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Area Bird Sightings
Bird sightings at many
common birding spots in / near DuPage County and in our backyard in Wheaton,
Illinois.
Recent Highlights:
Common Redpoll 1/8, Mute Swan 1/7,
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Sunday, March 6
Morton Arboretum: A few early spring birds were present at the Arb today. Cooper's Hawk, Killdeer, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, 25 American Robins, Blue Jay, and Pine Siskins.
Saturday, March 5
FermiLab: Some of the best birds included Canvasback, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, American Kestrel, Great Horned Owl (nesting in the buffalo savannah, Belted Kingfisher, Horned Lark, Cedar Waxwing, and Eastern Meadowlark.
McKee Marsh: At McKee Marsh the highlight was a flyover Mute Swan.
Nelson Lake Marsh: The best birds at Nelson Lake included Northern Pintail, Gadwall, and Ring-necked Ducks.
Friday, March 4
FermiLab: Ducks at FermiLab today included Lesser Scaup, Hooded Mergansers, and 28 Common Mergansers (calling).
Fox River (Kane Co): Highlights along the Fox River today included Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, 2 American Coots, Belted Kingfisher, Cedar Waxwings, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Saturday, February 26
Backyard: The first Sandhill Cranes of the year flew over the yard today.
Friday, February 25
FermiLab: Ducks today included a Ruddy Duck, 90 Common Mergansers, and 3 Great Blue Herons.
Springbrook Prairie: This evening we went to Springbrook to look for owls. No luck, but we saw: Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Killdeer, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle,Brown-headed Cowbird.
Saturday, February 19
North Point Marina (Lake Co): Today we went to the Gull Frolic. Birds seen included REDHEADS, 655 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, a female SURF SCOTER, and COMMON GOLDENEYE. Gulls included one GLAUCOUS GULL, 3 ICELAND GULLS (adult, 2 imm.), 4 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS (2 adult, 1 2nd, 1 imm.), and 7 THAYER'S GULLS (2 adult, 5 imm.)
Friday, February 18
FermiLab: An adult Bald Eagle was present at the south end of A.E. Sea today. There were also some Common Mergansers right by the road.
Fox River (Kane Co.): Ducks at Seba Park today included Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, and Hooded Merganser.
Thursday, February 10
Backyard: Today there was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk present in our bush in the corner of the yard.
Sunday, February 6
Waterfall Glen FP: After getting a call we went over to Waterfall Glen to see the Saw-Whet Owl that had been located there in the morning. It was still present in the pine plot along the bike trail. Other birds included White-Breasted Nuthatch, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and White-Throated Sparrows.
Saturday, February 5
LaSalle Co: Today we went on a DBC trip to LaSalle County. The river was high and gulls were sparse, but there were still some good finds. On the river at Starved Rock by the boat launch there were at least 85 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and over 455 COMMON MERGANSERS. At least 24 BALD EAGLES were also present along the river. Other highlights from the day included MUTE SWAN and TUFTED TITMOUSE.
Tuesday, February 1
Pratt's Wayne Woods: Nothing unusual at Pratt's Wayne today. The best bird was a Hermit Thrush.
Fox River (Kane Co.): Highlights along the river today included Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, American Black Duck, and Common Mergansers.
Backyard: Birds in the backyard today included Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Robin, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, White-Throated Sparrow, and Cedar Waxwings.
Sunday, January 30
Morton Arboretum: At the Arb today, the best birds included a Red-Breasted Nuthatch, five Brown Creepers, and four Pine Siskins.
Saturday, January 29
DeKalb Co: Today I went with the DuPage Birding Club on a trip to DeKalb County. Highlights included HORNED LARKS and FOX SPARROW
Lee and Ogle Co.: After the DBC trip, I went with the Zamirowski's on their hawk monitoring route. We saw at least seven ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and a dozen RED-TAILED HAWKS as well as NORTHERN HARRIERS and other regulars. We also saw quite a few WILD TURKEYS right along the road and in a couple fields, a pair of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, and PURPLE FINCHES at a feeder. There was also a BALD EAGLE along the river. At the Zamiorowski's cabin, we got great looks at their resident BARRED OWL.
Monday, January 24
Seba Park (Kane Co.): Over 120 Common Goldeneye were on the river today and actively vocalizing. There were also a couple Hooded Mergansers and a Cackling Goose.
Tekakwitha Woods: AAlong the river west of Tekakwitha Woods, there was a nice adult Bald Eagle
Fabyan FP: Nothing too unusualy at Fabyan. A couple Pine Siskins and a Brown Creeper were present along the river.
FermiLab: A couple Horned Larks were present at the Buffalo Feeders today.
Sunday, January 23
Seba Park (Kane Co.): Four Mute Swans were present on the river today. Other highlights included Hooded Mergansers and Golden-Crowned Kinglets.
Kenyon Farms: At Kenyon Farms there were over 100 Horned Larks in the fields and at least four Lapland Longspurs along the road. There was also a single Snow Bunting and five White-Crowned Sparrows.
Friday, January 21
Backyard: Highlights in the backyard today included the Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and Cooper's Hawk.
Monday, January 17
DeKalb Co.: A visit to Afton F.P. in the cold weather this morning didn't turn up many birds despite a thorough search. Only some AMERICAN CROWS, an AMERICAN ROBIN, and a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. We did see a RUSTY BLACKBIRD flyover near Lake Shabbona though. Also, there were a few HORNED LARKS and LAPLAND LONGSPURS along the road.
Kane Co.: Along the river yesterday at Riverside Park we had a second year Bald Eagle fly by.
Saturday, January 15
LaSalle Co.: Today we went down with the DuPage Birding Club to Starved Rock. The river was open and Very high after the recent rains. The road to the Dam and Visitors Center was closed so the group toured some of the backyard roads were we had nice looks at LAPLAND LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS. After lunch we split off and went back to Starved Rock. Along the river we saw five or six BALD EAGLES, COMMON MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, one CACKLING GOOSE, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, and other regulars. At Starved Rock we hiked along the trail from the lodge to lover's leap. Along this trail we ran into a nice group of birds feeding on the ground including a TUFTED TITMOUSE, three CAROLINA WRENS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, NORTHERN CARDINALS, and DARK-EYED JUNCOS. In the trees there were also two GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and a BROWN CREEPER. The three CAROLINA WRENS were fighting over territory and two landed right in the middle of the trail after sparring and taking a downward swirl. On the way home we also had another ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK right by the side of the road.
Morton Arboretum: At the Arb this afternoon, we saw a group of 6 Eastern Bluebirds and at least 6 Common Redpolls in the crabapples / flowering trees collection on the west side of the Arboretum. Other highlights included a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Eastern Screech-Owl, and Pine Siskin.
Herrick Lake: A Northern Harrier was seen flying south of the intersection of Route 56 and Herrick Road.
Fox River (Kane County): There was one Mute Swan present at Fabyan F.P. today along with 3 American Black Ducks, Common Goldeneye, and many Mallards. At Glenwood Park there was a Cackling Goose and 3 Gadwall. At Blackhawk there were two American Wigeons. Other birds at Fabyan included a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Golden-Crowned Kinglets, Brown Creeper, Pine Siskins, and many House Finches.
Elsen's Hill: At Elsen's Hill this afternoon there were over 150 American Robins, a Northern Flicker, and a couple Yellow-Rumped Warblers.
FermiLab: A Rough-Legged Hawk was flying around in a field along Kirk Road.
Backyard: This morning there were two American Tree Sparrows in the yard. There was also a single White-Throated Sparrow, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, White-Breasted Nuthatch, at least 14 Mourning Doves, 15 Northern Cardinals, 20 Dark-Eyed Juncos, American Goldfinches, two Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, and other regulars. On January 8th, a Brown Creeper was eating the suet on the maple tree.
Sunday, January 2
Fox River (Kane County): We visited a few spots along the Fox River today. Ducks included Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead. We also had a couple Cackling Geese, two Mute Swans, and a Brown Creeper. At Nelson Lake there were also some Red-Winged Blackbirds.
Saturday, January 1
Morton Arboretum: A rather slow start to the new year at the Arboretum this morning. Highlights for me included Pine Siskin, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, and Cooper's Hawk.
Relative Abundance
(Abundance based on the DuPage Checklist by Denis Kania):
Common....Note
Worthy....Uncommon....Rare
to Very Rare....Extremely
Rare