Hi everyone, back to posting. I know it has been a while since I've posted, so here is a list of lifers I've gotten since the end our "big adventure." My life list in now at 660, up from 647 at my last post.
1. Western Kingbird
2. Cliff Swallow
3. Willow Flycatcher
4. Marsh Wren
5. Field Sparrow
6. American Oystercatcher
7. Black Bellied Plover
8. Least Tern
9. Pine Warbler
10. Common Nighthawk
11. Short Billed Dowitcher
12. Blue Winged Teal
13. American Golden Plover
Today I woke up early and biked to four birding locations starting at Northwestern Campus. I visited a specific location along the lakefront called The Lakefill, which has 252 bird records, number 16 for the state. I arrived at about 7:50 and walked up to a clump of trees LOADED with warblers! The first bird I saw was my life bird BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER! I saw roughly 12 of these throughout the day!
1. Western Kingbird
2. Cliff Swallow
3. Willow Flycatcher
4. Marsh Wren
5. Field Sparrow
6. American Oystercatcher
7. Black Bellied Plover
8. Least Tern
9. Pine Warbler
10. Common Nighthawk
11. Short Billed Dowitcher
12. Blue Winged Teal
13. American Golden Plover
Today I woke up early and biked to four birding locations starting at Northwestern Campus. I visited a specific location along the lakefront called The Lakefill, which has 252 bird records, number 16 for the state. I arrived at about 7:50 and walked up to a clump of trees LOADED with warblers! The first bird I saw was my life bird BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER! I saw roughly 12 of these throughout the day!
I would guess that at the lakefill today there were maybe 100 warblers. It seemed as if every tree held more and more warblers, such as this awesome female BLACKPOLL WARBLER.
Here's is a female SCARLET TANAGER, a bird I have only see once almost two years ago.
As I was looking at warblers, I saw a weird looking bird fly into the same tree I was watching. I couldn't even guess what it was at first, but I soon realized it was a YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO! This was the highlight of the day. This bird has not been seen here in six years and this is only the second recorded sighting ever for this location!
My second stop was Lighthouse Beach. To my surprise the first bird I saw was this RED BELLIED WOODPECKER. I've never seen one in Evanston and I recall hearing one time that this bird is not as common along the lakefront.
My second stop was Lighthouse Beach. To my surprise the first bird I saw was this RED BELLIED WOODPECKER. I've never seen one in Evanston and I recall hearing one time that this bird is not as common along the lakefront.
I wasn't at Lighthouse for long. My mom has a friend named Sarah who kindly invited me to her backyard to look at the hummingbirds and orioles at her feeders, as well as, migrating warblers passing through. The backside of her yard had three hummingbird feeders and three oriole feeders lined up in a row. Hummers and orioles were everywhere! Below is a RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE
Sarah leaves a little pile of jelly in the middle of her oriole feeders to attract warblers, and sure enough I spotted this TENNESSEE WARBLER on top of the oriole feeders. Life bird 662!
This awesome BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER also showed up in the yard!
I ended my day at the Canal Shores Golf Course where I saw my life bird OVENBIRD, as well as some nice NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and many GRAY CATBIRDS. Big thanks to Sarah for inviting me to bird in her yard! Without her I wouldn't have gotten so many birds and another lifer!
Lifers for the day:
Ovenbird
Tennessee Warbler
Black Throated Green Warbler
Highlights for the day:
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
It was a great day of birding!
Species List Life List 663 (3 life birds today)
Canada Goose 12
Mallard 1
Double Crested Cormorant 3
Green Heron 1
Ring Billed Gull
Yellow Billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 1
Red Eyed Vireo 5
Barn Swallow 4
Cliff Swallow 1
American Robin 2
European Starling 2
Cedar Waxwing 16
Cape May Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Black Throated Green Warbler 12 life bird!
Scarlet Tanager 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 1
Ruby Throated Hummingbird 12
Red Bellied Woodpecker 2
American Redstart 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher 1
Tennessee Warbler 2 life bird!
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Baltimore Oriole 7
Mourning Dove 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
Gray Catbird 5
Ovenbird 1 life bird!
Northern Waterthrush 2
33 species total!
Lifers for the day:
Ovenbird
Tennessee Warbler
Black Throated Green Warbler
Highlights for the day:
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
It was a great day of birding!
Species List Life List 663 (3 life birds today)
Canada Goose 12
Mallard 1
Double Crested Cormorant 3
Green Heron 1
Ring Billed Gull
Yellow Billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 1
Red Eyed Vireo 5
Barn Swallow 4
Cliff Swallow 1
American Robin 2
European Starling 2
Cedar Waxwing 16
Cape May Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Black Throated Green Warbler 12 life bird!
Scarlet Tanager 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 1
Ruby Throated Hummingbird 12
Red Bellied Woodpecker 2
American Redstart 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher 1
Tennessee Warbler 2 life bird!
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Baltimore Oriole 7
Mourning Dove 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
Gray Catbird 5
Ovenbird 1 life bird!
Northern Waterthrush 2
33 species total!