White-winged Scoters
Townsend's Solitaire. Photo by Josh Engel (click to see a larger version).
Josh Engel found a Townsend’s Solitaire at Montrose on the morning of November 16. Unfortunately, this bird was literally a one hour wonder and was seen by only a handful of people. Ironically this bird fed on berries in the same tree that the Sage Thrasher had been using. This is only the second record of this species for Montrose, the first being in 2008.
Sage Thrasher (click to see a larger version)
The Sage Thrasher has been at Montrose for two weeks now. I saw it this morning, November 12, near the small stand of cedars at the east end of the point. We’ll see how long it hangs around. There were also a couple Short-eared Owls at Montrose this morning.
Sage Thrasher. Photo by Kanae Hirabayashi.
A Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) was discovered at Montrose on Saturday, October 29 by local birder and nature photographer Rob Curtis. The bird was still present the next day, much to the delight of those who couldn’t make it to Montrose on Saturday. This is a NEW species for Montrose, number 334. Sage Thrashers are found in the western United States but occasionally wander to the eastern United States, particularly in the fall. This is about the 6th record for Illinois. The photo at left was taken by my good friend Kanae Hirabayashi. October, or Rocktober as I like to call it, rarely disappoints.
For a complete list of the birds seen at Montrose, see the Montrose List.