It’s (Mostly) About Montrose

Welcome to The Montrose Birding Blog, a WordPress website about birding Montrose Point in Chicago. I created this blog to report bird and nature sightings from Montrose and to serve as a guide to birding Montrose. Unless stated otherwise, all images and content were created by and are the property of Robert D. Hughes; any unauthorized use is prohibited..

Questions or comments? Contact the website administrator, Robert D. Hughes.

About Me

I’ve been birding since 1978 and much of that time has been spent at Montrose. I’ve never lived far from Montrose so it’s always been easy for me to bird there before or after school or work.

I was born, raised, and currently live in Chicago. My professional background is in webmastering, front-end Web development, and content management. When I’m not working I apply my passion for communications to promoting the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary through the Birding Montrose Point website, social media, and this blog. You could say I’m a Web guy at heart.

Robert D. Hughes, Administrator
November 2022

Help Support This Project

I designed and developed this site and produce most of the content for it and its sister birding website, The Orniphile. I also pay for hosting and deal with the many challenges associated with running large, complex websites. I thoroughly enjoy writing about birds and telling the story of Montrose Point, one of the most popular and renowned bird and nature sanctuaries in the United States. Empowering people with the information they can use to make informed decisions about birding Montrose is a passion of mine. With that in mind, I’m asking for contributions to help offset the management costs.

I use PayPal for donations. It’s safe, secure, and easy to use. To make a contribution, click the Donate button below and follow the instructions. Thanks!

What’s New

A Ferruginous Hawk was seen and photographed on November 6, 2023, a first record for Montrose and the 351st species recorded there.

Header Photo: White-winged Scoters from Montrose Harbor

I Need Your Help

I designed this blog and manage the content for it and its sister birding website, Birding Montrose Point. I also pay for hosting and deal with the many challenges associated with running large, complex websites. I thoroughly enjoy telling the story of Montrose, one of the most renowned bird and nature sanctuaries in the United States. Empowering people with the information they can use to make informed decisions is a passion of mine. What does this blog offer?

Information about birding Montrose – where it is, how to bird it, and what to see.
Tips on making the most of your visit, including insights about weather, migration, and how to use eBird.
Bird identification content, with an emphasis on tricky, look-alike species like Greater and Lesser Scaup.

You won’t find this level of valuable information and insight anywhere else on the web. I’ve spent years curating knowledge about Montrose and I make it all publicly available on this blog. With this in mind, I’m asking for contributions to help offset the management costs. I use PayPal for donations. It’s safe, secure, and easy to use. To make a contribution, click the Donate button below and follow the instructions. Thanks!

Update, June 2024

As you’ve noticed, I’ve cut back on updating this blog. I have a full-time job that takes up most of my time, and to be frank, I’m repeating the same content in my posts year after year. So, except on rare occasions, I won’t be adding new posts or updating the content pages. You’re welcome to browse past posts and read the content pages, though the content page information may be dated. Thanks!

Eared Grebe, February 25, 2024

Eared Grebe (click to see the larger version)

An obliging Eared Grebe was a pleasant surprise on February 25. The bird was inside the “hook” of the long fishing pier that extends out into Lake Michigan at the east end of the beach. Two Horned Grebes were nearby but the Eared wasn’t associating with them. Late winter Eared Grebes are very rare at Montrose – I’m struggling to remember if I’ve ever seen one there at this time of the year. Is this bird an early migrant or did it overwinter on Lake Michigan? Hard to say.

Lapland Longspurs, January 2024

Lapland Longspurs (click to see the larger version)

Lapland Longspurs usually don’t spend the winter at Montrose. We see them during fall migration, but these birds almost always continue moving south and are gone by late December. In mid January 2024, a group of Lapland Longspurs showed up in the Dunes and was still there as of January 21. The group varied in size from about 45 to over 100 birds. They preferred the open area on the southwest side of the Dunes, feeding on seeds on the wind blown sand and snow. A few Snow Buntings and Horned Larks, both also rare at Montrose in the winter, often joined them. This association of field loving passerines is a regular winter sight along northern Illinois roadsides and in Illinois farm fields. Also of note is that the longspurs and Snow Buntings would sometimes fly up to and roost in the tops of tall trees, at least for a little while. This behavior was usually stimulated by an American Kestrel or other raptor flying over the Dunes or making a pass at the birds.

To look for the Lap flock, scan the large open area on the southwest side of the Dunes. The birds have been easy to spot on the snow covered field, and can be tame and approachable while looking for food.

January 13, 2024

Herring, Ring-billed, and Iceland Gulls (click to see the larger version)

The middle of January is about the slowest time of the year for birding at Montrose. If you see 20 species on a visit you’re doing very well. January 13, 2024 proved to be the best mid winter day of birding I’ve experienced at Montrose. I tallied 32 species in a couple hours of birding, and 41 species were reported to eBird by all observers for the day. My highlights include

Iceland Gull
Long-tailed Duck
Long-eared Owl
Northern Harrier
American Pipit
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Horned Lark
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Grackle
Fox Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

Some of these birds were likely driven south by an approaching Artic cold front. The temperature on January 13 was in the 20s, but dropped below zero overnight and is expected to stay in this range for several days. Extreme weather events like this often produce extreme birding events.

Snowy Owl Bust

Fall Snowy Owls at Montrose are usually a harbinger of more to come over the winter, so when one showed up in the Dunes in November 2023, some of us thought this might be a flight year for them. A check of eBird shows that, as of January 1, 2024, not another has been seen at Montrose, in Chicago, or anywhere in Illinois for that matter. The November bird was a one off fluke and not part of a hoped for larger movement into the Midwest. We’ll have to spend our winter birding time looking for gulls or Red Crossbills, which are irrupting into Illinois.

The Montrose Birding Blog

Bird and Nature Sightings from Montrose Point in Chicago