The Red-necked Grebe was still in Montrose Harbor this morning, November 11. I saw it swimming among the starfloats on the west side of the harbor. A brief walk around the point also yielded one each of Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur, and Rusty Blackbird.
Category Archives: Fall Bird Reports
Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, November 9, 2014
I spent about an hour at Montrose this morning, November 9, mostly looking at the lake from the fishing pier. Lake Michigan was nice and calm and the visibility was excellent but there wasn’t much out there, either on the water or flying by. I did have a first cycle Great Black-backed Gull, probably one of Steve Spitzer’s birds from Loyola, a Common Merganser, my first of the season, and a lone Snow Bunting. Walking back I found a first cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull on the beach, again probably a Steve bird from Loyola. I didn’t look for the Red-necked Grebe but others said it was still in the harbor.
American Avocets, November 4, 2014
American Avocets (click to see the larger version)
Twenty four American Avocets were at the east end of Montrose Beach early this morning, November 4. The birds were still there when I left at 7 but apparently a Peregrine Falcon came along and scared all but one of them away, and from what I heard that one avocet is lucky to be alive. This is one of the largest groups of American Avocets I’ve seen at Montrose and by far the largest group this late in the year.
Horned Grebes, November 2, 2014
Horned Grebes (click to see the larger version)
Horned Grebes have arrived on the Chicago Lake Michigan lakefront. This flotilla of 7 was off the end of the fishing pier at Montrose on November 2. The name for a group of grebes is pod, so this could be called a pod of Horned Grebes.
October 31, 2014 Storm
I went over to Montrose this afternoon to see the wave action on Lake Michigan from the storm that went through. I’ve lived in Chicago all my life and I’ve seen some impressive weather but this storm has to rank near the top in terms of violence and intensity. A large part of the dunes at Montrose Beach was flooded. At times part of the fishing pier was under water. Waves were crashing 20-30 feet high against the fishing pier. Lake Michigan was roiling. I even saw a few birds, including a Northern Harrier flying south over the lake.
October 19, 2014
Montrose was very lively this morning, October 19, with lots of White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, both kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Hermit Thrushes around. Here’s a partial list of what Karen and I saw:
Black-bellied Plover – 2
Dunlin – 2
Sanderling – 2
Merlin – 1
Chimney Swift – 6
White-eyed Vireo – 1 immature (gray eyes)
Winter Wren – ~5
Brown Creeper – 4
Gray Catbird – 1
American Pipit – 1
Lapland Longspur – 4, in the dunes
Snow Bunting – 4, also in the dunes
Tennessee Warbler – 1
Nashville Warbler – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – ~8
Northern Parula – 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler – 1 male
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
Palm Warbler – ~6
Blackpoll Warbler – 1
American Redstart – 1
Common Yellowthroat – 1
Chipping Sparrow – 1
Grasshopper Sparrow – 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow – 2
Fox Sparrow – ~6
Harris’s Sparrow – 1 immature
Rusty Blackbird – 2
Purple Finch – 2
Pine Siskin – 2
The White-eyed Vireo was probably the best bird of the day, and I don’t think I’ve seen one at Montrose in the fall before. I first saw it in the willows in the dunes and later in the peripheral plantings and again near the Magic Hedge. I’m assuming this was the same individual that was just moving around a lot.
The Harris’s Sparrow was at the east end of the native planting area, not far from the tower.