Hi everyone, It's crazy to think that two whole months have gone by already. Winter birding is beginning to wrap up around here as the first spring migrants are beginning to trickle into the Chicago area. From this point until summer, basically all of my new additions will be spring migrants- it's exciting to know that peak birding season (May) isn't all that far away! Anyways, let's talk February. February was overall a pretty uneventful month, I didn't add anything too unexpected though I had some really good days. By the end of the month I was at 101 species, just surpassing my goal of 100 which I knew would be challenging to reach. I started the month off strong in southern Cook County where the majority of the month's focus was. I was hoping if I made enough trips I'd stumble upon a Wild Turkey or a Ring Necked Pheasant, but unfortunately that never happened. On our first day off Simon and I went to Plum Creek where I added my first new bird of the month:
(2/2)
87. Eastern Bluebird
While cruising the road listening for anything of interest, I heard a Yellow Rumped Warbler chip so I pulled over, and that's when I heard the high pitched honking of Greater White Fronted Geese overhead! We looked up to see a flock of about 100 birds heading east. Surprisingly not a new bird, but definitely an exciting sight! Photo by Simon.
(2/2)
87. Eastern Bluebird
While cruising the road listening for anything of interest, I heard a Yellow Rumped Warbler chip so I pulled over, and that's when I heard the high pitched honking of Greater White Fronted Geese overhead! We looked up to see a flock of about 100 birds heading east. Surprisingly not a new bird, but definitely an exciting sight! Photo by Simon.
We spent the rest of the morning checking some agricultural areas around Matteson looking for pheasants and Lapland Longspurs. As I'd expected we found no pheasants, but lucked out with Lapland Longspurs finding a total of 150+ birds distributed between 3 different flocks!
88. Lapland Longspur
Our last stop of the day was the owl roost at Bartel Grassland where I added:
89. Great Horned Owl
88. Lapland Longspur
Our last stop of the day was the owl roost at Bartel Grassland where I added:
89. Great Horned Owl
(2/3) During the school day I got word of a Snowy Owl at 31st Street beach- a bird I knew I definitely had to go get. Steve Huggins confirmed the bird was still there late afternoon, so I sped over there after school. I got it almost instantly. It felt really relieving to get this bird as I was slightly worried none would show up on the lakefront this year. What a bird!
90. Snowy Owl
90. Snowy Owl
(2/7) On Friday after school I went to River Park and got a nice pair of Pied Billed Grebes.
91. Pied Billed Grebe
91. Pied Billed Grebe
(2/8) While birding in the morning I got word of a Northern Saw Whet Owl in palos that had been calling actively that morning. Saw whet is arguably Cook County's toughest regularly occurring wintering bird, and one that has definitely given me much trouble in the past. So of course, the Tolzmann's and I went down to palos that night also hoping to add Eastern Screech Owl and Barred Owl to our year lists. We started out owling in some other locations before trying for the saw whet, which tends to only call in the dead of night. After multiple uneventful stops, we finally got a few hoots out of a Barred Owl at Maple Lake!
92. Barred Owl
Saw whet time. Unlike my many other attempts, this one was filled with hope- I had actually just learned that this location was much more reliable than the previous places I'd been trying. However, despite my high hopes, I once again failed to get Northern Saw Whet Owl... frustrating! I'm sure the Great Horned Owl calling nearby definitely wasn't helping us.
(2/15) I took my first break from Cook County birding for the year to attend the IOS Gull Frolic, one of my favorite birding events of all time! As usual, we were awarded with crushing looks at uncommon wintering gulls and the opportunity to catch up with many people from the birding community.
Adult and 2nd cycle Herring Gulls:
92. Barred Owl
Saw whet time. Unlike my many other attempts, this one was filled with hope- I had actually just learned that this location was much more reliable than the previous places I'd been trying. However, despite my high hopes, I once again failed to get Northern Saw Whet Owl... frustrating! I'm sure the Great Horned Owl calling nearby definitely wasn't helping us.
(2/15) I took my first break from Cook County birding for the year to attend the IOS Gull Frolic, one of my favorite birding events of all time! As usual, we were awarded with crushing looks at uncommon wintering gulls and the opportunity to catch up with many people from the birding community.
Adult and 2nd cycle Herring Gulls:
Adult Lesser Black Backed Gull:
(2/16) I decided to hit some south side hotspots to fill a few holes in my list. I started out by checking 4 historical roosting locations for Long Eared Owl, all to which held nothing. Next I went to Park 566 to look for Savannah Sparrow, a common bird but one of the very few year birds around that would be new for me. While searching, I spotted two big dark ducks flying past me and I realized they were either Surf or Black Scoters- they were Surf! An awesome bird and bonus for the month, and surprisingly my first time ever seeing Surf Scoters on Lake Michigan in the Spring. The birds touched down briefly before continuing north.
93. Surf Scoter
93. Surf Scoter
94. Savannah Sparrow
After that I went to Turning Basin #5 along the Calumet River hoping to see the continuing juvenile Lesser Black Backed Gull that's been hanging around, the only wintering gull missing from my list. When I got there things were looking pretty dismal; all the gulls were really far and there were hundreds of juveniles to pick through. But in the end, all went well because Amar Ayyash pulled up with a pickup truck full of bread and we chummed the gull in in no time. Thanks Amar!
95. Lesser Black Backed Gull
95. Lesser Black Backed Gull
(2/20) After school I went to Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie to look for the resident Red Breasted Nuthatches. Never found them, but I still got my year bird dosage in for the day.
96. Common Grackle
(2/22) I made my first trip to Montrose this year hoping to catch a glimpse of some early spring migrants, but more importantly, I was holding out for the possibility that I might have a shot at my nemesis bird for the year, Long Eared Owl. Bob Hughes found one early the previous morning, and by the time I made it there after school the bird wasn't where he had it. Although it would be unlikely, I knew it definitely wasn't out of the question for the bird to come back to the same roost the next day. And that's exactly what happened!!! After 13 attempts at this bird, victory had never felt so sweet. Nemesis conquered. Huge thanks to Bob for getting me on it. Long Eared Owl!
97. Long Eared Owl
96. Common Grackle
(2/22) I made my first trip to Montrose this year hoping to catch a glimpse of some early spring migrants, but more importantly, I was holding out for the possibility that I might have a shot at my nemesis bird for the year, Long Eared Owl. Bob Hughes found one early the previous morning, and by the time I made it there after school the bird wasn't where he had it. Although it would be unlikely, I knew it definitely wasn't out of the question for the bird to come back to the same roost the next day. And that's exactly what happened!!! After 13 attempts at this bird, victory had never felt so sweet. Nemesis conquered. Huge thanks to Bob for getting me on it. Long Eared Owl!
97. Long Eared Owl
With the SSW winds set up perfectly for goose migration, I went to Orland Grasslands in the southernmost part of the county where I hoped I could get lucky with some flyover Snow or Ross's Geese. To my surprise very few geese were moving and I got nothing of note besides a flyby Killdeer.
98. Killdeer
A stop at Cap Sauers in Palos yielded my year bird Pileated Woodpecker, which promply flew away before I got any photos. On the other hand, this Red Headed Woodpecker nearby was much more cooperative! A treat to see these two uncommon woodpecker species just a few trees apart.
99. Pileated Woodpecker
Red Headed Woodpecker:
98. Killdeer
A stop at Cap Sauers in Palos yielded my year bird Pileated Woodpecker, which promply flew away before I got any photos. On the other hand, this Red Headed Woodpecker nearby was much more cooperative! A treat to see these two uncommon woodpecker species just a few trees apart.
99. Pileated Woodpecker
Red Headed Woodpecker:
(2/23) I went to Wolf Lake in the morning, where it was clear that waterfowl migration was definitely under way! My trip was highlighted by singing Red Winged Blackbirds, 5 flyover Greater White Fronted Geese, and my first of the year Northern Shovelers! Nothing is more exciting then when you start to notice the first signs of spring! This is a photo of 4 different shovelers I had at Northwestern later in the afternoon:
100. Northern Shoveler
100. Northern Shoveler
(2/29) Another trip to Memorial Park Cemetery for the Red Breasted Nuthatches. This time, things were different. I got the bird pretty easily and it even sat still for me for over a minute!
And that's it for February! Like I said, nothing super spectacular happened, but March has already gotten off to an amazing start with birds #102 and #103 being my most exciting yet! Birds of the month go to Long Eared Owl and Snowy Owl; it really did feel amazing to finally get the Long Eared after so much work. See you in a month!
Good birding,
Isoo
Number of species seen this month: 75
Number of year birds gained this month: 16
Good birding,
Isoo
Number of species seen this month: 75
Number of year birds gained this month: 16
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