).

Sanderling, Calidris alba

2006-08-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Sanderling breeding adultThe Sanderling is one of the most widespread shorebirds in the world, being present on every continent except Antarctica. I remember seeing many Sanderling when I was younger in Australia, although I never saw them in breeding plumage, or even partial breeding plumage. This bird is molting out of it's breeding plumage, which is redder than this bird.

The bird you see here was photographed today at Illinois Beach State Park, with five other Sanderlings, three Semipalmated Sandpipers and one Spotted Sandpiper. The Sanderling are amazingly trusting, allowing fairly close approach. However to get this shot I literally sat and waited for it to come to me! Actually, I laid down, holding the camera by leaning on my elbows. The Sanderling came within approximately six feet of me!

The two shots below show an adult feeding -- which they do very actively -- and the other is a juvenile bird (see captions for both). This is very early for a migrating juvenile, as the adults breed in the high arctic! Unfortunately these pictures don't do justice to the detail in these photos, which are close to full-frame.
Sanderling adultSanderling juvenile

Taking the photosSanderling in flight with Spotted Sandpiper

American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus

2006-08-20T12:14:00.000-05:00

American BitternAnother trip to Rollins Savanna this morning yielded some excellent views of this American Bittern, that flew in quite close to where we were standing watching shorebirds, then flew off again shortly afterwards.

These are one of those birds that you rarely see standing, rather they're often flushed out or flying over, which at Rollins I have seen them doing several times. When it flew in, it looks like a very large Green Heron until the color becomes more resolved and the flight pattern not quite right.

This bird flew in from what appeared to be a long way off and when it left, it really left giving basically one shot at taking pictures of it. The picture here was taken by Alan Fletcher - sadly for me his pictures were much better than mine...but at least he was willing to share!American Bittern

I have heard Least Bitterns at Rollins Savanna but so far have never actually seen one. American Bitterns are rare in Chicagoland, making this an even more enjoyable sighting. The shot below shows the bittern landing -- no wonder they are hard to find...their coloring will match very will with that grass!

Rollins Savanna, 8/16/06

2006-08-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

Stilt SandpiperVirginia RailDowitchersRollins Savanna continued to turn up great shorebirds on my most recent trip there this last Wednesday. The combination of open savanna and marshes seem perfect for the stopover of many of the migrating shorebirds. And all this fifteen minutes from my home!

Here are some of the pictures of the interesting migrants - and one resident rail that was very obliging.

Semipalmated Plovers

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilocus colubris

2006-08-17T07:32:00.000-05:00

Ruby-throated HummingbirdI have long wanted to get close enough, long enough, to take pictures of a hummingbird. For me, they still feel exotic as we had none in Australia. I have seen plenty over here from time to time but trying to get a camera aimed and focused in time has been almost impossible.

However, thanks to a recent trip to Volo Bog's Education Center, where they have several feeders set up, including two hummingbird feeders, I was able to get these shots of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the only hummingbird that regularly occurs in Illinois (there are other occasional records of others).

I decided to set up and wait for the hummingbirds (it was around lunchtime - not a time I would normally bird or take photos). After about 15 minutes I saw a hummingbird fly in, take a sip at the feeder and fly out - and I barely had time to say hey, there's a hummingbird! So, armed with the knowledge I had to be ready, I aimed my camera at the feeder and waited again. After another ten minutes or so, another hummingbird flew in. Then to my surprise, it alighted in a sunflower not ten feet away from me, where I got these photos.

Interestingly, shortly after this, it flew even closer and hovered about 2 feet away from me, seeming to check me out (got GREAT views of it) but as I'm sure you're aware, there's no way you're gonna move the camera and focus on a hovering hummingbird two feet away! Ah well, I was very well pleased with the shots I did get. I waited another half-an-hour for another one, but none ever showed up.

This bird is a sub-adult male, which can be told by the streaking and single metallic-red feather on his throat. I will definitely be going back to see if I can capture some of his friends on [digital] film! As always, click on the images for larger versions. These photos make it look large, but its hard to believe this hummingbird is less than 4" long and weighs about one tenth of an ounce!
Ruby-throated HummingbirdRuby-throated Hummingbird

Solitary Sandpiper, Tringa solitaria

2006-08-16T07:52:00.000-05:00

Solitary SandpiperThe last time I got close enough to take a picture of a Solitary Sandpiper was at the end of April (see posting here). This bird was a Rollins Savanna recently and kept feeding (while keeping an eye on me) on these dead branches in the water.

Somehow this is how I always expect to see Solitary Sandpipers - not just solitary, but on branches rather than on land. This is a juvenile bird, with a whiter throat and chin and darker upperparts than a worn adult breeding bird. The juvenile will become increasingly difficult to tell from a non-breeding adult in the next few months.

According to the literature, the Solitary Sandpiper molts mostly on its wintering grounds rather then prior to, or during migration. It breeds in Canada and Alaska and is one of the earlier migrants to come south. It is a little larger than the Spotted Sandpiper that it often shares feeding areas with. It bobs less and doesn't have a white wing-stripe of the Spotted. Its easily told from the Lesser Yellowlegs by its greenish instead of yellow legs.
Solitary SandpiperSolitary Sandpiper in flight

Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa Flavipes

2006-08-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

This isn't the first post on a Lesser Yellowlegs but it is the first photos I have of the fall 2006 migration. This bird was at Rollins Savanna last weekend along with plenty of its friends.

The yellowlegs are some of the most active and noisy shorebirds around at this time of year and I have watched them chase eachother and many other shorebirds that get too close. It seems as though they don't want other birds on their 'patch' of ground (or water) and sometimes will call incessantly until the intruder moves.

Sometimes the yellowlegs will fly at other birds, as can be seen in the shot above where the Lesser Yellowlegs has scared off a Stilt Sandpiper (the yellowlegs is the one in the water with its wings open).

The Lesser Yellowlegs sounds similar to their Greater cousins but their call is less strident. The bird above still has a great deal of its breeding plumage visible. They will molt out of this on their way south.

Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla

2006-08-07T07:53:00.000-05:00

Least Sandpiper JuvenileThe least of Sandpipers...in fact the smallest shorebird in the world is the Least Sandpiper seen here. This bird is a juvenile, as can be told by the rich rufous color on its back and the thin white "V" on its back.

The Least Sandpiper can be distinguished from other small sandpipers and stint by the greenish color of its legs, other small sandpipers and stint being black. Because of the direction of the light, the pale legs are not particularly obvious in these pictures but in the picture below left, you can see the legs are greenish.

The Least Sandpiper tends to feed a little further away from the water than many of the other shorebirds and will venture into grassy fringes, as this one did for some time (making it almost impossible to see). They can gather in large flocks (up to hundreds), but not as large as some other sandpipers, which can sometimes be seen in flocks of thousands.

This bird was at Rollins Savanna on August 5th, feeding with other shorebirds including Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, Killdeer and Pectoral Sandpipers. These birds often seem quite trusting, allowing you to get quite close to them. It also makes them easy prey for some predators!
Least Sandpiper juvenile note greenish legsLeast Sandpiper juvenile note white "V" on back

Dowitcher, Limnodromus

2006-08-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

It seems incredibly difficult to tell the Long-billed from the Short-billed Dowitchers - especially when not in juvenile plumage. After consulting seven different guides and researching material on the internet, I have concluded that the birds pictured here, particularly the breeding plumage adult, conform to Long-billed Dowitchers. There are three sub-species of Short-billed, the most closely resembling the Long-billed being the hendersoni.

There are several reasons for believing these birds are Long-billed, including that...

The Long-billed molt its primary wing feathers while on migration, while the short-billed molt only in coastal areas, mostly near their wintering grounds. These birds are in heavy primary molt.
The complete orange color underneath is typical of Long-billed (but may be shown in some hendersoni Short-billed)
The dense markings on the neck supports Long-billed.
The tail barring is equal size, meaning it could be either Long or Short-billed.
It shows a strong wing-to-belly contrast, as expected in long-billed.
The coloring on the back is darker and a simple pattern, consistent with Long-billed.
The Long-billed is more likely to be on inland waters than coastal.
These birds appear quite fat, consistent with Long-billed.
In flight, the underwing coverts show a contrast between white and the barring, consistent with Long-billed.
Most guides agree that the Long-billed, while it tends to migrate later than the Short-billed, migrates late July-September

So, while no single factor is the clincher, there is a lot of evidence that supports the Long-billed. To be a Short-billed, it would have to be one of the hendersoni sub-species, flight-feather molting out of typical location, with atypical underwing marking, complete under-belly color, with unusually dark and simple patterning on its back.

However, all that being said, there was a time when they were considered a single species so there never was much difference! I certainly heard a call that sounded like the keek of the Long-billed but I could not confirm it came from the birds seen here.

Click on any of the images for larger versions!

Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus

2006-08-04T07:24:00.000-05:00

Stilt SandpiperThanks to a post on IBET from Jim Solum, we headed out to Rollins Savanna to see if we could locate one of the Stilt Sandpiper Jim had seen. For both my father & I, if we saw it, it was going to be a 'lifer'. I am much more familiar with the Curlew Sandpiper, which I used to see in the thousands in Australia.

With a little local knowledge, some luck and a scope, we found a single Stilt Sandpiper feeding with some Lesser Yellowlegs in one of the areas of water at Rollins Savanna. It has an almost amusing sewing machine-like method of feeding, constantly probing into the water & mud as it waded around in the water (hiding its legs, which are greenish yellow).

As this bird is an adult in breeding plumage, it is fairly easy to identify (it could otherwise be hard to pick from the [very rare] Curlew Sandpiper). The most obvious features at a distance are the longish, slightly down-curved dark bill, a dark cap with heavy barring on the chest & stomach and a prominent white eyebrow. It feeds by wading [there's a reason these birds are called waders!] belly deep.

The Stilt Sandpiper is an uncommon (but welcome) visitor to the Chicagoland area. It migrates through the area and does not breed or winter here. I hope to see a great many more of these and other shorebirds this fall.
Stilt Sandpiper in flightStilt Sandpiper (right) with Lesser Yellowlegs

Upland Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda

2006-07-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure when it started, but for a long, long time I've wanted to see an Upland Sandpiper. They rarely occur in Australia and are rare in the Chicagoland area. In fact, according to research their numbers are declining at a worrying rate internationally.

Based on IBET posts, we headed out late this morning to McHenry County to see if we could locate them. And here's the great thing about IBET: just as reported, we pulled over at a likely field and quickly found an Upland Sandpiper, then another and another until we got to seven!

The Uplands were joined by about a hundred Brewer's Blackbirds and at least two Western Meadowlarks. How often is it you can see three rare birds in one field at the same time? I can tell you, not very often!

The photos here were taken in extreme heat (hence strong heat haze) and at a great distance but they clearly show the details of the bird. Its relatively easy to confuse this bird with a Buff-breasted Sandpiper but the Buff-breasted is significantly smaller, has extensive buffy color on it and has a shorter, dark bill compared with the Upland's yellow bill with black tip.

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea

2006-07-25T16:27:00.000-05:00

Indigo Bunting - photo courtesy Alan FletcherNot a great morning for birding, being warm and humid (birds were fine - I was struggling a little!). Nevertheless I went out to Volo Bog with my father this morning to see what we could see. One of the birds we saw was this Indigo Bunting. This bird was clearly with a female and probably nesting in the small area of prairie at the east of the park.

Their color is truly amazing. I first spotted it flying down with a few American Goldfinches and barely saw it, but once you've seen that color, you've seen enough to know what it is. Indigo Buntings are about the same size as the yellow and black American Goldfinches and its overall shape is quite similar.

The Indigo Bunting can be separated from the rare [in our area] Blue Grosbeak but its size (its a little smaller) and the lack of rufous-brown wing bars. The Blue Grosbeak also has a larger bill. This bird is an adult male. The juvenile and females are the same shape but a drab brown color. A first winter male is a mottled mingling of the male & female being largely blue but having brown mixed in.

Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus

2006-07-23T18:17:00.000-05:00

Common MoorhenDespite its name, the Common Moorhen is in fact Rare in the Chicagoland Area and Lake County, where this bird was seen today. In fact, this bird was at Rollins Savanna this morning and judging by the number of juvenile Moorhen around, successfully breeding.

Illinois is at the far northern end of the moorhen's breeding range. The population is dropping largely because there are fewer and fewer suitable habitats for it to breed. This was the first one I have seen in Illinois although I have seen them elsewhere before today.

The Common Moorhen, like other gallinules does not have webbed feet but is nevertheless quite a good swimmer - as can be seen in this picture. The red 'shield' on the head and otherwise dark and contrasty color of the bird mean this is an adult breeding plumage bird. In the non-breeding season, they lose much of their color.

Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola

2006-07-23T17:43:00.000-05:00

Virginia RailI had another opportunitity to go out with Jeff today. This time we had a special guest: my father over from Australia! We first went to Rollins Savanna, which has been very good to us in terms of uncommon and rare birds. Of the birds listed as uncommon, we saw this Virginia Rail, which came out just long enough for me to snap this photo of it.

The Virginia Rail is a bird far more often heard than seen and even though I got a good view of it, not all of us today did. We also saw several Sora rails today throughout the swampy area in Rollins Savanna including one that sat on top of some reeds for some time while we watched!

The Virginia Rail and Sora are by far the most likely rails to be see in Illinois, although others like the King Rail are present but rare and the Yellow and Black Rails are extirpated. The Virginia Rail adult has a long, slightly downcurved red bill as can be seen here, while the Sora has a short, yellow bill.

Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum

2006-07-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

Brown ThrasherjuvenileBrown Thrasher adultAnother skulker (see Gray Catbird below) is the Brown Thrasher. The thrasher is much larger than the Gray Catbird and as its name suggests is brown (almost rufus as its scientific name suggests).

Shown here are two individuals, the first being an adult and the second a juvenile bird. The main difference is the color of the eye, the adult being yellow and the juvenile being gray. When I first saw the juvenile from behind, I thought it was one of the thrushes but I saw the longer tail, and it was clear it was a thrasher.

Some of the thrushes (e.g. Wood Thrush & Veery) are similar in color on their back but the Wood Thrush has spot instead of streaks on its front and a much shorter tail. The Veery has light streaks on its upper breast and is otherwise gray below.

The Brown Thrasher is a mimic, meaning it can and does mimic the calls of other birds. Its typical song includes a series of phrases, most repeated twice with a pause in between. These Brown Thrashers were both at Volo Bog. In Spring, I saw a nest near where I saw the juvenile recently os its quite possible it is one of that clutch. The Brown Thrasher is listed as uncommon in the Chicagoland area and is said to be declining in numbers throughout much of its range.

Gray Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis

2006-07-12T06:37:00.000-05:00

Gray CatbirdThere often seems to be a bird lurking in the nearby brush making odd sounds and sometimes seeming to follow you but you can't quite get a good view of it. You see a bird fly between branches but still can't get a good view of it. You see some gray but thats about it, then it flies off.

Odds are its a Gray Catbird. There aren't too many gray birds that skulk through the bushes like Gray Catbirds. They prefer to lurk inside the bush where its often quite dark - and at this time of year hard to see into. They are easily identified by their cat-like snarl but their song is easily confusable with other songbirds.

When you do get a good view, the black cap and rufous under the tail quickly separates the catbird from most others. Unfortunately, good views of catbirds are fairly hard to come by. It seems that just when you locate the bird and get your binoculars on it, it flies somewhere else. Or maybe thats just how I feel when I aim the camera lens on it. I often joke I can make the birds come out by not bringing my camera with me!

Below left you can see the typical view of the catbird, hiding within the foliage. The lower right photo shows the rufous under-tail, which is often not seen. The top-right and bottom-left photos are of a bird that didn't seem to realize I was there taking its picture. It was very dark under the trees but thanks to digital technology, I was able to lighten the pictures up somewhat.

Gray CatbirdGray Catbird note rufous under-tail

Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus

2006-07-09T17:41:00.000-05:00

Vesper SparrowAfter a very late start, I convinced my family we should go for a walk in the Pleasant Valley Conservation Area in McHenry County (not far from Woodstock & Huntley). The weather today was hot (about 90°F), sunny and windy - and we didn't get there until almost 11AM...NOT usually good for birding.

I have not been along all the trails in Pleasant Valley and decided to go along one I hadn't yet been on...I'm glad I did. I saw a sparrow on the trail (dirt road - appears to be the trail at the south identified as 'Nature Trail' on the map). I never got really close to it but I got close enough to know it wasn't one of the normal sparrows. Here is a link to the McHenry County Conservation District maps page - Pleasant Valley is in the middle, second from the bottom)

I managed to snap the attached shots before the bird flew off - and I was not able to locate it again. I wasn't 100% sure of the ID, but Steve Huggins confirmed it for me...a Vesper Sparrow. While I was able to watch it, it ran instead of flew along the road. The main ID points on this bird are the white eye-ring and white outer-tail feathers (usually visible in flight). In the photo at the lower-right, you can see the usually hidden chestnut shoulder patch (which I did not notice in the field - one advantage of photography!).

Because of the distance between the bird & I, I have enlarged the pictures, hence the quality is lower than usual. I'll have to return one day & try for better photos!).
Vesper SparrowVesper Sparrow - note chestnut shoulder patch

House Wren, Troglodytes aedon

2006-07-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

House WrenSomehow it seems fitting that after posting a picture of a Sedge Wren, I was able to get a reasonable picture of a House Wren today!

This House Wren was right near the new Observation Platform at Volo Bog today. I was not happy this morning when I turned up what I considered to be later (7:30AM) only to find that the gates don't open until 8AM!!?? I have no idea why it would be so late on a weekend (or a weekday for that matter). Anyway, I waited until 8AM for someone to open the gates (which they did).

The House Wren is a much browner bird than the Sedge Wren and has barring on the wings & tail. The House Wren lacks the strong pale eyebrow of the Sedge Wren and is light brown below, compared to cream for the Sedge and has generally less contrast. Most importantly, the House Wren lacks the dark streaking on the back compared with the Sedge Wren. Besides all that, the House Wren sounds quite different. The Winter Wren is a little darker and has a noticeable shorter tail and strong barring on its flanks.
Sedge Wren cf House Wren
Oddly enough, while photographing this House Wren, I could hear (and later saw) a Sedge Wren about fifty yards away. In fact there were almost as many Sedge Wrens as House Wrens. These House Wrens all stayed where they belong, in the trees & bushes, while the Sedge Wrens inhabited the grasses on the bog itself.