White-winged Scoters
The online photo quizzes I wrote for the Illinois Ornithological Society are now up on my birding website, The Orniphile: IOS Photo Quizzes. The quizzes ran from 2003 to 2010. Also, The Birds of Illinois series is up as well. This is a three part list of the birds that have been officially recorded in Illinois. Status information is also provided.
I had a drake Long-tailed Duck at the mouth of Montrose Harbor this morning, December 10. This looks like the same bird that was at Loyola recently. My other good bird for the morning was a flyover Common (I assume) Redpoll while looking at the Long-tailed Duck. Also, 2 lingering Ruddy Ducks and all 3 mergansers. Video of the Long-tailed below.
Red-tailed Hawk (click to see the larger version)
I spent about an hour at Montrose this morning, December 7. The birds and birding feel mostly like winter, which means I didn’t have a lot of variety, but the morning wasn’t a total loss. I didn’t see the Snowy Owl, and it wasn’t seen yesterday, so perhaps it has moved on. I suspect there will be a few more this winter, judging from the numbers to the north of us. The large raptor highlight was the continuing juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, which was dining on a rabbit near the Magic Hedge. This bird has been around for about a month and has no doubt made significant progress in reducing the rabbit population at Montrose. I also saw a young Great Black-backed Gull flying around the fishing pier, a male Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a heard only Snow Bunting. There were birds inside the harbor too, including a lone lingering Horned Grebe, a handful of Greater and Lesser Scaup, and what looks like a young male Ring-necked Duck.
I walked around Montrose for a little while this morning, December 3. My best find was the continuing female Long-tailed Duck in Lake Michigan near the tower at the southeast corner of the point. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days but I assume this is the same bird.
Other birds seen at Montrose this a.m. include 3 Ruddy Ducks in the lake outside of the harbor, 2 Horned Grebes inside the harbor, and a flyover Pine Siskin.
Long-tailed Duck (click to see the larger version)
I walked around Montrose for a little while this morning, November 26. My best find was a female Long-tailed Duck in Lake Michigan near the tower at the southeast corner of the point. I’m guessing this is the same Long-tailed Duck that was seen at Loyola a couple of days ago.
Other birds seen at Montrose this a.m. include good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers, both on the water and migrating south, the continuing Ruddy Duck inside the fishing pier, a small loon that was probably a Red-throated, flyover American Pipit and Snow Bunting, and a lingering Fox Sparrow at the Magic Hedge.
I heard and then saw a Common Redpoll at Montrose this morning, November 21 near the south end of the Magic Hedge. This is my first Common Redpoll of the season, but not the first Common Redpoll OF the season at Montrose, since Al Stokie had one back in late October.
In other news, winter ducks have finally (and I guess this is a good thing) arrived at Montrose. I walked out onto the fishing pier and had decent numbers of Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, as well as a few Common Goldeneyes and Buffleheads. Also, a group of Hooded Mergansers, a Redhead, and a Ruddy Duck. I did not see the Red-necked Grebe in the harbor, just Horned Grebes.